Counter Poaching Efforts

[vinkie]

GRAA statement on KNP rhino poaching crisis

Statement on KNP rhino poaching crisis


By: The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa

27/05/2013

The rhino poaching crisis being experienced in the Kruger National Park is increasing in magnitude daily. This situation has escalated to the point whereby as of 23rd May 2013, 1065 rhino have been poached within the park since 2010. The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa (GRAA) finds the current situation deplorable.

The GRAA acknowledges the role played by the dedicated field personnel who are attempting to keep this situation under control. The sacrifices that these men and women are making in order to ensure the preservation of our natural resources deserve further recognition and appreciation. The debt we owe these dedicated and brave conservationists and their families can never be repaid.

The GRAA calls on President Jacob Zuma and the South African government to fully acknowledge the onslaught that our rangers are facing while they attempt to protect not only South Africa’s rhino but its natural heritage in general.

Professionally trained and armed militia from Mozambique enter South Africa to plunder the country’s natural resources on a daily basis. These actions are tantamount to acts of war and such actions are putting not only South African citizens at risk but also one of South Africa’s economic sectors namely tourism[1]. South Africa’s rhino hold significant value within the ecotourism industry. The GRAA does not believe it is the rangers’ responsibility to defend the borders of South Africa against these armed incursions which aim to slaughter the country’s rhino and whoever dares to stand in their defence.

Game rangers operate in a constrained environment in terms of resources and legal boundaries compared to that of the military. The current poaching situation needs to be moved beyond the responsibility of the Department of Environmental Affairs. The financial pressure being felt through the deflection of duty to the Department of Environmental Affairs and ultimately, conservation, needs to be challenged.

We therefore call on the South African government to take a zero tolerance approach to what amounts to total disrespect of the country’s borders. We call for an increased South African National Defence Force presence on our borders to maintain their effectiveness in securing the property, economy and citizens of South Africa.

We urge the South African government to address the matter immediately with Mozambique at the highest possible diplomatic levels, with the mandated ministerial departments and to exert severe pressure on the Mozambican government to address the situation. The current disregard by Mozambican citizens of the sovereignty of South Africa’s borders cannot be allowed to continue. The situation has escalated from an environmental issue to one of national security. It is time to acknowledge this and act accordingly with the full force of the law.



Contact:
The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa
PO Box 84420
Greenside
2034
(e) info@gameranger.co.za
(f) +27 86 544 5142
(t) +27 82 570 7597

Source: http://gameranger.org/news-views/media- ... risis.html

[Richprins]

Very good link, vinkie!

So true!

[Richprins]

Download PPT - Department of Environmental Affairs; impact of increasing resources in fight against poaching of South Africa’s biodiversity -7 May 2013

Presentation: “The impact of increasing resources in the fight against poaching of South Africa’s biodiversity”
Dr Moscow Marumo, Chief Director: Biodiversity Planning and Management, Department of Environmental Affairs, outlined the threats to South African biodiversity that were particular concerns at the moment. He covered the rhino poaching statistics and arrests, the decline in cycads decline due to illegal harvesting, and the responses that the DEA had formulated, which included the National Wildlife Information Management Unit, conservation management interventions. A major challenge was still the capacity constraints at provincial conservation authorities.

Dr Marumo attributed the decline in species to the removal of plants for medicinal purposes, illegal international trading of wild species, and collection of illegal species from the wild and subsequent incorporation into collections as parental stock for progeny propagation. (See attached presentation for more details)

Dr Marumo said the response to rhino threats in particular would include continued implementation of the National Strategy for the Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations in South Africa. This strategy would also be reviewed and changed where necessary to address emerging issues. South Africa had some and planned other bilateral engagements with neighbouring, transit and consumer states. There would be permanent and consistent implementation within NATJOINTS to interface with all relevant national programmes and special projects. DEA also planned to include monitoring and patrolling on private land, in its rural safety plan. A detector dog unit was to be established by the Department, in collaboration with National Border Management Coordination Centre. The DEA aimed to enter into Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with enforcement agencies and customs agencies to share information. It had also signed an MOU with Vietnam in December 2012, and an implementation plan had been prepared to address threats from this country. A further MoU with Thailand was yet to be initiated, whilst an MoU with Kenya would be finalised once the new government structures were in place. South Africa had also signed a MoU with China on biodiversity matters. There were ongoing engagements with Mozambique and Zimbabwe in relation to the Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA.

The presentation also set out statistics on success rates in poaching, capacity, provincial reports and financial aspects.

Discussion
The Chairperson requested, in view of the shortage of time, that members present their questions to the Department, but that the DEA should give written responses.

Mr Mokgoro asked why the success rate on poaching was poor. He asked who the poachers were, and whether they were foreigners, foreigners in cahoots with local poachers, or South African citizens.

Mr Worth said there were more questions than answers in relation to Kruger Park. He asked who was going to patrol the waters around the Marion Islands. He supported the Chairperson’s request for full written answers.

Date of Meeting: 7 May 2013

[Toko]

Rhinos dehorned and micro-chipped by Mpumalanga government. Date: May 30, 2013

The Mpumalanga government says that it has upped its fight against rhino poaching by dehorning ten rhinos in provincial game reserves and micro-chipping 52 more.
This was announced by Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism, MEC Pinky Phosa during her 2013/2014 Policy and Budget Speech in Mbombela on Tuesday, 28 May.
“In our attempt to counter the scourge of rhino poaching, we managed to microchip and collect DNA samples of 52 white rhinos, and dehorned 10 white rhinos as part of our anti-poaching strategy,” Phosa said.
“The rhinos that were not dehorned are only those on Big Five reserves, where they need horns for self defence against predators,” she added.
The number of rhinos poached in South Africa this year has reached 354 nationwide, with 242 killed in the Kruger National Park alone.
“Government, at both national and provincial spheres, is really concerned about these barbaric, selfish and greedy acts of making quick money at the expense of sustainability for future generations,” Phosa stated.
Spokesperson for the Department, Mohau Ramodibe, said that anti-poaching measures in the Kruger National Park were the responsibility of the national government, as the reserve was a National Park.
“The Kruger National Park is under the custodianship of SANParks, so they are the ones who make decisions on how to employ rhino-poaching techniques, but obviously our department is here to assist them in any way we can,” said Ramodibe.
In response to Phosa’s comments, John Hume, South Africa’s biggest private rhino owner of rhino and a strong supporter of legalising trade in rhino horn, said that dehorning had always been only a deterrent but not a solution to poaching.
“With the current price of rhino horn on the Black Market standing at around US$ 65000 per kilogram, it appears that dehorning is becoming less and less of a deterrent,” said Hume, who lost three rhinos on his North West ranch to poaching last Friday (24 May).
“All current measure to protect rhinos in the country are merely treating symptoms of the problem and not addressing the cause. Until we are able to fight fire with fire, we are going to continue to witness the destruction of yet another species while we stand by and watch,” he added.
Hume reasserted that he urgently advocated the legalisation of rhino horn, saying it was crucial that the value of live rhinos surpassed that of dead ones.

– The Write News Agency

[Richprins]

The HR's need to open their eyes a bit, and are behind the times, with a massive but manipulating SANParks infrastructure behind them. Braam is trying to get some ideas across, but the tone is mostly placatory. A different world. But only my opinion, not that of AW!

I feel strongly that our rangers, who risk death in a confrontation with armed poachers, should be financially incentivized. A field ranger is not highly paid. To expect him to risk his life to save a rhino when he has a family to feed is a big ask. Most are dedicated but some are open to temptation to collude with the enemy. Simple GPS co-ordinates from a cell phone, giving the location of a rhino to a poacher, may secure a significant sum of money for a struggling family.
These rangers deserve to be acknowledged. A financial incentive, media recognition and possibly a medal, could go a long way in raising the bar of taking the war to the poachers.



This is paternalistic, for example. Field rangers should not be singled out. They know what they signed up for, and agreed, do the hardest dirty work. Few of them are corrupt....and they are often far from cellphone reception for many days. one needs to look elsewhere....

Agreed regarding rewards, though! Bounty!

[Toko]

Fight against rhino poaching given a financial boost

Wednesday 5 June 2013 07:55
SABC

The fight against rhino poaching has been given a boost with conservation entity Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife receiving a budget of over R600 million. This is a 14% increase from the previous year's budget and includes the rhino security project and road maintenance.

Agriculture MEC Meshack Radebe has tabled his department's budget in the provincial legislature. He says the department received additional funding of R19 million to fight rhino poaching.

"Just two weeks ago we discovered seven carcasses of rhinos and also it was a shock to us to find out that there was an elephant which was also killed. So we are concerned as a department. But I want to thank Wildlife for what they have done to make sure that they protect our animals. We are very pleased that we can see the result and the arrests."

At least 33 rhino had been poached in the province and 24 arrests have been made.

[Richprins]

KZN rules!They are doing their mandated conservation job instead of handing out computers!

[Flutterby]

Great stuff KZN!!

[Jillinflorida]

[vinkie]

Officials in South Africa inject rhino horns with toxins To Stop Poachers !

http://mash.network.coull.com/activatev ... ransparent