Pretoria – Hunting activities must be undertaken within the framework of regulatory prescripts and government remains committed to sustainable use of South Africa’s biodiversity, the environmental affairs department (DEA) said on Sunday.
South Africa had noted the motion moved by seven non-governmental organisations (NGOs) calling for an end to hunting captive-bred lions and other predators and captive breeding for commercial, non-conservation purposes in South Africa, the department said in a statement.
The motion was presented at the 2016 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC) currently under way in Hawaii in the United States. The motion expressed the NGOs’ concern at the alleged escalation of breeding of lions for the specific purpose of “canned lion hunting”, or “canned lion shooting”, by sectors of the wildlife industry in South Africa.
“While South Africa does not support some of the aspects in this motion, it will however consider the implications associated with the motion and engage the IUCN director general and the IUCN members on the requirements contained therein. The IUCN has always recognised the role that sustainable, legal hunting plays in conservation and supports human livelihoods in areas where other farming and land use options are less viable,” the DEA said.
Subsequent to the motion, initial discussions with the NGOs had been undertaken leading to a consensus on the need for continued co-operation in addressing non-compliance and research needs, as well as further strengthening the regulatory framework.
Speaking at the IUCN WCC, environmental affairs department deputy director general responsible for biodiversity and conservation Shonisani Munzhedzi said that “while hunting makes a substantial and positive contribution to conservation management and economic growth, we also have a responsibility to preserve the resource base and ensure that the industry has a sustainable future. However, hunting activities must be undertaken within the framework of the regulatory prescripts”.
South Africa was recognised worldwide for its conservation successes which included the African lion. The country also had a proud record of collaborating with the global community to ensure natural resources for the global common good were properly conserved, sustainably utilised, and benefits shared fairly and equitably. It was in this light that the IUCN had recently hailed South Africa’s advances in protecting species such as the African lion.
“We would like to emphasise our commitment to the promotion of conservation, sustainable use of biological resources, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use its biological resources, noting further that responsible utilisation of wildlife contributes to the enhancement of socio-economic development, rural livelihoods, and job creation in the sector,” Munzhedzi said.
However, South Africa, cautioned against assumptions that the adoption of this motion would result in the shutting down of facilities. Biodiversity contributed to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Existing legislative tools and frameworks therefore regulated this sector, including the aspects of captive keeping and hunting of lion in South Africa in a manner that ensured a balanced approach to its overriding developmental priorities and problems.
“[The] South African government remains committed to the sustainable use of the country’s biodiversity and will continue to develop and implement effective systems for managing and monitoring trophy hunts in the country,” the statement said.
African News Agency (ANA)