campfire

event

AWEI Fireside Chat - Leveraging the Value of Rhinos in South Africa

15:00
Online event

Stellenbosch
South Africa

This fireside chat is the fourth in a series of five fireside chats organised by AWEI to explore the implications of a report and policy position published by the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DEFF). The chats highlighted areas that may require further research and analysis for developing an inclusive and responsible wildlife economy in South Africa.

In May 2021, DEFF released a voluminous High-Level Panel Report with profound implications for the development of the wildlife economy in the country and, indeed, across the continent. Minister Barbara Creecy stated that “Besides providing specific interventions to resolve key issues in the sector, the report also provides for a re-conceptualised wildlife sector, that will provide a new deal for people and wildlife in South Africa.” In June, Minister Creecy then invited comments on a Draft Policy Position on conservation which aims to provide “a stable base for conservation, growth, and development.”

AWEI Fireside Chats

Date

Time

Promoting an inclusive wildlife economy

Tue, 13 July

15:00-16:00

Protected areas as drivers of local

and regional rural economies

Thu, 15 July

15:00-16:00

Developing a standard for responsible

and sustainable hunting

Tue, 20 July

15:00-16:00

Leveraging the value of rhinos in South Africa

Thu, 22 July

15:00-16:00

Conservation and sustainable use of lions

Tue, 27 July

15:00-16:00
Agenda

Principal Guests

  • Mr Reuben Malema, Managing Director, Black Evolution Products

     
  • Mr Derek Lewitton, Owner, Black Rock Rhino Conservation

Opening Questions

  • How can rhino management practices contribute, and demonstrate contribution, to rewilded landscapes and an inclusive, transformed wildlife economy?

     
  • How can South Africa engage with other range states to address current concerns and to develop a coherent, constructive and feasible proposal for submission to CITES to open up legal trade in horn in the future?

     
  • What are the options for managing or disposal of existing stockpiles in ways that would best contribute to conservation (rewilding), and economic and transformation outcomes?

HLP Goal 17 on Captive Rhino Breeding Operations (majority support)

The  current  trend of  increasing  intensive  management and registration of rhino  captive  breeding operations is reversed within a period that allows for a sustainable conservation outcome.

  • The Minister to urgently consult, with strong participation, with private owners of captive rhino breeding operations to plan for their coherent integration into a national long-term strategy for rhino conservation, social transformation and tackling illegal rhino horn trade, consistent with the Rhino Action Plan, including innovative short-term incentivisation for private rhino owners

HLP Goal 18 on leveraging the value of rhinos in South Africa to drive rhino conservation and a transformed and rewilded rural economy (minority support)

Establish legal regulated trade using all available CITES mechanisms to utilize the high value of rhinos to…

- capture rhino value chains for legal, regulated landholders (state, private and community), funding protection, and displacing (outcompeting) illegal trade and criminality; and

- leverage the very high value of rhino to drive a major expansion of the wildlife economy, including positive public goods such as landscape defragmentation, conservation of many other species, job creation, and economic growth.

Draft Policy Position

  • Vision: Secured, restored, and rewilded natural landscapes with thriving populations of elephant, lion, rhino, and leopard, as indicators for a vibrant, responsible, inclusive, transformed, and sustainable wildlife sector

     
  • It is desirable to move [rhinos] out of deemed captive breeding situations and back into accepted wild managed or wild conditions as soon as possible

     
  • Policy Objective: Reverse domestification and intensification of management of rhino

     
  • Trade in captive rhino horn would further alienate range states and stakeholders that are currently opposes to such trade, and undermine future legal trade in wild rhino horn, including from stockpiles… There is consensus that South Africa is currently  not in a strong position to submit a proposal to amend the current CITES Appendix II listing annotation for southern white rhino

     
  • Policy Objective: No rhino horn trade under current conditions

 

More info

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