SCI FOUNDATION AND SOUTH AFRICAN MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS are hosting a conference which is consulting with most African countries respective wildlife authorities and hunting industries, the meetings include the Outfitters and Professional Hunters Assoc of Africa, we are in day two of presentations . Today will cover Captive Lion Management and Hunting , Carnivores in Zambezi Region, caprivi carnivore project, Tanzania Lion Project, the USFWS will present Enhancement Under the US Endangered species act and The CITIES SECRETARIAT will present Illegal Elephant Killing , Ivory Trade , followed by presentation on CAPFIRE and the impact of the elephant ban.
SCI should be once again commended for sponsoring and organising this timely convention.
Will update when possible

Thank you.

Please update us on what happens.

South Africa just gave a presentation on captive bred lion industry, it is the number income generator for hunting revenues , they are aware of problems and are attending to issues.
We stated that hunting is under attack and our industry soft belly is the canned lion industry. PHASA will discuss at AGM and its likely there will be a vote by memebers. OPHAA stated the majority of outfitters and organizations opposed captive bred lion killing.

http://www.dailymaverick.co.za...ldlife/#.VkNHFrerS01



Polokwane: SA Government and US hunters in secret meeting on future of Africa’s wildlife
DON PINNOCK LIFE, ETC 10 NOV 2015 10:57 (SOUTH AFRICA)



Hunters from the United States and South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) are meeting behind closed doors at a resort near Polokwane this week, to plan the future use of Africa’s wildlife. Journalists have been told they are not welcome at a meeting hosted by the South African government, in collaboration with pro-hunting groups from the United States. By DON PINNOCK.

A four-day conference of The African Wildlife Consultative Forum (8-12 November) is being run jointly by the DEA, and the Safari Club International, the US’s biggest and most influential hunting fraternity. From a leaked agenda it is clear that the gathering is aimed at building an African pro-hunting lobby at the forthcoming meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), scheduled for Johannesburg next year.

The African Wildlife Consultative Forum is an offshoot of Safari Club International. However, environmental non-governmental organisations requesting access to the conference were blocked by DEA deputy director, Mpho Tjiane, who emailed them claiming “this is a Government meeting and is not open to the general public.”

Journalists requesting accreditation have been told that attendance is by invitation only, and they are not invited. There is no indication that deliberations will be made public.

“It is of grave concern that issues of this nature and importance are discussed at closed meetings, with what appears to be predominantly pro-hunting representation,” said Karen Trendler of the NGO, Working Wild. “Many conservation and response organisations will be affected by the various issues being discussed, as will broader South Africa, and it would be preferable to have wider representation.”

Ian Michler, who produced the film Blood Lions, questioned why a foreign hunting club was playing such a significant role in deliberations about the sustainability of wildlife in Africa. “The agenda is clearly not only pro-hunting, but also seeks to raise doubts about the value of photo-tourism against hunting. It also appears to support those wishing to overturn the CITES ban on trade in rhino horn.

“Given the non-transparent nature of the conference, it’s hard not to infer a conspiracy between hunters and governments in proposals that will be presented to CITES in the public’s name.”

The first session kicked off with an address by professional hunting associations, and presentations include issues around the trade of ivory and rhino horn, the role of sport hunting, the Vietnamese demand for rhino horn, import/export permits, the breeding of colour morphs for hunting, and the value of hunting as opposed to photo-tourism.

Moderators from the DEA are being assisted in every session by George Pangeti, an official of Safari Club International, who was head of administration in the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management of Zimbabwe.

His online biography makes it clear that the African Wildlife Consultative Forum was created by Safari Club International to “discuss issues of sustainable wildlife management, sport hunting and benefit flow” in Africa. It was, also, tasked to lobby CITES “in support of sustainable use, especially sport hunting, and trade in wildlife products.”

Following the recent death of Cecil the lion, and a huge tusker in Zimbabwe, trophy hunting has come under considerable pressure from governments and conservation organisations. Questions have been raised about whether trophy hunters are protectors of biodiversity, as they claim, providing funds, and a reason to protect wild areas, or whether they are simply killers of wild animals?

Safari Club International has a large and wealthy membership keen to counter negative publicity about trophy hunting. The agenda at the Polokwane meeting makes it clear that they aim to convince African delegates to support trophy hunting, and act as a bulwark against growing distaste among members of CITES. Scientific studies shows that little money from hunting goes to communities, and that killing the biggest, and fittest animals, is detrimental to species. The South African Government’s enthusiastic support for this line of thinking is of concern to many involved in genuine conservation. DM

Have been combating this on the African Geographic facebook webpage , please see rebuttals , it never ceases to amaze me how the anti' dont even attempt to get half the truth, their goal is to mislead and misinform

Gee - the anti's are really ticked-off!!

This is merely intended as a simple question, and not an attempt to start a SCI-bashing session. The OP heading refers to "SCI 14TH AFRICAN WILDLIFE CONSULTATIVE FORUM", now, I may have simply missed the others, and therefore ask: What happened on the 13th, 12th, 11th, and the presumably 10 other earlier meetings? Who hosted these earlier meetings? Are there some summary of proceedings available?

In the meantime I really like hearing that the Anti's were kept from attending!

Google helps!

http://www.ewca.gov.et/en/node/357

quote:

Who hosted these earlier meetings?

SCI hosted all of them, as well as similar meetings way back when I still was an independent contractor producing its publications from 1983-99.

It not only hosted the meetings, but it also paid the expenses of bringing some of the key players to the meetings in Africa and to Washington D.C. hearings.

The meetings in those days resulted in such things as allowing Americans to import elephant, leopard and bontebok despite huge pressure at the time to ban imports. I've been out of the loop for a long time, but I suspect a lot of good things still happen because Africa's major wildlife people meet regularly.

Bill Quimby

SCI hosts the convention but all African assoc chair and presidents are invited and normally attend , minutes , recommendations etc should be available through secreteriate of local hunting org. I will post the agenda items later as the venue has limited wifi, but most issues are addressed from captive bred lion , color variants , zim ban on elephant trophies , carnivore research , poaching strategies etc from all the range countries, US fish and wildlife and CITIES are in attendance. Today are country report backs

Day 1
PH assoc meeting - OPHAA
Key issues regarding canned lion and country issues discussed.
Evening countries government and assoc working dinner .
Day 2
opening of Meeting by Chief Director of environmental affairs of SA
PH assoc report back
Land Use Planning in Africa
Increase in Human Populations and its impact on Wildlife and Conservation
Anti Poaching
Anti poaching in Kruger Park
A network Solution to ending the poaching crisis
National Biodiversity Economy Development Strategy
Day 3
African Lion Periodic Review and Update
Captive Lion Management and Hunting
Carnivores in the Zambezi region
The Tanzanian Lion project
Ongoing research initiatives for the african Lion
Elephants
USFWS enhancements Under the US endangerd species act
Illegal Elephant Killing and Ivory trade - MIKE
Updates on the African Elephant Management Plan

Impacts of the African Elephant Importation ban in the Campfire program in Zimbabawe
Cargo and airline bans .
Key Issues for CITIES standing committee 66
Key issues for COP 17
The US Fish and Wildlife Service view of the role of sport hunting in wildlife conservation
Role of the USFWS attache in Africa
Economic Perspective on the Rhino Horn trade
Colour Variations and Intensive Breeding
South African Scientific Authority SADEA SA perspective on breeding and colour variants

Day 4
Country reports
Anti Poaching efforts
Photo Tourism
Closing


as you can see the agenda is very diverse and it will be impossible to report back on each one but the SCI Conservation foundation should be able to assist in time.

It should be stressed that the delegates are from African country wildlife authorities of the highest level and the hunting assoc of most african countries as well as US Fish and Wildlife Auth and the CITIES secreteriate

SCI has led this initiative for a long time now and as Bill states is the platform for most of Africa from Cameroon , Ethiopia (last years host country ) DRC, Namibia , Zambia Botswana etc .
This is a science based consultative forum and this year there were 70 delegates from across the globe who have a role to play in African conservation based on wise use .

It is also a platform for african countries to prepare for COP 17 and the issues facing bans and the attack on sustainable use .

SCI deserve a heads up for this long standing quietly doing things behind the scenes initiative.

Glad to know this.
The good that SCI does needs to be known.

http://citizen.co.za/864923/an...eeting-with-hunters/



Uncategorized 13.11.2015 10:48 am

Animal activists crash ‘secret’ DEA meeting with hunters

Amanda Watson



“It is of grave concern that issues of this nature and importance are discussed at closed meetings.”

A meeting behind closed doors in Polokwane between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) was gatecrashed yesterday by protestors from animal rights organisation Ban Animal Trading (BAT).

The week long meeting between DEA and SCIF has been widely criticised by animal rights and anti-hunting lobbyists for its “secretive” nature.

According to the SCI website: “SCI Foundation ensures the best available science is used in wildlife policy and management, and demonstrates the constructive role that hunting and hunters play in the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. The organisation is “First for Wildlife,” investing millions of dollars into wildlife conservation and education every year.”

“We are extremely upset no-one from South African organisations who know about conservation and how we should be conserving wildlife in this country were invited,” said Smaragda Louw of BAT.

“So we went in and demanded to hand over a memorandum, they gave us the time to do that, and then we left.”

According to the Conservation Action Trust, NGOs requesting access were emailed by DEA deputy director Mpho Tjiane saying ‘this is a Government meeting and is not open to the general public.’

Journalists requesting accreditation were allegedly told attendance was by invitation only.

“It is of grave concern that issues of this nature and importance are discussed at closed meetings with what appears to be predominantly pro-hunting representation,” said Karen Trendler of the NGO Working Wild on the CAT website.

“Many conservation and response organisations will be affected by the various issues being discussed, as will broader South Africa, and it would be preferable to have wider representation.”

Ian Michler, producer of the film Blood Lions, questioned why a foreign a hunting club was playing such a significant role in deliberations about the sustainability of wildlife in Africa.

“The agenda is clearly not only pro-hunting, but also seeks to raise doubts about the value of photo-tourism against hunting. It also appears to support those wishing to overturn the CITES ban on trade in rhino horn.”

DEA spokesperson said the Department would be sending out a press release later today, however denied the meeting was secret.

BAT’s memorandum:

Memorandum handed over to the African wildlife consultative forum at Legends Golf resort on 12 November 2015

It has come to the attention of Ban Animal Trading South Africa (a registered NPO fighting for the rights of animals) that a secret meeting about conservation and wildlife issues which are pertinent to all South Africans is being held between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Safari Club International Foundation.
As a public interest organisation, and insofar as South African tax payers’ money is being used to fund the secret meeting between the South African Government and an American hunting club about conservation in South Africa, BAT demands that:
2.1 The minutes of the meeting are made public, including all the presentations and papers delivered at the meeting.

2.2 The DEA meet with ALL stakeholders, including animal protection organisations and those opposing hunting and trade, to discuss the same issues discussed at this secret meeting opposed to hunting.

2.3 The following questions be answered publically:

2.3.1 How much money was spent on this secret meeting and from which budget was the money paid and which Minister authorised the allocation?

2.3.2 The agenda indicates that this secret meeting will be ‘developing unified strategies for CITIES Convention of the Parties 17”: please explain this further and is this meeting part of a series of secret meetings relating to CITES and which will influence and enunciate South Africa’s position at CITES?

2.3.3 How has this meeting/forum influenced DEA positions and policies, generally and particularly in relation to CITES.

2.3.4 Is the South African government bound to the decisions taken at this meeting with the Safari Club International Foundation?

2.3.5 Why is this meeting secret?

We look forward to receiving your response in the media, or in writing to Ban Animal Trading: info@bananimaltrading.org.

Kind Regards

Ban Animal Trading South Africa

Screw them!

This small group of 4 misguided persons "stormed the meeting " waving small banners " Hunting is not conservation " and demanded to read out their demands .
The organizers allowed them to state their case then politely asked them to leave.
On there way out I could not resist and asked them if they had actualy done their homework - there were no American hunters at the meeting only country representatives and associations ?
These were prime lunatic fringe people who would never take the time to get the facts.

The meeting was very long and with a lot of issues and information , will try to get my head around it and post the more salient stuff.

For some of us the key issue was "canned or captive bred lion hunting " , most took a stand against it with PHASA reserving comment until it met with the excom.

In private a coalition for conservation is looking at drafting a Declaration against this practice as more and more PH's and Outfitters come out in support of stopping this practice.

Unfortunately it is the number one income generator of money in the wildlife industry in South Africa , even though it does not contribute to conservation nor is it hunting in the true sense of fair chase.

quote:

Originally posted by Safaris Botswana Bound:
This small group of 4 misguided persons "stormed the meeting " waving small banners " Hunting is not conservation " and demanded to read out their demands .
The organizers allowed them to state their case then politely asked them to leave.
On there way out I could not resist and asked them if they had actualy done their homework - there were no American hunters at the meeting only country representatives and associations ?
These were prime lunatic fringe people who would never take the time to get the facts.

The meeting was very long and with a lot of issues and information , will try to get my head around it and post the more salient stuff.

For some of us the key issue was "canned or captive bred lion hunting " , most took a stand against it with PHASA reserving comment until it met with the excom.

In private a coalition for conservation is looking at drafting a Declaration against this practice as more and more PH's and Outfitters come out in support of stopping this practice.

Unfortunately it is the number one income generator of money in the wildlife industry in South Africa , even though it does not contribute to conservation nor is it hunting in the true sense of fair chase.

What an utterly stupid lot!

I bet they are going to get a lot of attention on social media though.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201511160179.html



South Africa: Environmental Affairs On African Wildlife Consultative Forum

PRESS RELEASE


The Department of Environmental Affairs places on record that the 14th African Wildlife Consultative Forum, held in Limpopo, from 9 to 12 November 2015, was a consultative meeting and in no way influences government policy.

This is a meeting of African governments affected by hunting with the Safari Club International (SCI) and professional hunting associations.

Claims that the Forum is an indication of excessive interference by American hunters in South African government policy are not true. This meeting is not a policy-making platform.

This meeting is an information-sharing platform between SCI and African countries affected by hunting. While discussions do include Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of Parties (CoP) decisions, these are not country positions to the CoP, as governments have their own individual processes to prepare their positions for tabling at the CITES Conferences of Parties.

It is pertinent to emphasise that the AWCF is a SCI initiative which started in 2001 in Botswana. South Africa and other African countries have always participated in these meetings. So, it is inaccurate to suggest that South Africa has partnered with SCI.



South Africa is merely a host country for the meeting. These meetings rotate annually amongst African countries affected by hunting and all meetings are all sponsored by SCI. SCI also invites professional hunting associations from participating countries, just the same as South African hunting associations have been invited.

The Consultative Forum meeting is an annual Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF)-sponsored initiative which provides an important platform for African countries to enhance existing co-operation between governments, including hunting industries of participating countries. In addition, it assists with a coordinated and pragmatic approach towards the implementation of and compliance with the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, and CITES, specifically focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources with the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. The AWCF is further a platform for sharing experiences in wildlife management and hunting in particular.

The meetings are usually attended by approximately 14 African countries, as well as a representative of the CITES Secretariat, and representatives of many African professional hunting associations.

During the 12th annual AWCF held in November 2013 in Zambia, it was confirmed that the 13th meeting of the AWCF would be hosted by Ethiopia in 2014, and South Africa was nominated to host the 14th meeting of the AWCF in 2015.

At the meeting, South Africa emphasised that there is a need to balance economic and social development goals with that of environmental sustainability for the benefit of present and future generations.

As South Africa we would like to continue to conserve and improve our status of our natural resources for the benefit of our socio-economic development, and the wildlife industry has an important role to play in ensuring that this goal is achieved.

This will be advanced through the implementation of the Biodiversity Economy Strategy (BES), which will guide the growth trajectory of the environmental sector and provide a basis for addressing constraints faced by the sector. The Strategy will also ensure sustainability of the sector and ecological infrastructure which underpins the health of this sector, identify clear responsibilities of stakeholders.

The next AWCF meeting is likely to be hosted by Tanzania in 2017 and by Botswana in 2018

While meetings are fun and all, the measure of success is policy change. And unfortunately, there is not a lot to show for the previous meetings.

The Biodiversity Economy Strategy may hold the key to protecting RSA hunting rights and the industry in general. Remains to be seen if it can indeed be passed.


http://iaiasa.co.za/wp-content...conomic-strategy.pdf


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