The success of the first Conservation Kids Day held at Generaal Jacques Pienaar Primary School on 26 January 2022, is a clear indication of the huge need to educate our youth to understand environmental conservation. They are hungry for knowledge, firsthand experience of South Africa’s diverse environment and how to use it responsibly.
We hope that each WRSA RIG will take the step to get on the ladder of opportunity while we invest in our game, our environment, our responsibility, and our future.
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WORLD WILDLIFE DAY
The question today is: If only the governmental wildlife preservation model is recognised and applied in South Africa, would there be any wildlife left in 2030?
Human conflict and politics since the 1990s burdened and restrained South African wildlife to the maximum. The current demise of the ecosystems and entire biodiversity of the Kruger National Park due to the temporal spatial elephant management philosophy is evidence of only one of ample examples throughout South Africa’s government protected areas.
Ever-growing activist pressure for banning of hunting and animal use globally, is driving highly protected threatened species to extinction. These activists have no understanding of the role incentivised consumptive wildlife use has, to benefit species and wildlife conservation. Rhino horn need to be legally traded as an incentive for wildlife ranchers to breed and protect this species from extinction.
Private interest in controlled hunting on private wildlife ranches with livestock management integrated with free-roaming wild game, has turned the hourglass around with increased wildlife growth during the 1950s to 1970s. From the 1980s onwards, livestock theft escalated and the incentives for commercial private wildlife ranching and professional hunting increased. Simultaneously, African human population escalated with growing poverty and food shortages, and the degree of animal poaching escalated to an all-time high around 2016 to 2018. Commercial private wildlife business escalated further since the early 2000s with an industry shift towards breeding pedigree wildlife animals and market traits (valued animals) for live sale trade. Private wildlife ranching and the practise of Agro-sustainable biodiversity wildlife consumptive management and utilization resulted in the southern African large game populations to have escalated to between 18 and 21 million head in number at present. Private ranching wildlife populations scientifically proved mostly to be of enhanced and superior genetic species integrity than those in government protected areas.
Private wildlife ranching (not government) has saved the bontebok, black wildebeest, oribi, blue duiker, roan, and cheetah from extinction, and soon to come it will also save the rhino and probably the lion.
The international Biodiversity bill, signed by South Africa in 1992, and enforced by government authorities (as puristic wildlife preservation only), denied the positive conservation role and impact of the private Agro-sustainable wildlife ranching industry, resulting in severe pressure to both wildlife species and wildlife habitat and had detrimental effects on overall wildlife integrity and wildlife economics.
There was a huge paradigm shift from a governmental wildlife preservation model to the present rewilded Agro-sustainable biodiversity wildlife management model. The proof is in the pudding, as the sustainable biodiversity wildlife management model has proved significant enhancement and potential survival of most game species in southern Africa.
The IUCN goals are to have 30% land surface area under biodiversity management by 2030 – It is estimated that SA already reached this goal – IF PRIVATE WILDLIFE RANCHING was included or acknowledged by the South African government.
If we want to secure the survival of our wildlife species beyond 2030, we need to look at new wildlife economic models for South Africa which include the private wildlife industry!
WRSA and its members have engaged with all possible energy and effort to turn the carts at all levels. A process which commenced in 2003 with the first government draft of the Alien Invasive Translocation Bill, and now in 2022, showing the first positive potential of collateral working together with government.
WÊRELD WILDLEWE DAG
Die vraag vandag is: As slegs die regering se wildlewe bewaringsmodel in Suid-Afrika erken en toegepas word, sal daar teen 2030 nog enige wildlewe oor wees?
Menslike konflik en politiek het sedert die 1990s ‘n groot las op die Suid-Afrikaanse wildbedryf geplaas en tot die maksimum teruggehou. Die huidge ondergang van die ekosisteme en algehele biodiversiteit van die Nasionale Krugerpark weens die tydelike ruimtelike olifantbestuursfilosofie is genoegsame bewys van slegs een van die voorbeelde dwarsdeur Suid-Afrika se regeringsbeskermde gebiede.
Steeds groeiende aktivistiese druk vir die verbod op jag en dieregebruik wêreldwyd, dryf hoogs beskermde bedreigde spesies tot uitsterwing. Hierdie aktiviste het geen begrip van die rol wat aangespoorde wildgebruik speel om spesies en wildbewaring te bevoordeel nie. Renosterhoring moet wettiglik verhandel word as ‘n aansporing vir wildboere om te teel en hierdie spesie teen uitsterwing te beskerm.
Private belang in beheerde jag op private wildsplase met veebestuur, geïntegreer met vrylopende wild, het die uurglas omgedraai met die toename van wild gedurende die 1950s tot 1970s. Sedert 1980 het veediefstal die hoogte ingeskiet en die aansporing van kommersiële private wildboeredery en professionele jag, het toegeneem.
Terselfdertyd het Afrika se menslike bevolking toegeneem met groeiende armoede en voedseltekorte en die graad van dierestropery het rondom 2016-18 toegeneem tot ‘n absolute hoogtepunt. Kommersiële private wildbesigheid het verder sedert die vroeë jare 2000 toegeneem met ‘n bedryfsverskuiwing na die teel van stamboek wild en mark tekorte (gewaardeerde diere) vir lewendige handel. Private wildboerdery en die bedryf van Agro-volhoubare biodiversiteitswildsverbruik en -bestuur, het tot gevolg dat die Suider-Afrikaanse grootwild bevolking soos dit tans is, gestyg het tot tussen 18 en 21 miljoen stuks. Private wildboerderygetalle het wetenskaplik bewys dat dit meestal as gevolg van verhoogde en verbeterde genetiese spesie integriteit is, beter as dié in die staatsbeskermde gebiede.
Private wildboerdery (nie-regering) het die bontebok, swartwildebees, oorbietjie, blouduiker, swartwitpens en jagluiperd van uitwissing gered en sal binnekort ook die renoster en moontlik die leeu red.
Die internasionale Biodiversiteitswet wat Suid-Afrika in 1992 onderteken het en wat deur die regeringsowerhede (slegs as suiwer wildbewaring) afgedwing is, ontken die positiewe bewaqringsrol en impak van die private Agro-volhoubare wildboerderybedryf, het erge druk op beide wilde spesies en wild habitat tot gevolg en het nadelige gevolge op die algehele wild-integriteit en -ekonomie.
Daar was ‘n groot paradigma skuif van ‘n regeringswildbewaringsmodel na die huidige Agro volhoubare hervestigde wildbiodiversiteitsbestuursmodel. Die bewys is in die feit dat die volhoubare biodiversiteitsbestuursmodel bewyse lewer van betekenisvolle gehalteverbetering en potensiële oorlewing van die meeste wildspesies in suidelike Afrika.
Die IUCN doelwitte is om teen 2030, 30% van die grondoppervlak onder biodiversiteitsbestuur te hê – daar is geskat dat SA alreeds hierdie doelwit bereik het – INDIEN PRIVATE WILDBOERDERY ingesluit is of deur die Suid-Afrikaanse regering erken word.
As ons die oorlewing van ons wildspesies na 2030 wil verseker, moet ons nuwe wild ekonomie modelle wat die private wildbedryf insluit, vir Suid-Afrika oorweeg
WRSA en sy lede is betrokke om op alle moontlike gebiede pogings aan te wend om die wa op alle vlakke om te draai. ’n Proses wat in 2003 begin het met die eerste weergawe van die regering se Alien Invasive Translocation Bill (uitheemse indringerverskuiwingswet) toon nou in 2022 die eerste positiewe potensiaal van kollaterale samewerking met die regering.
