Africa Wild

14.02.2012

Richprins wrote:This from the Lowvelder today:

Countries unite in rhino fight

South Africa and Mozambique to join to find solutions to rhino poaching.



SKUKUZA - Ministers of Mozambique and South Africa held an urgent meeting in Pretoria recently in an attempt to find solutions to the slaughtering of rhino for their horns.

The meeting was also attended by top government officials in the respective departments of both countries, including Mr Fundisile Mketeni, the deputy director general of biodiversity in the Department of Environmental Affairs in South Africa, Dr David Mabunda, the CEO of SANParks and Dr Bartolomeu Soto, head of The Transfrontier Conservation Areas Unit in the ministry of tourism in Mozambique.

Molewa stressed that poaching in the KNP has escalated to such unacceptable levels that South Africa urgently requires the full cooperation and support of Mozambique if the killing of rhino was to be significantly reduced.

Sumbana emphasised the commitment of Mozambique to conservation by stating that its government had prioritised law-enforcement efforts that went beyond the narrow focus of rhino poaching.

Mozambique is currently pondering legislation that will elevate the offence of wildlife poaching to a criminal offence carrying heavier sentencing rather than the current offence of damage to property.

He added that Mozambique's natural resources were being plundered by organised mafia. Further to the proposed legislation a new elite, highly trained national anti-poaching unit has been formed and the first recruits will be graduating shortly and deployed in priority poaching areas.

Sumbana further said, "To the extent that Mozambique is desirous of ensuring effective and efficient management of its parks, the government has passed a decree creating a flexible state-owned agency similar to that of SANParks. This will assist with management effectiveness and allow greater flexibility in sourcing funding than is currently the case."

It was reported in the meeting that realising the success of collaborating with Mozambique on the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) with reduced rhino poaching incidents and the difficulties of erecting a fence between Massingir and Komatipoort, Mabunda had recently visited Soto to discuss the idea of including the
220 000 hectare Greater Lebombo Conservancy to act as an effective buffer for the KNP southern section linking with Mozambique.

The idea has since morphed into a transfrontier conservation area (TFCA) in line with the signed treaty that created the GLTP. Indeed, Article 3(2) of the signed treaty envisioned the TFCA in Mozambique to include the Massingir and Corumana regions, as well as the interlinking regions thus creating an immediate framework for bilateral between the two countries for the inclusion of the Greater Lebombo Conservancy.

The two ministers agreed to cooperate bilaterally to ensure that the planned TFCA was realised and concluded speedily. Mabunda and Soto reported the high support for the conservation area by the various stakeholders and land users in Mozambique, particularly the private concessionaires.


This may seem to be a wonderful idea, but has been a contentious issue for years, with all sorts of operators in the buffer zone between Massingir and more South to Komatipoort.

It also seems the electric fence is/was a rather optimistic and expensive exercise?

Richprins wrote:Mabunda and Soto reported the high support for the conservation area by the various stakeholders and land users in Mozambique, particularly the private concessionaires.

Now this is where the first problem comes in:

Some of those concessionaires indulge in hunting.

lowveldboy wrote:and reports suggest it might be baited hunts

Peter Betts wrote:Sandy Macdonald of Macdonald Safaris who admits to baiting Kruger lions to be made into floor rugs for rich Texans must be very happy that the fence will be moved the other side..no more baiting required 13 kms east of Lower sabie camp this happens and will be happening easier...nice one 'management'

Mel wrote:Sickening!

Richprins wrote:Ja, I just have a gut feel that the rhino poaching has become a convenient excuse for ending the irritating question of maintaining the Southern fence.

I wouldn't mind extending Greater Limpopo Park or Greater Kruger this way, but Moz does not have a brilliant record regarding corruption and low manpower etc. in nature conservation, and animal security will be an issue.

There are hunting farms connected to Kruger on the Western border, from the Sabie River to Phalaborwa, but I don't think they are directly next to the Park at all, rather part of the massive conservation blocks in those areas?

Wish Jumbo would come and give some insight!

"Translator" please

Kruger sprei sy grense danksy Mosambiek
Deur Elise Tempelhoff 02 Maart 2017 21:38

Die Groter Limpopo Oorgrenspark, waarvan die Krugerwildtuin die kern vorm, is met 240 000 ha vergroot deur die toevoeging van die Libombos-bewaringsgebied in Mosambiek.

Die gebied grens aan die Krugerwildtuin se oosgrens en is in die besit van nege private konsessiehouers.

Piet Theron, internasionale koördineerder van die Vredesparkstigting, het Donderdag gesê Mosambiek is die eerste land wat sedert 2002 – toe die ooreenkoms vir die vestiging van Groter Limpopo geteken is – grondgebied afgestaan het om by die res van die oorgrenspark te voeg.

Hy sê die formaliteite om Libombos by die oorgrenspark te voeg is nou afgehandel.

’n Bestuurskomitee sal binnekort gestig word om ’n gesamentlike plan vir die gebied op te stel.

In hierdie stadium is daar nog ’n versterkte heining van 180 km tussen die wildtuin en Libombos. Dié heining strek van die Olifantsrivier in die noorde tot by Krokodilbrug in die suide. Die verwydering, al dan nie van die heining, sal waarskynlik een van die eerste besprekingspunte van die gesamentlike komitee wees.

’n Geëlektrifiseerde heining is intussen aan die oostekant van Libombos opgerig. Volgens Theron was dit een van die voorwaardes vir die insluiting van Libombos by die oorgrenspark.

Libombos is nie oop vir besoekers nie en die bewaringsgebied kan ook nie direk van die suide van die wildtuin bereik word nie.

Luidens ’n verklaring deur die Vredesparkstigting beslaan die Groter Limpopo Oorgrenspark byna 100 000 km².

Libombos is merkwaardig in dié sin dat dit ’n groot verskeidenheid natuurlike en kulturele skatte huisves.

Dit het byna geen infrastruktuur nie en die menslike voetspoor in die gebied is baie klein.

Libombos is ook belangrik omdat dit een van die grootste renosterbevolkings huisves en saam met Suid-Afrika in die voorste linies teen stropers veg.

“Libombos is ’n waardevolle toevoeging tot bewaring, gemeenskapsontwikkeling en die stryd teen misdade teen wild,” aldus die stigting.

Basically a 24 000 ha area bordering the east of Kruger in Mozambique is added to the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park. Its eastern side has been electrically fenced and the Kruger fence may be dropped.

There is virtually no infrastructure and no visitor facilities in the area, made up of 9 private concessions.

It is a dense rhino area, according to this...

(But there are no rhino left in Moz... )

.....There is virtually no infrastructure and no visitor facilities in the area, made up of 9 private concessions......

Yeahhh .......It only accommodates hundreds of poachers ...........

Here is the map from a great article by Elize today:


http://lowvelder.co.za/378039/kruger-no ... wat-skuif/






The problem is, if it does indeed include the Southern half of that strip, it is part of a long-running battle of concern regarding hunting and fence breaking from private owners that side...