“Unethical hunting industry remains legal for now”

Elise Tempelhoff

The hunting of canned lions remain legal for now.

Mr. Marthinus van Schalkwyk, minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism was planning to stop this industry put was forced to put his plans on hold as a result of a pending legal action brought against his department by various lion breeders that breed lions for canned hunting.

In a statement on Friday Van Schalkwyk said that the hunting of captive bred lions remain legal pending the “outcome of the court application”

This change to the laws pertaining to endangered and protected species – that comes into effect on 1 February 2008 – was published in the Government Gazette on Friday.

Ms. Corlize Taute of the Predators Breeding Association of South Africa said yesterday that their organisation and Van Schalkwyk will probably meet in court in March 2008. “The court case can take very long” she said.

Louise Joubert, founder of SanWild, a staunch opposer of this unethical hunting industry said yesterday that she is “extremely disappointed” that Van Schalkwyk allowed his department to “be intimidated by the lion breeders and hunters”

“He had a golden opportunity to put an end to canned hunting” It is her opinion that the pending courtcase will be dragged out that government will eventually loose courage and intent to rid South Africa of the canned hunting of large predators and to regulate this particular industry.

“In the interim breeding has been allowed to continue like battery chickens. The breeders want to breed as many lions as quickly as possible to increase their hunting capacity to generate as much revenue as possible” Joubert also predicated that eventually the utilisation of wildlife will be moved from the Department to Environmental Affairs and Tourism to that of the Department of Agriculture.

“It has been clear for a while now that many game breeders and hunters want wildlife to be produced in the way a farmer produces livestock like sheep, goats and cattle. There is no question that their main objective is to make money and not to conserve bio-diversity and conservation. The conservation of natural resource and biodiversity is no longer the overriding consideration.

“It is a pity that Martinus did not have the courage of conviction to stop canned hunting. The lion breeders and hunters have now been granted their demands”.

Currently there is about 4500 half tame held in captivity specifically to breed purely for hunting purposes.

According to the changes in the legislation rhinos, white (Ceratotherium simum) as well as black as swart (Diceros bicornis), will be classified as endangered species.

Rhinos that have been bred in captivity, must according to the new legislation, be living in a free ranging situation for 2 years before they may be hunted.

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