8 March 2013 - South
Africa’s rhino population has been at the
centre of international attention for the
last five years. Our government, ordinary
citizens, private sector (rhino owners),
non-governmental organisations and the media
are concerned about the plight of these
animals – especially since they have become
the focus of alleged international poaching
syndicates.
As I stand here today
at this 16th meeting of the CITES Conference
of Parties the number of rhinos poached
in South Africa since the beginning of the
year stands at 146. Fifty alleged poachers,
three of them believed to be couriers, have
been arrested since the beginning of the
year.
South Africa’s participation
at CITES COP16 is informed by, and based
on, sustainable use principles with the
long term conservation of species as the
overall objective.
Prior to departing for
CITES, I presented the key recommendations
emanating from the national consultation
process relating to the rhino conservation
report to Cabinet. The Cabinet of South
Africa was provided with an overview of
the four thematic areas that emerged during
the Rhino Issue Management (RIM) process:
funding, rhino conservation, safety and
security, and commerce (trade).
As part of our work
at COP16, three rhino related side events
were conducted: on rhino conservation; safety
and security and rhino economics.
During the rhino conservation
side event we demonstrated our conservation
success history and how we deal with the
changing conditions as part of our adaptive
management approach to rhino conservation.
Rhino mortalities and birth rates were at
the centre of our engagement as we wanted
to demonstrate that we are monitoring these
trends in order to make informed and scientifically
proven conservation interventions. We showed
our willingness to continue working with
the rhino range states especially in the
SADC region, and that expanding ranges for
rhino conservation is done in a responsible
manner. We always check habitat suitability
and viability before we agree on any transfer
of live animals as we do not want those
to be soft targets of criminal syndicates.
The participants commended
South Africa for its conservation efforts
and successes and people felt that we should
continue doing what we do in the interest
of conservation in South Africa and other
range states.
During the safety and
security briefing on Wednesday, the National
Joint Operations initiative set up by our
government to coordinate the war against
poaching was highlighted. Since the implementation
of the joint effort to address the scourge
of rhino poaching – also known as “Operation
Rhino” – South Africa has experienced a
number of successes.
Our observation and
analysis is that the value chain of the
syndicates is a complex one. They recruit
ordinary people from communities adjacent
to these rhino reserves as “sharp shooters”.
The so-called couriers transport the horn
to main cities from where it gets exported
to consumer states. The initial number of
arrests indicated that we were only succeeding
with catching those at the bottom of the
pyramid.
We are now succeeding
at other levels too. This was evident with
the recent case of the Thai national who
was convicted and sentenced to 40 years
imprisonment for illegal trade in rhino
horns.
Our third side event
was concluded last night on the issue of
Rhino Economics. During the robust discussion,
we shared our analysis of the markets and
the rhino economic model. It became clear
that the so-called consumer states have
the buying power and their citizens especially
the middle class can afford to buy the horn.
The willingness to pay
and willingness to buy are prevalent in
these consumer states. The need to deal
with the existing black market is inevitable
and we need more dialogue at a global level
to stop it. We don’t have answers to this
problem, but we feel that this is an area
the world is reluctant to talk about.
We are here for solutions
to the problem of increasing rhino killings.
The South African government is investing
a lot of funding in conservation and security
and that liability continues to grow. It
is our understanding that someone out there
is creating the demand for the rhino horn.
The law of supply and demand is relevant
in any commodity that is tradable and it
is for this reason that we want this discussed.
One of the issues that
I would like to address is the linkage between
trade and poaching. As you will recall,
we were allowed with Zimbabwe, Namibia and
Botswana to hold a CITES-controlled once-off
sale of our ivory stockpile. As far as South
Africa is concerned there is no linkage
between that once-off sale and poaching.
While we know what is happening in other
range states – as seen in the media where
elephant are, for example, being poached
to fund rebel forces in internal conflicts
– we would like to emphasise that no elephant
have been poached in South Africa since
the once-off sale. We are only aware of
two elephant that have died in the past
decade after being caught in snares set
for other antelopes.
I must state categorically
that there is no decision by South Africa
on whether to apply to CITES at CoP17 to
legalise the trade in rhino horn, or to
permit the once-off sale of rhino horn stockpiles
to fund conservation efforts, has been made.
All efforts to protect
the country’s rhino population are not just
aimed at protecting a species from extinction,
but also securing and conserving all South
Africa’s natural resources. The fact that
the criminal syndicates involved in rhino
poaching also undertake other crimes means
that this current situation can be considered
a national security risk. It is therefore
imperative that the national response be
comprehensive as it threatens not only the
sustainable development path of the country
but also the heritage of future generations.
The consultations here
in Bangkok are a further step to the series
of discussions held with stakeholders last
year in South Africa, to facilitate a common
understanding of key issues concerning the
protection and sustainable conservation
of our rhino population.
On other issues, we
welcome yesterday’s withdrawal of Kenya’s
proposal to halt the trade in rhino trophies
and rhino products until CoP18 is indeed
welcomed. Kenya’s proposal had requested
that members amend the annotation for white
rhino populations in South Africa and Swaziland
by placing a zero export quota on hunting
trophies until at least CoP18.
This would mean that
hunting trophies from South Africa would
be subjected to a “zero quota until at least
CoP18” and that trade in all other rhino
specimens be strictly regulated.
If the amendment had
been adopted it would have prevented South
Africa and Swaziland from using a management
option that can be sustainable and beneficial
for the conservation of the species.
Also withdrawn yesterday
was a proposal by Kenya, Burkina Faso, Togo
and Mali that would have affected all African
Elephant range states. The coalition had
requested that all states be added to the
annotation for African Elephant, adopted
in 2007 that allowed South Africa, Namibia,
Botswana and Mozambique to partake in a
controlled sale of ivory stockpiles, also
be subjected to the nine-year moratorium
imposed on the four states. South Africa
had opposed the application on the grounds
that other nations should not be disadvantaged
because of an existing agreement affecting
only four Southern African states.
The only way to deal
with the scourge of rhino poaching, and
indeed other poaching as well, is if we
work cooperatively.
Having demonstrated
what we have done at national level, it
has become clear that no country can fight
this battle alone. To refer to the South
African government’s motto that “working
together we can do more”, it has become
clear that we all need to conserve rhino
for this and future generations.
Through the relevant
bodies such as the international consortium
to combat wildlife crime we can develop
legislative frameworks, and ensure new technological
approaches are implemented. We must also
ensure that there is greater research at
all levels, as well as coordination of law
enforcement efforts to address the scourge
of trans-national organised wildlife crimes,
such as rhino poaching and smuggling of
rhino horns.
Research has shown that
the bandits responsible for rhino poaching
in South Africa are from outside the country.
We therefore need to share intelligence
and law enforcement efforts with our neighbours
and consumer states to reduce demand for
rhino horn. In other words, we need greater
safety and security cooperation and research
development.
Let the criminals not
stay ahead of us, but we be ahead of them.
An important call needs to be made to the
international community in protecting our
rhinos is everyone’s responsibility!
Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen.
+ More
Update on rhino poaching
statistics
6 March 2013 - As more
than 2 000 representative of 178 signatory
states to the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna
and Flora (CITES) gather in Thailand to
determine the future of threatened species,
South Africa has lost another 24 rhino since
last week. Despite the large increase in
rhino poaching, no elephant have been poached
in South Africa in the last decade.
The latest rhino poaching
statistics indicate that the Kruger National
Park remains the hardest hit, with 15 rhino
being poached for their horn since February
20, 2013. This brings the total number of
pachyderms killed in the conservation area
to 107 since the beginning of the year.
Twelve rhino have been
poached in KwaZulu-Natal and North West
provinces each, while eight have been poached
in Limpopo and seven in Mpumalanga.
Of the 50 people arrested,
47 are alleged poachers and three have been
charged with the illegal trade in rhino
horn following their arrest, in possession
of three rhino horn, during a raid in Johannesburg
in February.
In the past week two
alleged poachers were arrested in the Kruger
National Park, and two in Limpopo.
“The SANParks Board
has recommended to the Minister of Water
and Environmental Affairs’ that the boundary
fence between South Africa and Mozambique
be reconstructed,” said SANParks CEO David
Mabunda.
Minister Edna Molewa
said the reintroduction of the border fence
was strictly dependant on an analysis of
the rhino poaching situation in the Kruger
National Park, and a lack of positive results
emanating from the creation of a buffer
zone within the Limpopo Transfrontier Park
region bordering Mozambique.
South Africa has hosted
two events on rhino conservation and safety
and security on the sidelines of the CITES
conference in Bangkok, reiterating the government’s
commitment to fighting the scourge of rhino
poaching.
South Africans are urged
to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs
to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205
005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.
+ More
The Department of Environmental
Affairs welcomes the decision by the Advertising
Standards Authority of South Africa to dismiss
a complaint lodged on a Climate Change Awareness
print advertisement
14 March 2013 - The
Department of Environmental Affairs has
welcomed a decision by the Advertising Standards
Authority of South Africa (ASA) to dismiss
a complaint lodged by Professor Philip Lloyd
on a climate change awareness print advertisement
placed by the Department of Environmental
Affairs.
The claims made by Professor
Lloyd were that the advertisement was dishonest,
misleading, unsubstantiated and inaccurate.
In its initiatives to
sustain the climate change awareness created
during the hosting of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
17th Conference of the Parties in Durban
in 2010-11, the Department of Environmental
Affairs produced various advertising materials
- one of which depicted a desert-like landscape
under the heading “More climate change means
less water”.
The advertisement in
question appeared in most mainstream newspapers
across the country during 2012, conveying
the message that the country must take action
against climate change now to avoid serious
consequences on our water systems in the
future.
Click on the image to view the advertisement
in question.
The text on the advertisement reads; “The
earth’s temperature is increasing. Unless
we play our part, this will have serious
consequences on our water systems which
is not good for a continent already in short
supply of fresh water”.
Professor Lloyd lodged
a complaint against the Department of Environmental
Affairs claiming that the Department, in
its advertisement, was playing on the public’s
fear of the consequences of global warming
and impairing public confidence in the efforts
made by the business community to improve
its ecological standards. The ASA has dismissed
Professor Lloyd’s claims, finding it unfounded.
The ASA has also ruled
that the advertisement containing an image
depicting an arid, desert-like landscape
is not suggestive of a sense of doom as
claimed by Professor Lloyd; stating in its
decision that the advertisement merely urges
consumers and the population at large to
support environmental initiatives and illustrates
what would happen if the country’s water
resources were depleted.
The Department of Environmental
Affairs is satisfied with the decision reached
by the ASA and continues to be committed
to heightening awareness on climate change
and also ensure the interface between science
and policy is part of the communication
programme.
