The impact of increasing resources in the fight against poaching of South Africa’s biodiversity SELECT COMMITTEE ON LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS 7 May 2013
The impact of increasing resources in the fight against poaching of South Africa’s biodiversity SELECT COMMITTEE ON LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS 7 May.
Dec 29, 2015
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The impact of increasing resources in the fight against
poaching of South Africa’s biodiversity
SELECT COMMITTEE ON LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
7 May 2013
• Rhino – Poaching statistics, arrests
• Cycads – declines due to illegal harvesting
• Responses to threats
• National Wildlife Information Management Unit
• Conservation management interventions
• Capacity constraints – Provincial conservation authorities
OUTLINE
2
RHINO POACHING STATISTICS 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
2013(2 April 2013)
Total
KNP (SANParks)
36 50 146 252 425 145 1136
MNP (SANParks)
0 0 0 6 3 0 9
GP 0 7 15 9 1 0 32
LIM 23 16 52 74 59 13 237
MP 2 6 17 31 28 10 99
NW 7 10 57 21 77 18 192
EC 1 3 4 11 7 0 26
FS 0 2 3 4 0 0 9
KZN 14 28 38 34 66 17 228
WC 0 0 0 6 2 0 8
NC 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
TOTAL 83 122 333 448 668 203 19773
ARRESTS (2010 – 2013)South Africa - Arrests 2013
(30 April 2013)
2012 2011 2010
KNP (KNP) 41 55 82 67 MNP 0 0 0 0 Gauteng (GP) 3 26 16 10 Mpumalanga (MP) 1 58 73 16
Eastern Cape (EC) 0 0 2 7
Limpopo (LP) 17 39 34 36
North West (NW) 8 24 21 2
Free State (FS) 0 6 0 0
KZN (KZN) 13 15 4 25
Western Cape (WC) 0 0 0 2
Northern Cape (NC) 0 1 0 0
Total 83 224 232 165 4
Hypothesis regarding decline in species
1.Plants are being removed for medicinal purposes
2.Plants are illegally harvested from the wild and then traded internationally and locally
3.Plants are illegally collected from the wild and then incorporated into collections as parental stock so that the progeny can be traded as artificially propagated
CYCADS
5
CYCADS MONITORING & SURVEY DATA
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1984
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
Num
ber o
f Pla
nts
Decline in numbers of plants recorded in repeat surveys of wild populations of Encephalartos spp. that are either Critically Endangered or
now Extinct in the Wild
E. brevifoliolatus
E. heenanii
E. hirsutus
E. inopinus
E. laevifolius
E. latifrons
E. nubimontanus
E. cupidus
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1001984
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
% o
f Orig
inal
Pop
ulati
on
Percentage decline in wild populations of Encephalartos cycads (Critically Endangered or now Extinct in the Wild) based on surveys of either specific
sites or all known plants in South Africa
E. brevifoliolatus E. heenanii
E. hirsutus E. inopinus
E. laevifolius E. latifrons
E. nubimontanus E. cupidus
Information extracted from Scientific Authority presentation
6
CYCADS TRADE AS CAUSE OF DECLINE
Information extracted from Scientific Authority presentation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Loss of plants Habitat destruction
Muthi harvest Invasive spp
% o
f Site
s w
here
pop
ulati
ons
decl
ined
Causes of decline recorded from 130 repeat photographs of Encephalartos localities in South Africa showing changes between an initial photograph
(1904-1966) and a repeat photograph (1996). Modified from Donaldson & Bosenberg (1999)
7
RESPONSE TO THREATS:RHINO
• Continued implementation of The National Strategy for the Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations in South Africa
• Review of National Strategy for Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations in South Africa to address emerging issues
• Continued bilateral engagements with neighbouring, transit & consumer states
• Permanent and consistent representation within the NATJOINTS to interface with all relevant national programmes and special projects
• Inclusion of monitoring / patrolling on private land in Rural Safety Plan
8
RESPONSE TO THREATS:RHINO
• Establishment of a detector dog unit within DEA in collaboration with National Border Management Coordination Centre
• MoUs to be initiated with law enforcement agencies, and customs to facilitate sharing of information
• MoU with Vietnam signed in December 2012 – implementation plan prepared
• MoU with Thailand to be initiated• MoU with China on biodiversity related matters signed• MoU with Kenya to be finalised• Engagements with Mozambique and Zimbabwe relating to
TFCA• Bilateral with Mozambique
9
NATIONAL WILDLIFE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT UNIT
Strategic objectives:•Establishment of the National Wildlife Information Management Unit;•To support the Law Enforcement Agencies on collection, investigation and analysis of information to enhance case management and increase convictions;•Implement and review the National Strategy on the Safety and Security of the Rhinoceros population in South Africa;
RESPONSE TO THREATS:CYCADS
• Prohibition on restricted activities involving wild specimens of threatened or protected species, unless for conservation or enforcement purposes
• Prohibition on export of large specimens of threatened or protected species
• Proposed prohibition on selling and buying of large artificially propagated specimens of critically endangered and endangered species
• Cycad strategy to be developed in 2013/14 – process initiated
• Provincial conservation authorities requested to monitor vulnerable populations and to mark specimens
• Provincial conservation authorities trained – identification and micro-chipping
11
CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS
• Black rhinoceros Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) published for implementation
• White rhino BMP initiated
• Establishment of a Rhino Sanctuary
• Albany cycad (Encephalartos latifrons) BMP published for implementation
12
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT - Capacity
PROVINCES PERMIT OFFICE ENFORCEMENT SCIENTIFIC SERVICES
Eastern Cape 13% vacancies13 Filled posts2 Vacant funded posts7 contract permit officers
35.5% vacancies29 Filled posts16 Vacant unfunded posts
No Scientific Services Unit
Gauteng 13% vacancies13 Filled posts2 Vacant funded posts
28% vacancies10 Filled posts4 Vacant funded posts
3 Filled posts
13
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT - Capacity
PROVINCES PERMIT OFFICE
ENFORCEMENT SCIENTIFIC SERVICES
Mpumalanga
63% vacancies4 Filled posts7 Vacant unfunded posts
68% vacancies28 Filled posts57 Vacant funded posts3 Vacant unfunded posts
63% vacancies21 Filled posts37 Vacant unfunded posts
Free State 3 Filled postsNo vacant posts
7% vacancies13 Filled posts1 Vacant funded post
55% vacancies8 Filled posts10 Vacant unfunded posts
KZN 3 Filled postsNo vacant posts
18% vacancies845 Filled posts (including game rangers)176 Vacant posts
34% vacancies58 Filled posts29 Vacant posts
14
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT - Capacity
PROVINCES PERMIT OFFICE ENFORCEMENT SCIENTIFIC SERVICES
Northern Cape 57% vacancies6 Filled posts1 Vacant funded post7 Vacant unfunded posts
66% vacancies3 Filled posts6 Vacant unfunded posts
80%5 Filled posts20 Vacant unfunded posts 1 Vacant funded post
Western Cape 6 Filled posts
11% vacancies24 Filled posts3 Vacant unfunded posts
7 Filled posts
15
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT - Capacity
Provinces
Permit Office
Enforcement
Scientific Services
Limpopo 39% vacancies71 Filled posts47 Vacant unfunded posts
62% vacancies15 Filled posts25 Vacant unfunded posts
64% vacancies10 Filled posts18 Vacant unfunded posts
North West 17% vacancies5 Filled posts (permit officers)1 Vacant funded post
50% vacancies13 Filled posts 13 Vacant funded posts
8% vacancies11 Filled posts1 Vacant funded posts
16
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT – Financial resourcesCURRENT OPERATIONAL BUDGET FOR RHINO RELATED
ACTIVITIESProvinces Permitting Enforcement Scientific
ServicesEastern Cape R50 000 R250 000 R0Gauteng R 182 000 R 250 000 R 100 000Mpumalanga No operational
budgetNo operational budget
No operational budget
Free State R 2,893 million (includes Compensation of Employees)
R7,448 million(includes Compensation of Employees)
R 6,366 million (includes Compensation of Employees)
17
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT – Financial resourcesCURRENT OPERATIONAL BUDGET FOR RHINO RELATED
ACTIVITIESProvinces Permitting Enforcement Scientific ServicesNorthern Cape R 0
R 2’655 R0.00 allocated
specifically to rhino, except for rhino working group
meetings (R4 400) – form part of specialist
inputs.
KwaZulu-Natal R 137 512.00 R 113 530 641.00 Info not available
Western Cape CoE: R1.162 millionG&S: ± R1 million
Info not available Info not available
18
STATE OF PROVINCES REPORT – Financial resourcesCURRENT OPERATIONAL BUDGET FOR RHINO RELATED
ACTIVITIESProvinces Permitting Enforcement Scientific ServicesLimpopo No budget
specifically set aside for rhino related activities
All Compliance & enforcement activities:CoE = R10,5 millionG&S = R1.7 million
No capacity and funding for scientific support on ecological management of protected areas and monitoring of populations.
North West Total operational budget for the Directorate Biodiversity Management and Conservation: R18,426,000
19
INCREASE IN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS IN KNP IN RESPONSE
TO POACHING
Operating budget - ≈ZAR 27m
Law Enforcement Staff – 396Additional Forces - 180
Equipment - ≈ZAR 6.7m
Helicopters – 3Light Aircraft – 2Micro-light Aircraft – 3Dog units - 15Data provided by SANParks
20
SECURITY COSTS – PRIVATE RHINO OWNERS
Security cost:
Range: R1 500 – R208 333
Median expense: R17 000
21Information obtained from: Dr Jo Shaw (WWF)
THANK YOU
22
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