Speech by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism at the Annual General Meeting of the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA)

Introduction

In 2004 when I was appointed as Minister, there were a number of people who were surprised and uneasy with my decision to accept an invitation to address your annual event in that year. Some even advised me to decline the invitation in 2004. Because ethical, responsible hunting and conservation are two sides of the same coin, it is clear that it was the correct decision.

Although we will not always agree on every matter, I am of the firm belief that the professional hunting sector has an important partnership role to play in our approach both to conservation and tourism and I am fully committed to strengthening and improving the relationship between our department and this sector.

Economic contribution

Game farming and hunting contributes significantly to conservation, tourism development, job creation and sustainable development in rural areas. It is integrated with various sectors of the economy. It is an important foreign currency earner and its contribution to the gross national product is substantial. I am very optimistic about the future of this industry and the great potential to further nurture and promote its economic and conservation worth.

The key issue is sustainable utilisation. We are equally determined to ensure that our laws and international commitments are respected and upheld, and will not hesitate to act swiftly and harshly against unethical or irresponsible hunters who overstep or ignore our regulations. In this regard I want to thank PHASA for the stand it has taken against canned lion hunting and taking disciplinary action against members who do not adhere to your code of conduct.

Regulations

There are a number of issues we have engaged on with the industry over the past few years. Regular and structured dialogue between our department and this sector was a very important issue that was raised at our previous meeting. The Wildlife Forum has been successfully established to provide for such a dialogue and it is clear that these interactions are bearing fruit.

Firstly, due to fragmented and in many cases inconsistent provincial conservation legislation that provided inadequate protection for wildlife, the need was identified to develop national regulatory framework.
This culminated in the regulations pertaining to Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS).

In short these regulations aim to:

* address the canned hunting issue, as it explicitly prohibits the hunting of listed large predators under certain conditions
* address illegal hunting and unethical hunting methods and devices
* provide formal recognition by our department to hunting organizations.

I am aware of the capacity challenges faced by some of the provinces with regard to permitting and licensing. The turnaround time is an area that PHASA and the game farmers have raised with me. I will discuss this challenge with the MECs responsible for environment. The implementation of these regulations will be the first step of a two-step process to clean up the hunting and game farming industry. The next step will be to promote even greater uniformity with regard to elements of the hunting industry. We will introduce national norms and standards that provide a framework for provincial regulation and further streamline permitting. This will also be developed in close consultation with the industry, provincial authorities and other stakeholders. We will make it easier for you to operate as industry. We will ensure that the same rules and standards will apply to everyone equally and we will strengthen government's hand to ensure compliance and enforcement. This will root out those rogue elements that give the whole industry a bad name.

Secondly, the consultative process on these norms and standards will aim to:

* search for best practices or minimum standards pertaining to hunting that need to be adhered to
* standardise conditions under which permits may be or must be issued by provincial conservation authorities and requirements in terms of equipment to be used
* further explore models for self regulation in the hunting industry.

I know that some of your members may have interests in the elephant safari industry. I also want to address you as ethically and responsible game farmers and hunters today. I am aware of the current debate on alleged cruelty inflicted on elephants in captivity. I made the following commitment when I published the draft norms and standards for elephant management in February this year.

"I also insist, however, that the management of our natural resources should be conducted ethically, humanely and rationally. Wilful cruelty to animals must be condemned and avoided at all costs. The Digital Nervous System (DNS), I believe, is a well balanced document that addresses the interests and welfare of elephants in equal measure to the options for controlling elephant populations."

Words have meaning. These were not just words on paper. They constituted a firm commitment. Some of the allegations conveyed to me about the captive elephant industry points to the possible existence of totally unacceptable practices. I am personally determined to get to the bottom of it. I want to assure you today that government will crack down on any cruelty and will effectively regulate the environment of elephants in captivity, whether that is done by our department, the department of agriculture or on the basis of an arrangement between us. For us this is a serious and urgent issue.

Transformation

It is encouraging to note that PHASA has itself identified transformation and empowerment as issues of concern. Our department is engaging with the industry to develop a BEE Score Card in an effort to transform the industry. As a department we always prefer industry-led transformation. Regulation is always a last resort but it will be applied if a sector does not demonstrate the will for real and lasting change.

There are so many opportunities for black economic empowerment (BEE) partnerships with communities living on communal land adjacent to game farms, with communities who have had suitable land resituated to them and also with small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and entrepreneurs especially in tourism. The training of emerging professional hunters is an area in which PHASA has already been active.

I want to acknowledge the R700 000 that was raised earlier this year through the African Wildlife Heritage Gala Dinner for training black students. Transformation and empowerment goes beyond ownership, management, employment and skills. Professional Hunting will only truly be embraced by all South African communities when clients from these communities are also developed - a longer-term challenge for PHASA.

Conclusion

In conclusion, commercial game farming and professional hunting has a key role to play in nature conservation and tourism in South Africa. I am aware that quite a number of species were effectively saved from extinction by private landowners and professional hunting sustains jobs and brings much-needed revenue into some of our most depressed areas.
Over the past three years I have appreciated our working relationship with this industry. It has been a vibrant and robust interaction as we jointly came to grips with a number of issues, including the interpretation of societal values on ethics in the hunting industry and giving practical content to sustainable use. Together we have changed much in the last three years and I can assure you that we will look back on many more changes by 2010.

We should not shy away from a robust debate over the next few years as government continues to shape the regulatory environment and industry continues to ask how they could flourish in a responsible and sustainable way within that regulatory framework.

From the side of government be assured of my support for the sector and for your efforts, but always remember the importance of partnership in this equation.
I wish you the very best for the rest of the conference. I am looking forward to further engagements with this industry.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
20 November 2007