World Wildlife Day focus on big cats
PEOPLE are the cornerstone of conservation, and by facilitating the creation of sustainable livelihoods for communities and giving them a stake in the management of wildlife, they will be less vulnerable to recruitment by poaching syndicates.
This is according to Department of Environmental Affairs deputy director-general for legal authorisations compliance and enforcement, Ishaam Abader.
Abader spoke on behalf of Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa as South Africa marked World Wildlife Day at OR Tambo International Airport at the weekend.
The theme for World Wildlife Day 2018 is “Big cats: predators under threat”.
Abader said the declaration of wildlife crime as a priority crime in South Africa has resulted in a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral approach focused on collaboration through the national security structure.
“This involves border and customs officials, the National Prosecuting Authority, the police and institutions such as the Airports Company of South Africa which manages international airports.
“Effectively dealing with the illegal trade in wildlife is particularly challenging as it involves multiple dimensions, including poverty and governance, and is often hidden within the legal trade,” Abader said.
A range of measures had been introduced in South Africa to ensure the cat populations are conserved and properly managed, he said.
This includes the implementation of a Biodiversity Management Plan for the African Lion. The Scientific Authority of SA conducted a non-detriment finding (NDF) as required by CITES.
“The NDF for Lion states there are at present no major threats to the wild and managed lion populations within South Africa, although the management of re-introduced wild lion needs some improvement.
“Minor, but non-detrimental threats include over-utilisation, disease, poaching and conflict with communities around protected areas,” Abader said.
One of the many measures introduced in South Africa to combat wildlife crime has been the development of critical skills aimed at increasing the local capacity to detect and investigate these crimes.
This had been augmented by a number of donor-funded projects, he said.
UN secretary-general António Guterres said the world’s big cats were universally revered for their grace and power, yet they were increasingly in danger of extinction.
Big cats have undergone a massive decline. Just over a century ago, there were as many as 100 000 wild tigers living in Asia. Today, fewer than 4 000 remain. They have lost 96% of their historic range.
“The solution to saving big cats and other threatened and endangered species is conservation policy based on sound science and the rule of law. It must also give full consideration to the needs of local people. When local communities and economies benefit from wildlife conservation, strategies are much more likely to succeed.
“Many brave park rangers and law enforcement officers are fighting wildlife crimes in the field, putting their lives at risk to protect our most threatened species. But wildlife conservation is a shared responsibility.
“On World Wildlife Day, I call on people around the world to help raise awareness and to take personal action to help ensure the survival of the world’s big cats and all its precious and fragile biological diversity,” Guterres said.