We have detected that the browser you are using is no longer supported. As a result, some content may not display correctly.
We suggest that you upgrade to the latest version of any of the following browsers:
close notification
Date
: 21/11/2005
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
Title:de Wet: Professional Hunting Association of South Africa
Conference
Address of the MEC for Economic Affairs, Environment and
Tourism, A de Wet, to the Professional Hunting Association of South
Africa (Phasa) Conference held at Mpekweni Resort, Eastern
Cape
South Africa’s hunting industry is relatively large with 5
000 to 6 000 hunters having visited the country during the 2003/04
hunting season. These hunters shot 53 453 animals with a combined
value of ZAR 265 million (USD 40,7m). In addition, South Africa has
an estimated 200 000 resident hunters and the sector is worth
around ZAR 2,9 billion.
More than 9 000 farms are used for wildlife production and a
further 15 000 are used for mixed stock and wildlife production. It
is estimated that about 73% of this land is privately owned, 13%
communally held and the balance, in the ownership of the State.
Between 5 000 and 6 000 jobs are provided by the industry, whilst
approximately 63 000 jobs are provided by secondary industries such
as tourism. Other benefits include tips, revenue for conservation
authorities and communal landowners, education, training and
capacity building, conservation levies, meat and eco-tourism
opportunities.
The industry is therefore a very important part of South
Africa’s economy and economic life, particularly in the
Eastern Cape. It is for this reason that we need to ensure that the
industry is managed in a responsible and sustainable manner. South
Africa’s draft National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
(NBSAP) clearly identifies strategies on the sustainable use of
biodiversity. It notes the significant contribution of the wildlife
industry in South Africa, including hunting to economic growth, job
creation and the expansion of land under biodiversity
management.
The Strategy goes on to say that more could be done to grow and
enhance the contribution of the sector, ensure its sustainability
by developing management guidelines, norms and standards, and
facilitating growth of the industry. It should be emphasised that
this growth should be promoted in partnership with communities and
the business sector as part of poverty alleviation and job creation
strategies.
As such, the national Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
stated on 25 October that: “Hunting remains an integral part
of South African life, and properly regulated it can make a
substantial contribution to conservation management and economic
growth.”
Realising this, but also that the current reality that the hunting
industry is not well regulated – with different policies set
by different provinces and differing capacities to enforce them
– the national Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
commissioned a study into the review of the hunting industry as a
whole.
The review considered the existing gaps and loopholes within the
system, such as canned hunting of large predators, as well as the
importance of the industry to our economy, practices within the
industry and the impacts of hunting on conservation and
biodiversity. A panel of experts was appointed to deal with these
issues, as well as to develop draft Norms and Standards for the
regulation of professional and recreational hunting. These findings
were also informed by public inputs and comments as well as
specific research.
The recommendations were received by the Minister and released to
all provincial MECs on 25 October 2005, and include:
2 * The prohibition of hunting of any animals that originate from
intensive wildlife production systems, i.e. systems where human
intervention occurs through inter alia caring for and feeding of
animals (as opposed to extensive wildlife production systems, being
open systems where animals are allowed to roam freely, care for
themselves and “survival of the fittest” is the order
of the day);
* A ban on captive breeding, except for scientific and conservation
purposes;
* A prohibition of hunting in national and provincial parks;
* Transformation of the hunting sector through processes like a
Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Charter and
Scorecard; and the
* Formal recognition by Government of selected hunting
organisations as professional bodies to accredit hunters and
enforce codes of conduct and ethics in hunting. It is also
recommended that a research forum, funded by a conservation levy on
hunting permits, be established under the South African National
Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) to coordinate the science research
needed for a more scientific approach to wildlife management.
In taking these recommendations forward, the Minister has indicated
that the recommendations will be carefully examined, together with
the suggested Norms and Standards, for hunting. The overall
intention is to eliminate all rogue hunting practices, such as
canned hunting, and to ensure a comprehensive, detailed regulatory
system. The October report will make a significant contribution to
putting such a regulatory system in place.
It is furthermore envisaged that a Departmental draft of the Norms
and Standards will be published shortly for public comment.
National, in partnership with the provinces, will thereafter craft
national hunting regulations based on the Norms and Standards,
hopefully to be published within the first quarter of 2006, after a
rigorous and inclusive public participation process.
With the above in mind, some of the challenges which need to be
interrogated by this Association during the next few days
are:
* Ensuring sufficient community participation and beneficiation of
surrounding communities;
* Assisting community owned initiatives – mentoring,
co-operation, etc;
* Importance of indigenous knowledge in shaping the industry;
* Land ownership by foreigners – contentious issue currently
within the existing land reform and redistribution programme of
government; the need for a sensitive approach – investment on
the one hand is good, whilst alienation of local population can
destroy initiatives;
* Exploitation of foreign visitors – high costs associated
with tourism; previous weakness of the Rand created an opportunity,
however, with the strengthening of the Rand, few lodges,
outfitters, etc. have adjusted costs accordingly and are now seen
as “ripping off” visitors resulting in negative impact
on integrity of industry and declining number of hunters during
last financial year;
* Lack of catering for local hunters with focus on international
hunters resulting in animosity within the market sector; *
Transformation of the industry – industry seen as elitist and
in hands of a small group of previously advantaged individuals;
need for targeted action plan to fast-track transformation within
the industry;
* Empowerment and capacity building – needs to form part of
overall transformation agenda; * The need to improve the image of
hunting to ensure the sustainability of the industry;
* Addressing the issue of competition between game farming/hunting
and agriculture in terms of associated land usage (job losses on
farms, environmental appropriateness, disease management and
control between game farmers and traditional commercial farmers,
particularly livestock farmers);
* Need for hunting industry to ensure cohesion with eco-tourism
ventures and initiatives.
In conclusion, I would like to leave with you a few principles,
which I believe to be necessary to ensure sustainable development
of the hunting industry, ensuring that the industry plays a
meaningful role in the economy and the conservation of our natural
resources on a sustainable basis:
* Acceptance of the fact that hunting is not the most appropriate
industry in all areas; * The effective and efficient management and
monitoring of natural resources to ensure sustainability must be an
underlying principle of all development initiatives
; * It is imperative that local organisations are built and
strengthened to ensure a strong sense of local ownership;
* The need to ensure real benefits, now and into the future, is
produced for local people.
I thank you for this opportunity to address the first ever Phasa
Conference within the Province of the Eastern Cape and wish you
well in your deliberations over the next few days.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism,
Eastern Cape Provincial Government
21 November 2005
Map
