Government wants to intervene

2011-08-29 23:42
Elise Tempelhoff en Marietie Louw-Carstens

The South African government is considering a moratorium on the hunting of rhinos as a result of concerns raised about the growing number of rhino poaching incidents.

Me. Edna Molewa, minister of environmental affairs yesterday said that until such time as a decision has been received on the above, an official of the department must be present when a rhino is hunted.
In the meantime a traffic officer working for the Limpopo Provincial government and another person were apprehended in the Welgevonden Game Reserve close to Vaalwater with an axe and hunting rifle in their procession. They apparently admitted that they were there to shoot a rhino.
Five more men are due to appear in the Polokwane magistrates court today for alleged rhino poaching and on a game farm close to Roedtan the carcass of yet another two white rhino were found. Both animals had their horns removed. To date 284 rhinos have been slaughtered country wide.

Molewa told the press at a media briefing in Pretoria yesterday that the government is worried about the increasing number of rhino poaching incidents this year, but “that all is not lost yet”.
Her department must now do everything in their power to combat this crime she said. “I am considering instituting a moratorium on the hunting of rhinos so that we can get our house in order” However according to the minister this will not be possible in the next year. She will only be able to talk to all the MEC of environmental affairs in the various provinces in a month or two. Thereafter it will have to be determined how many permit for the hunting of rhinos had already been issued.
She said that provincial officials of the department must attend every rhino hunt and that after the hunt DNA sampling must be taken off each animal that will be kept in a central database.

Molewa admitted that the cooperation between her department, the national prosecuting authority and the South African Police Services is not ideal and that more needs to be done in this regard.
“This must still in the eyes of the department of environmental affairs be lifted to a priority crime”

Mr. Jacques Malan, president of Wildlife Ranchers South Africa (WRSA), said that should the government decide to institute a moratorium they will face a wall of resistance
We will go to court and claim damages from the Minister. He is of the opinion that a moratorium will result in increased poaching activities.

Molewa’s department recently put out a public tender to determine the viability of de-horning rhinos to protect them against poaching. Expert opinion is sought and veterinarians will be consulted because we would like to determine what the influence will be on rhinos if their horns are removed. “If cruelty can be proved, dehorning will not be further considered” The department also wants to find out if a rhino whose horns has been removed will show signs of abnormal behaviour.
A further study to determine the viability of opening the trade in rhino horn is also on the go.

The convention on trade in endangered species (Cites) place a ban on the trade in rhino horn 35 years ago to protect the species.

Molewa said the issuing of hunting permits on provincial level remains a huge problem. She expressed her apology that the system has been abused to allow for alleged illegal hunts to take place.