Rhino awards are a ‘special moment’
Address by Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa at the 6th Annual Rhino Conservation Awards on Monday at Monte Casino
BEING asked to address the annual Rhino Conservation Awards is always a special and poignant moment for me.
It is a source of pride to be in the company of the many men and women of this great nation who are standing up and taking concrete action towards conserving one of Africa’s most iconic species, the rhino.
In the immortal words of Robert F Kennedy: “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.”
Three weeks ago, South Africa marked World Ranger Day, when we acknowledged the contribution of our ranger corps not just in South Africa, but around globe in conserving our natural and cultural treasures.
We know that every year there are brave rangers injured and even killed in the line of duty – hence the critical work they do should always be acknowledged.
The loss of our rangers to the bullets of criminals is a stark reminder of the severity of the threat posed by the transnational illicit wildlife trade.
Our abundant biodiversity has made us a target for unscrupulous gangs with little regard for the longterm consequences of their actions.
Luckily for us, for every criminal syndicate lacking in conscience, we have men and women with a deep and abundant love for this country and its heritage.
It would be opportune to utilise this occasion to give you a brief overview of our latest efforts as government towards rhino conservation.
Firstly, as you will know, recently released figures indicate that compared to the same period last year, there has been a slight decrease in the number of rhino poached nationally, and a 34% decrease in the number of rhino poached inside the Kruger National Park.
This downward trend is cause for cautious optimism and a sign that the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros approach is slowly, but surely, yielding success.
The integrated approach is being implemented by the Department of Environmental Affairs in collaboration with the SAPS, the Department of Defence and Military Veterans, State Security Agency, Department of Justice and Correctional Services, SA Revenue Services, SANParks, provinces, municipalities, civil society, the private sector, communities and other individuals.
One need only note the marked increase in the number of rhino horn detections and seizures at ports of entry and exit, as well as an increase in the number of arrests and prosecutions to see that this integrated approach is gaining traction.
As part of our commitment to review and evaluate our systems and processes, an implementation plan for the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros, as well as the outcomes of the report of the Committee of Inquiry (COI), was refined during a month-long Rhino Laboratory held last year.
A number of other key public sector role-players have now become additional role-players through their commitment made during the Lab. These includes the departments of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tourism, Social Development, Education, International Relations and Co-operation and the Treasury’s Financial Intelligence Centre.
The lab had further support from national and international stakeholders in business, civil society and communities. These included the People and Parks Committee, Private Rhino Owners’ Association, UN Environment Programme, WWF, Peace Parks Foundation, IUCN and EWT.
The outcomes of the Rhino Lab are aligned with five key areas, with detailed short, medium and longterm, implementation plans. These include:
Significant improvements in intelligence capabilities and a ramp-up of provincial anti-poaching capabilities, as part of the law enforcement (anti-poaching and anti-trafficking) efforts.
Developing a detailed view on the data required to inform policy and actionable initiatives for more result-oriented communication to different stakeholders.
Undertaking processes to develop and share best practices to optimise rhino birth rates, as part of rhino population management initiatives.
Increasing participation for communities adjacent to parks. Responsive legislation. Plans for incentives to stakeholders and improve stockpile management.
I would like to turn at this point to the issue of the commercial domestic trade in rhino horn.
I hope I will clear up some misconceptions around this issue.
Since the conclusion of the 17th Conference of the Parties to Cites in Johannesburg last year, as well as the Constitutional Court retrospectively setting aside the moratorium on the domestic trade in rhino horn in April, we have been hard at work.
South Africa remains committed to a well-regulated process that manages the trade in endangered species, such as rhino, in line with domestic legislation, as well as all Cites provisions.
This includes firstly the release for public comment of a set of draft regulatory measures focusing primarily on the domestic trade, but also including specific provisions relating to the export of rhino horn for non-commercial purposes.
Secondly, we are currently developing an electronic database that will capture details on all individual rhino horns in private and government-owned stockpiles, as well as all newly-acquired horns.
We are in the process of conducting an audit of all existing stockpiles of rhino horn to ensure that the country has full and accurate information on the number of horns in South Africa at any given time, as well as the registered owner of each horn. This is vital to prevent the smuggling of illegally-obtained horn out of the country.
It is important to reiterate that in order to buy or sell rhino horn domestically you need a permit issued in terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 2004 (Nemba), as well as applicable provincial conservation legislation.
Prior to legal export, the horn must have been subjected to DNA profiling; must be marked by means of a microchip and a ZA-serial number; the information of the owner of the horn; information relating to its markings must have been recorded in the national database; and the exporter will have to have a Cites export permit. This permit also needs to make provision for the export as a Threatened or Protected Species (Tops) specimen, to be endorsed at the port of exit.
I will be the issuing authority for permit applications relating to the selling and buying of rhino horn within the borders of the country, and our Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), as well as those of the provincial conservation departments will continue to monitor compliance.
I must once again emphasise, for it cannot be emphasised enough, the commercial international trade in rhino horn remains strictly prohibited in terms of Cites.
Other milestones include a Community Rhino Ambassadors programme and a Rhino Guardian project that was launched in the Kruger National Park in January 2017 with the support of the Peace Parks Foundation and the World Wildlife Fund South Africa.
We are also in the process of finalising an Anti-Poaching Unit ranger training curriculum.
We as government are doing everything within our means to ensure that we have closed any possible loopholes that could pave the way for a circumvention of Cites regulations. We have not been resting on our laurels – far from it!
My department has a clear mandate in terms of both the Constitution and Nemba and thankfully we now have systems in place that represent a vast improvement on where we were a couple of years ago.
The men and women whose efforts we are acknowledging here today have played an instrumental role in combating poaching in our country and it is our responsibility to support them in any way we can.
Here I must single out for particular mention our volunteer rangers who offer their free time to contribute to conservation and the elimination of wildlife crimes.
To the finalists nominated in these prestigious awards, I want to say you are all winners.
Having come this far is testimony to your dedication and commitment to this important cause.
I also want to thank the sponsors of the annual Rhino Conservation Awards for their abiding commitment to this venture. I hope in the years to come we will continue to count on your valued support.
It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: “It is the action, not the fruit of the action, that’s important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, it may not be in your time, that there’ll be any fruit. But that does not mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.”
We salute you for refusing to do nothing. Thank you for doing your part on behalf of not just all of us here today, but on behalf of those yet to come.