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[1] These proceedings relate to the process by which South Africa sets annual export quotas for trade in lion bone, bone pieces, bone products, claws skeletons, skulls and the like for commercial purposes which are derived from captive breeding operations in South Africa. This application is not about the captive lion breeding industry as a whole and the debates that have emerged at both the national as well as at an international level concerning its existence and continuance.

[2] The Applicant seeks to review and have declared unlawful and constitutionally invalid the decisions of the First Respondent of the 28 June 2017 and 7 June 2018 in which the quotas for the exportation of lion bone were determined at 800 and 1500 lion skeletons respectively. All the Respondents oppose the relief sought.