Counter Poaching Efforts

[nan]

and what about Al Q.

[Richprins]

AQ is just like any other "liberation movement"....


(BTW...as soon as you name them, the FBI eventually comes to check here, I think! )

[nan]

[Toko]

PMG - QUESTION 47 [NW53E]

Reply received: July 2014

QUESTION 47 [NW53E]

INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO. 1 of 2014

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 17 June 2014

Ms T Stander (DA) to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs:

(1)
(a) What amount in funding has been raised by private bodies registered with her Department since 1 January 2013 to curb rhino poaching,
(b) how have these funds been spent,
(c) when will her Department publish a list of registered private anti-rhino poaching initiatives and (d) what steps has she put in place to facilitate an integrated approach to combat rhino poaching;



(2) will she push for stricter prison sentences, starting with a minimum of 10 years, for offenders involved in rhino poaching; if not, why not; if so, when does she intend to
(a) bring such legislation and
(b) enforce its implementation;



(3)
(a) what aspects of rhino horn trade does her department (i) support and (ii) not support,
(b) what are the reasons for those aspects that her department (i) support and (ii) does not support and
(c) what are the recommendations that she will make to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)?



47. THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS REPLIES:

(1) According to the information submitted by Non-Profit Organisations/Non-Government Organisations/individuals to the Department of Environmental Affairs:

(a) The funds raised to date are R101 388 850-95;



(b) The funds have been spent on the following initiatives:

· Improving security standards

· Dissemination of information

· Raising awareness about rhino poaching

· Support interventions that deals with rhino anti-poaching

· Supporting security operations, surveillance, intelligence, training and equipment

· Supporting rhino orphanages and rhino breeding programmes;



(c) The department will publish a list of Non-Profit Organisations/Non-Government Organisations/individuals when the information submitted has been consolidated and the relevant verification finalised; and



(d) The Department, in collaboration with the provincial conservation authorities, the South African Police Service, the South African National Defence Force, Justice and Correctional Services, private rhino owners and various non-governmental organisations, has been implementing a large range of interventions to address rhino poaching since 2008, among many other non-security related measures that can be disclosed being the following:



Legislative interventions, including strategies and studies:

· Government Gazette No. 31899, Notice No. 148 (13 Feb 2009): National moratorium on the trade of individual rhino horns and any derivatives or products of the horns within South Africa. This is in place until further notice.

· Government Gazette No. 32426, Notice No. 756 (20 July 2009): Norms and standards for the marking of rhino horns and hunting of white rhino for trophy hunting purposes. The norms and standards were reviewed in 2012 to further strengthen provisions, and on 10 April 2012 the Norms and standards for the marking of rhinoceros and rhinoceros horn as well as for the hunting of rhinoceros for trophy hunting purposes were published in Government Gazette No. 35248, Notice No. 304.

· National Strategy for the Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations and Horn Stocks in South Africa was approved and implemented in 2010.

· A dehorning impact assessment, to determine whether dehorning is an option in terms of securing rhino populations, was initiated in 2011 and released in 2012.

· A feasibility study to determine the viability of legalising trade in rhino horn in South Africa was initiated in 2012.

· Amendments proposed to the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004) to strengthen permit provisions and include enabling provisions to defer, suspend and cancel permits under certain circumstances. The National Environmental Management Laws Amendment Act, 2013 (Act No. 14 of 2013) came into effect on 24 July 2013.

· A biodiversity management plan for the black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in South Africa 2011-2020, was published in Government Gazette No. 36096, Notice No. 49 for implementation.

· A draft biodiversity management plan for white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) has been developed.



Collaboration and co-operation interventions:

· Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) have been signed with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China and now under implementation.

· The MoU between Laos Peoples Democratic Republic and South Africa has been finalised and is awaiting signature.

· Draft MoUs with Cambodia, Thailand and Mozambique have been developed, negotiated, and awaiting finalisation.

· An interim National Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit (NWCRU) was established to assist in the implementation of the National Strategy for the Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations and Horn Stocks in South Africa.

· NATJOINTS (National security structure) has a Priority Committee on wildlife crime (with the focus currently on rhinoceros) to co-ordinate investigations and plan joint operations (the ProvJoints in the nine provinces report back into this national structure which comprises all the law enforcement and intelligence role-players).

· The Southern African Developing Communities (SADC) meeting of Ministers of Environment decided that a comprehensive anti-poaching strategy must be developed and adopted for the region and that a coordination unit should be established in the SADC Secretariat to coordinate law enforcement and monitoring illegal harvesting of resources.

· The Department will continue with the implementation of the joint strategy with all other affected government departments, including law enforcement agencies.

· The Department will implement key recommendations emanating from the Rhino Issues Management process, including the establishment of a National Rhino Fund, to assist in the implementation of key interventions.



The South African National Parks has taken the following steps:

· The Ranger Corps and associated divisions were re-organised into an anti–poaching force with unified command.

· A Joint Operation Centre (JOC) was established to ensure 24/7 command and control of operations.

· Cooperation and communication with all members of the task force (SANDF and SAPS) were streamlined.

· More than a dozen training courses were presented to ensure special skills development.

· Alliances with private reserves on the Western boundary were concluded as part of the “buffer zone” concept to ensure intelligence, early warning and disruptive engagement with poachers in those parks.

· Community programs were intensified to enhance cooperation and intelligence sharing.

· Three projects were launched in Mozambique:

o Cooperation with the Limpopo National Park to ultimately allow for joint cross border operations;

o Cooperation with the Concessionaire’s in Mozambique, adjacent to the south eastern areas of the Kruger National Park, yet again according to the “buffer zone” concept; and

o Operation LEBOMBO has been conceptualised and discussed with the Mozambican Authority, and will be launched before the festive season.

· The resettlement of the seven villages out of the Limpopo National Park is pursued as priority with the Mozambique government.

· SANParks will execute the three year plan to build an anti-poaching capability addressing people, including leaders, organisations and processes, sustainment, training, equipment (including technology) and doctrine.

· Continue with the Mozambique initiatives as well as new projects.

· Improve the flow and processing of crime intelligence.

· Work towards an integrated Government approach, resulting in more resources dedicated from more departments.

· Continue investigations into asset management – options related to the Rhino horn;

· Implement technology solutions.

· Ensure total access control, including the two international border posts.



(2) No; the current penalties in the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) and its associated Regulations are adequate for offenders involved in rhino poaching in that we use the criminal justice system of the Republic of South Africa. It must be noted that the courts do not only use NEMBA (which also includes charges related to possession and other activities for which permits are required) but a plethora of other laws related to illegal possession of firearms, trespassing as well as other Acts, such as the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, Act 121 of 1998 to charge an offender involved in rhino poaching. A combination of the relevant charges can result in sentences greater than the 10 years imprisonment provided for in NEMBA, for example, the convicted rhino poacher who received a sentence of 40 years imprisonment in 2013 (which was later reduced to 30 years on appeal);



(3) (a) – (c) Cabinet approved that a process to explore the feasibility of rhino horn trade should be explored and possibly be initiated at the 17th Conference of Parties to CITES in 2016. No final proposal has been compiled, or decision made, regarding the possible future rhino horn trade as an additional intervention to reduce the levels of poaching, and trade should not be considered in isolation from the comprehensive national response referred to in response to question 2.

[Richprins]

Cooperation with the Limpopo National Park to ultimately allow for joint cross border operations;

So that important part is not happening...yet....

[Richprins]

11 rhinos poached in 10 days, billboard asks 'SANParks, what are you doing?'
Reitumetse Pitso | 23 July, 2014 10:21

At the corner of Jellicoe and Jan Smuts avenues, in Rosebank, Johannesburg, is a digital billboard flashing the alarming number of reported rhinos poached around the country since the beginning of this year.


In the 10 days the billboard has been up, outside veterinarian Peter Baker’s premises, the number of rhinos poached was shown to have increased from 554 to 565. That was yesterday.

The death toll is followed by a simple question: “SANParks, what are you doing?”

“I put the sign up to shock people,” said Baker, who has asked the Department of Environmental Affairs to establish a national call centre to which poaching could be reported.

The vet says he has registered a toll-free hotline number — 0800-rhinos — and has secured a software and hardware deal for a call centre to be set up.

This call centre would not only pinpoint the location of the caller can be tracked but a translation service is made available to help tourists easily report the crimes as they come across them.

“We need a bank of people dedicated to putting a caller in touch with a reaction unit such as the police or park rangers,” said Baker.

Commenting on Baker’s proposal, SANParks spokeman Ike Phahla said their mandate was conservation and would leave matters of the law infringement to the police service. “We cannot be reinventing the wheel," he said.


http://www.timeslive.co.za/scitech/2014 ... -you-doing

[Richprins]

SANParks spokeman Ike Phahla said their mandate was conservation

Notice the mandate is again conservation...all the community/political stuff has vanished!

[Flutterby]

Nice one, Dr Baker!!

[Duke]

I thought protrecting our rhinos is conservation

[General Gump]

Dr Baker