Outfitters Visited & Verified
During August we have been active visiting outfitters in Namibia. It is a big country and it takes time, but the outfitters visited were:
Jagondernemers Besoek & Bevestig
Tydens Augusts het ons jagondernemers in Namibië besoek. Dis ‘n groot land en dit vat lank, maar ons het ‘n draai by die volgende ondernemers gemaak:
- Bergzicht Game Lodge
- Nick Nolte Safaris
- Mahonda Safaris
- Eden Trophy Hunters
- Uhlenhorst Hunting Safaris
Hunting in Zimbabwe Parks
Zimbabwe’s SOAZ has recently circulated a press release warning that hunters buying hunts in Zimbabwean National Parks should be aware that these hunts:
- Are ration hunts
- Which may not take place in sensitive or high tourist areas of the parks
- Exclude trophy animals (i.e. ≥30 kg / 66.15 lb for elephant tusks), and that
- All products of the animals hunted remain the property of the Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority
- Further, that no non-Zimbabwean registered vehicles may be used during such hunts.
Hunters contravening these rules obviously expose themselves to the risk of prosecution in Zimbabwe.
Jag in Zimbabwe Parke
Zimbabwe se SOAZ het onlangs ‘n persverklaring vrygestel waarin jagters wat wat jagte in Zimbabwe Nasionale Parke koop daarop gewys word dat:
- Dit rantsoen jagte is
- Wat nie in sensitiewe of aktiewe toeriste gebiede van die parke mag plaasvind nie
- Trofeediere uitsluit (bv. ≥30 kg / 66.15 lb vir olifanttande), en dat
- Alle produkte van die diere die eiendom van die Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority bly
- Voertuie wat nie in Zimbabwe geregistreer is nie, nie tydens sulke jagte gebruik mag word nie.
Jagters wat die reëls oortree stel hulself uiteraard bloot aan vervolging in Zimbabwe.
Temporary Exports of Firearms from South Africa
In the past South African hunters obtained temporary firearm export permits from the SAPS upon arrival at border posts. This will not be possible in future. The SAPS now requires hunters to apply for temporary firearm export permits at their local DFOs at least three weeks before departure. Should the process experience a hiccup, the hunter may find himself not obtaining a permit timeously. Hunters are therefore advised by African Hunting Gazette to:
- Apply at least six weeks prior to departure
- Ensure that the serial numbers on their rifles are clear, legible, and correct.
Tydelike Vuurwapen Uitvoere vanuit Suid-Afrika
In die verlede was dit moontlik om tydelike vuurwapen uitvoerpermitte tydens opwagting by grensposte van die SAPD te bekom. Dit sal voortaan nie meer moontlik wees nie. Die SAPD vereis dat jagters nou ten minste drie weke voor vertrek by hul plaaslike AVOs aansoek moet doen. Indien die aansoek vertraag word kan dit gebeur dat permitte nie betyds uitgereik word nie. African Hunting Gazette raai jagters dus aan om eerder:
- Ten minste ses weke voor vertrek aansoek te doen
- Te verseker dat die reeksnommers op hul wapens duidelik, leesbaar en korrek is.
South African Rhino Population Set To Decline
According to the RSA Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), 553 rhino have been poached in South Africa to date. A spokesman for the WorldWide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA) is reported to have said that the overall rhino population will soon begin declining.
It is expected that in excess of the 2012 tally, 668 rhino will be poached this year. Aggressive anti-poaching operations have not proved particularly successful in the reduction of poaching activities despite the arrest of approximately 150 poachers this year. It does not appear that arrests of the actual poachers will solve the problem. The WWF-SA is apparently of the opinion that success might be achieved if the perpetrators higher up the chain should be targeted by law enforcement, because they form part of international organised crime syndicates.
Suid-Afrika se Renosterbevolking kan Afneem
Volgens die RSA se Departement van Omgewingsake (DOS) is 553 renoster reeds die jaar in Suid-Afrika gestroop. ’n Segsman vir die WorldWide Fund for Nature in South Africa (WWF-SA) is aangehaal dat hulle meen dat die renosterbevolking op die rand van afname is.
Daar word verwag dat 668 renosters vanjaar gestroop gaan word – meer as in 2012. Nieteenstaande die arrestasie van 150 stropers die jaar blyk selfs aggressiewe anti-stroop operasies nie besonder suskesvol te wees nie. Die mening is dat die arrestasie van stropers nie die probleem sal oplos nie. Die WWF-SA is blykbaar van mening dat sukses behaal kan word as rolspelers hoër op in die ketting van die internasionale georganiseerde misdaad sindikate deur wetstoepassers gearresteer word.
RIM Report Suggests Trading of Rhino Horn on JSE
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) recently released the recommendations of the Rhino Issues Management (RIM) report. The report calls for the immediate dehorning of thousands of rhino in national parks. The report, written by former SA National Parks chief executive Mavuso Msimang, indicates that it would take three years at a rate of eight rhino per day and cost R84 million to dehorn SANParks rhinos, take DNA samples and insert microchips. Since rhino horn grows at 5cm per year the process will have to be repeated every 3-4 years. The government indicated that de-horning was not on the cards on the short term.
Mr Msimang also came up with a novel concept and urged the government to consider opening a rhino trading structure possibly linked to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and recommended that the government use Cites Article 27 to make an interim application to CITES to end the ban on rhino product trading and not wait for CITES 2016.
RIM Verslag Opper JEB Verhandeling van Renosterhoring
Die Departement van Omgewingsake (DOS) het die voorstelle van die Rhino Issues Management (RIM) verslag onlangs bekendgemaak. Die verslag stel die onmiddelike onthoringing van duisende renosters in die nasionale parke voor. Die skrywer van die verslag, die voormalig hoof uitvoerende beampte van SANParks, Mavuso Msimang, het aangedui dat dit drie jaar sal duur en R84 miloen sal kos om die SANParke se renosters to onthoring, DNS monsters te neem en mikroskyfies in te plant. Aangesien renosterhoring met omtrent 5cm per jaar groei sal die proses elke 3-4 jaar herhaal moet word. Die regering het aangedui dat dit tans nie ‘n opsie is nie.
Mnr Msimang het ook met die oorspronklike konsep van ‘n renosterhoring handels-struktuur vorendag gekom wat moontlik aan die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs gekoppel kan word aan aanbeveel dat die regering nie tot 2016 wag nie, maar CITES Artikel 27 gebruik om ‘n tussentydse aansoek na CITES te loods om die verbod op die handel in renosterprodukte op te hef.