Africa Wild

Toko wrote: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