BLACK AND WHITE RHINO: INPUT SOUGHT ON DRAFT BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

BLACK AND WHITE RHINO: INPUT SOUGHT ON DRAFT BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT PLAN

• 18 June 2024
• Environmental Law
• SA Legal Academy

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries & the Environment has gazetted a draft biodiversity management plan for both black and white rhino – calling for input by 18 July 2024. Once finalised, the plan will repeal and replace one for black rhino published in January 2013 and one for white rhino published nearly three years later. It will be implemented by a National Rhino Conservation Co-ordination Committee, although according to the document this has yet to be established.

The proposed new plan is underpinned by a ‘whole of society’ approach not only to rhino ownership but also to participation in associated upstream and downstream economies ‘such that a rhino is more valuable alive than dead’. To that end, a detailed action plan includes ‘engaging’ range states to the north of South Africa.

This is noting that, while increased and better co-ordinated anti-poaching efforts have succeeded in maintaining the population of both species at ‘viable’ levels, most losses to poaching occur in large state-managed protected areas. Although private rhino ownership has been steadily rising and at least 59% of white rhino in South Africa are now estimated to be privately owned, by the end of 2022 only 32% of black rhino were in private hands.

The draft plan’s primary objectives include:

• strengthening enforcement and security
• advancing transformation and community empowerment, and
• effectively managing/reducing the demand for rhino derivatives.

‘Sustainable financing’ and ‘effective communication’ are understood to be fundamental to achieving these goals.

• draft replacement plan for black and white rhino
• 2013 plan for black rhino
• 2015 plan for white rhino

Published by SA Legal Academy Policy Watch

Follow us on X @SALegalAcademy (you can also join us on LinkedIn and Facebook)

0 COMMENTS

LEAVE A COMMENT