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South
Africa’s Draft Regulations Allow
Canned Hunting of
Large Predators
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 19, 2006)
– The Species Survival Network (SSN)—an
international coalition of more than 75 conservation and animal
protection organizations from around the world—submitted
comments today to the South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism (DEAT) regarding proposed regulations on the hunting
industry and the exploitation of threatened and protected species
(including captive breeding and canned hunting of large predators).
According to Will Travers, SSN President and CEO of the UK-based Born
Free Foundation, “Bizarrely, the draft regulations on
threatened and protected species will allow the captive breeding and
canned hunting of large predators to continue.”
Mr. Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister
of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism, stated on 2 May 2006 that the
intention of the regulations was to stop “immoral activities
like
canned hunting” and to stop the “captive breeding
of listed
species for any purposes except science and conservation”.
However, the draft regulations allow large predators to be funneled
from captive-breeding operations, rehabilitation facilities and even
so-called sanctuaries into ‘extensive wildlife
systems’
where they can be ‘rehabilitated’ and hunted just
two years
later.
Furthermore, hunting will be allowed
to take place on ‘extensive wildlife systems’ where
the animals are confined within fenced areas of any size. In addition,
the canned hunting and captive breeding aspects set out in the draft
regulations apply only to six species of ‘listed large
predators’ and not to all species. “These
regulations do exactly the opposite of what was apparently
intended,” said Dr. Teresa Telecky, Chair of the Trophy
Hunting Working Group of the Species Survival Network. “They
are woefully inadequate, suffer from a lack of clarity and precision
and will require significant revision in order to effectively stamp out
captive breeding for canned hunting rather than enshrine it.”
The proposed regulations on the
hunting
industry also require redrafting as they would allow hunting in
protected areas, as well as on private land adjacent to protected
areas, and would furthermore fail to firmly establish control of the
hunting industry at the national level.
"We appreciate that the government of
South Africa has requested comments from the public on these important
regulations," Travers added. "We certainly hope that the government
addresses the serious inadequacies that we have identified in our
comments on these proposed regulations."
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