The Conversation Symposium 2023
Port Edward
South Africa
The Conservation Symposium brings together practitioners, scientists, and policymakers. It promotes interdisciplinary connections and showcases impactful research. This year's theme is the Biodiversity Economy. Click here for more information on the conference.
AWEI at TSC 2023
We hosted a one-day special session on Africa's Wildlife Economy on Tue 07 Nov 2023. In-person participants will be able to join in a dedicated room. Others joined online.
Videos of the day are available below.
Africa’s Wildlife Economy
Special session at TCS 2023 - Tuesday, 07 November 2023
The aim of this special session was to present and discuss current research on a few key topics relevant to enabling and scaling up Africa’s wildlife economy.
The international policy context for the wildlife economy is set out in Target 9 of the Global Biodiversity Framework:
“Ensure that the management and use of wild species are sustainable, thereby providing social, economic and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities, products and services that enhance biodiversity, and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.”
08:30 – 09:45
Welcome & Keynotes
Co-chairs: Dr Francis Vorhies (online) & Ms Tembisa Jordaan (in person)
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Ms Lactitia Tshitwamulomoni, Wildlife Economy Director, South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment South Africa's wildlife economy - New developments
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Mr Farayi Mtondoro, Researcher/ Coordinator, African Institute of Environmental Law Zimbabwe's biodiversity economy report - Policy opportunities |
09:45 – 11:00
Workshop 1 – Developing the wild meat sector in Africa
Chairs: Dr Wiseman Ndlovu (online) & Ms Tembisa Jordaan (in person)
In support of the decisions of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on wild meat, this workshop will explore barriers and opportunities to developing a sustainable wild meat sector across Africa.
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Mr Greg Martindale, Director, Conservation Outcomes Development of new income streams for protected areas: The role of game meat value chains |
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Dr Maretha van der Merwe, Deputy Director Environmental Health Services, City of Tshwane The health control of game meat intended for the local consumer market and the application of current and prospective health and hygiene regulatory parameters |
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Mr Lindokuhle Khumalo, PhD Candidate, University of Oslo Understanding the emerging game meat value chain in South Africa |
11:00 – 11:30 Tea break
11:30 – 13:00
Workshop 2 – Promoting intra Africa wildlife tourism
Chairs: Dr Taddeo Rusoke (online) and Ms Tembisa Jordaan (in person)
Tourism is a key use of wildlife across Africa generating revenues for protected areas, creating jobs, and contributing to economic development. This includes photographic tourism, hunting and fishing tourism, and nature-based adventure tourism. This workshop will is a start of discussion on the potential for increasing the market for intra Africa wildlife tourism.
- Prof Joseph Mbaiwa, AWEI Fellow and Director, Okavango Research Institute
Saving Botswana’s wildlife from Batswana: The trophy hunting ban and eco-colonialism in Botswana - Prof Peet Van Der Merwe, Tourism Management, North-West University
How much do hunters spend in South Africa? -
Mr Ochan Denis Odong & Mr Talibita Moses, Lecturers, Nkumba University
Leveraging on the AfCFTA to promote intra-Africa wildlife tourism - Ms Sheillah Munsabe, Coordinator, Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network
Wildlife friendly tourism standards and certification: Enabling conservation of endangered species and sustainable tourism
13:00 – 14:15
Lunch break
14:15 – 15:30
Workshop 3 – Liberalising trade in wildlife products
Chairs: Dr Hayley Clements (online) and Ms Tembisa Jordaan (in person)
Within the framework of the AfCFTA and the responsibility of governments to ensure that exports of products from endangered wild species are non-detrimental to the species survival, this workshop will explore the potential to promote the international trade of wildlife products particularly within Africa
- Dr Jeanetta Selier, Senior Scientist, South African National Biodiversity Institute
Lessons learned from South Africa’s wildlife economy - Dr Francis Vorhies, AWEI Director, Stellenbosch University
Rewilding Africa through wildlife enterprise - Dr Biandri Joubert, AWEI Fellow and Postdoc Fellow, University of the Witwatersrand
Critical next steps for expanding intra-African trade in wild meat - Dr Howard Hendricks, GM: Policy & Governance, SANParks
African wildlife economy - closer to reality
15:30 – 16:00
Tea break
16:00 – 17:00
Panel discussion - Scaling up wildlife enterprise
Chairs: Dr Wiseman Ndlovu (online) and Ms Tembisa Jordaan (in person)
The panel will provide an opportunity to reflect on the workshops and explore next steps.
- Dr Hayley Clements, AWEI Senior Researcher, Stellenbosch University
- Mr Greg Martindale, Director, Conservation Outcomes
- Prof Joseph Mbaiwa, AWEI Fellow and Director, Okavango Research Institute
- Dr Taddeo Rusoke, AWEI Fellow and Lecturer, Nkumba University
For in-person participants, the special session will take place in the Amadiba room at the Wild Coast Hotel.