Just released – DFFE Media Statement:
“General notice calling for persons to register their details and participate in the voluntary exit from the captive lion industry programme by surrendering their legal stockpiles of lion (panthera leo) bones and derivatives.‘
15 November 2024
The WRSA has just been notified of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE) recent issuing of a General Notice in the Government Gazette No. 51551, inviting persons who wish to consider participating in the voluntary exit options from the ‘Captive Lion Industry Programme’, as gazetted under Government Notice No. 4765 of 26 April 2024, to voluntarily register their information and surrender their legal stockpiles of lion (panthera leo) bones and derivatives.
WRSA is closely monitoring this development, emphasising that if the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations had been properly enforced – especially with respect to the registration and permitting of lion bone stockpiles – the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) should already have comprehensive records of all legal trade and possession of such materials.
This new call for registration is part of the ongoing efforts to phase out the captive lion breeding industry. The Ministerial Task Team was established in December 2022 to identify and implement voluntary exit pathways, following recommendations from the High-Level Panel on Wildlife Management. Extensions to the Task Team’s timeline have repeatedly been announced, with stakeholder consultations and provincial audits of captive lion populations cited as ‘reasons for delays.’
Richard York, CEO of WRSA, stated: “It is concerning to see Minister Dion George perpetuating administrative failures similar to those under his predecessor, Minister Barbara Creecy. A Ministerial Task Team, funded by taxpayers, was meant to provide clarity regarding private lion ownership. Despite the lengthy process, the DFFE has yet to finalise an implementation plan that safeguards the livelihoods of all stakeholders involved.”
WRSA urges all affected stakeholders to carefully consider their participation in this process and will continue to advocate for greater transparency in the DFFE’s handling of wildlife policies. WRSA stands ready to support members and provide legal consultation to members pertaining to their private ownership rights.
Extracts from the DFFE media release:
“The report recommended voluntary exit options from the captive lion industry, including options involving lion bone stockpiles and derivatives (whole lion carcasses, skeletons, skins, teeth, claws, and other parts). It also recommended the implementation of a programme to acquire and legally dispose of legal lion bone stockpiles, for facilities that comply with voluntary exit requirements outlined in the report.
The Department will facilitate the acquisition of legal lion bones stockpiles through a contractual agreement between the volunteering legal lion bone owners and any third parties to the agreement. Parties with live captive lions willing to voluntarily register for this programme, will be required to sterilise their lions, refrain from acquiring or accepting any additional live captive lions, and ensure the maintenance of welfare and other standards for the lions in their care. Parties to the voluntary exit programme will be required to apply for the necessary Threatened and Protected Species (TOPS) permits.”
“A detailed implementation process plan of surrendering lion stockpiles and derivatives will be communicated and shared in the public domain, once approved by the Minister and the registration process is concluded.
Interested persons are invited to respond to this Notice, within 120 days from the date of publication in the Government Gazette.”
Read the full DFFE Media Release Here
Gazette-51551_5539_LionBoneStockpileSurrender
