https://www.news24.com/fin24/c...gement-laws-20230406


South Africa withdraws species protection, elephant management laws


Antony Sguazzin


Government halted the implementation of new and revised regulations related to elephant ownership, leopard hunting and trade in rhino horn.


South Africa has withdrawn legislation intended to widen the number of species protected by more stringent laws.

The decision follows a legal challenge from Wildlife Ranching South Africa and the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa.

Government also halted the implementation of new and revised rules for elephant ownership, leopard hunting and trade in rhino horn.


Government has withdrawn legislation intended to widen the number of species protected by more stringent laws and has also scrapped incoming laws pertaining to the management of elephants and hunting of leopards.

The decision came after a legal challenge from Wildlife Ranching South Africa and the Professional Hunters Association of South Africa, the terms of which have not been disclosed, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said in a statement Wednesday.


"We simply had no idea what information the minister relied upon when she made the new regulations," said Dries van Coller, chief executive officer of PHASA, in a statement.

It's unclear "what data and research motivated her to include some of the country's most abundant game species, such as the blesbok" on a list of protected species.



South Africa decades ago prompted a boom in the game farming industry by allowing farmers to own the wild animals on their land. It is now looking to tighten laws to protect the country's tourist industry from reputational harm related to activities ranging from lion farming and trade in their bones to rhino poaching.

In addition to withdrawing the new list of protected species, which was supposed to come into effect this month, the department also halted the implementation of new and revised regulations related to elephant ownership, leopard hunting and trade in rhino horn.

"The department is still committed in reforming the legislative framework in relation to the threatened or protected terrestrial and freshwater species," it said.

Some good news for a change.

It would be particularly good news if the revised or scrapped the South African government's Elephant Management Plan. It forbade the shooting of female elephants as well as any sort of culling.

The upshot was that elephant numbers increased to unsustainable levels not only in national parks and game reserves but on private property as well. I know of several private nature reserves in South Africa facing serious problems as a result of too many elephant, and with nothing they can do about it. Some of my friends tell me that you cannot give away a live elephant in South Africa today because it is for all practical purposes impossible to manage the elephant population on your property when they inevitably the increase to unsustainable numbers.

Stupid laws have consequences.

I really wish someone in Africa will stand up to the stupid rotten cabbage brained sentimental idiots in Africa.

And the brainless politicians who cannot even get their own bloody countries in order!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Stupid laws have consequences.

I really wish someone in Africa will stand up to the stupid rotten cabbage brained sentimental idiots in Africa.

And the brainless politicians who cannot even get their own bloody countries in order!

Okay Saeed. But tell us how you really feel!