Question NW2221 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
27 September 2021 - NW2221
Phillips, Ms C to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
(1) (a) What benefit does SANParks and/or the Kruger National Park (KNP) derive from hunting permitted in the Association of Private Nature Reserves (APNR); (2) by what date will the hunting and the relevant agreements that were advised by a certain person (name and details furnished) to ensure a more equitable sharing of benefits be reviewed; (3) what are the reasons that KNP does not take responsibility for oversight and formal approval of hunting in the APNR, but instead makes use of vague terms such as recommends and/or supports with regard to hunting off-takes; (4) whether she will furnish Mrs C Phillips with a detailed breakdown of the scientific evidence on which SANParks and/or the KNP support the annual hunting off-takes; if not, why not, if so, on what date?
Reply:
- (a) SANParks and/or Kruger National Park (KNP) receives no benefit (financial or otherwise) from the hunting at the Association of Private Nature Reserves (APNR). The APNR are responsible for costs pertaining to the safety and security functions, fence infrastructure maintenance costs, conservation management and their own socio-economic development programmes which they implement on the western boundary of the KNP.
- The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area Cooperative Agreement (2018) and the workplan are currently being reviewed, and a report will be submitted to the relevant Members of the Executive Committees of Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces, as well as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA); Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (LEDET) and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) are being consulted as part of the review process.
The APNR Hunting Protocol is an operational protocol, and is annually reviewed by the APNR Executive structures — with representation by the provincial conservation authorities: the MTPA, LEDET and SANParks.
- The management functions within the protected areas are governed by the National Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No. 57 of 2003) (NEMPAA), including the associated Regulations, as well as Norms and Standards. The APNR structures are not contractual national parks, and SANParks is not the Management Authority of these protected areas. The provincial conservation authorities, the MTPA and LEDET are the regulatory authorities mandated with the regularisation and compliance oversight of these protected areas. The MTPA and LEDET are also the issuing authorities of the permits, and the oversight of the hunting.
The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area Cooperative Agreement (2018) provides the umbrella mechanism for SANParks to submit recommendations for resource use on open protected areas not managed or owned by SANParks-KNP.
- The following scientific information is presented to the APNR Joint Operational Committee, submitted to SANParks for recommendations and to the MTPA and LEDET for final approvals:
- Census information: demographics and animal counts for the game species within the respective reserves;
- Specialist studies pertaining to key species; and
- Post-off-take reports from the previous off-take season, including demographics.
The off-take requests are submitted annually during the last quarter of the calendar year, following post-off take committee discussions, specialist study submissions and approvals by the APNR EXCO and APNR Joint Operational Committees.
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER OF FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: