Minister meets NGOs and communities to discuss elephant management options
Date: 2005-11-30The Minister of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has welcomed the submissions of various NGOs and community organisations regarding the development of a national elephant management plan.
“Opinions differed widely as to the most suitable remedies for the threat to biodiversity presented by exploding elephant numbers in South Africa,” said JP Louw, Head of Communications at the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. ”Indeed, some commentators argued that we do not have a problem in the first place. We were generally impressed with the extent to which all parties were committed to contribute towards finding a solution”.
There had been an understandable emphasis on culling during the presentations. Animal rights organisations were strongly opposed to culling whilst conservation and community organisations felt it could be justified. Louw was pleased, however, that submissions also focused on non-lethal solutions such as translocation, contraception and range expansion.
“We would now like to call on all parties, including the elephant welfare organisations, conservation groups and all other interested parties to initiate fundraising and research campaigns in support of non-lethal management options. We don’t need million-signature petitions and/or lobbies to try and dictate a decision to us. At the end it will only be through honest, sensible and constructive engagement and information-sharing that we will resolve on a solution which must be a sustainable African solution”.
Louw said that a policy framework, so-called Draft Norms & Standards, would be published in the new year for public comment. Members of the public were encouraged to participate in this process.
For more information, please call the Chief Director of Communications, JP Louw at 082 569 3340
