Question NW2653 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs
25 August 2015 - NW2653
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
What informed the process of stakeholder selection to discuss issues around lion breeding and hunting at the stakeholder engagement held on 17 July 2015; (2) whether all interested parties were invited to the specified meeting; if so, what are the names of the parties that were invited and attended the specified meeting; (3) when will the outcomes from this stakeholder engagement be brought before Parliament for the members’ consideration and input?
Reply:
1. The Minister requested a meeting with organisations which are involved in lion hunting in South Africa in response to mounting public concern around captive breeding of lion and, in particular, to address claims of allegedly widespread so-called canned hunting of lion in South Africa. This meeting was then convened on 14 July 2015.
The Department identified organisations in attendance through the National Wildlife Forum, which is a forum established by the Minister in 2005 to address policy, permitting and legislation issues that affect the wildlife sector.
2. No, The Minister still intends to invite civil society, non-governmental organisations and other interested members of the public to discuss the allegedly widespread so-called canned hunting of lion in South Africa.
The following organisations which were directly affected were invited:
- Professional Hunters Association of South Africa
- South African Predators Association
- Wildlife Ranching South Africa
- National Shooting Association
- Wildlife Translocation Association
- The National Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa
- South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
The following organisations attended the meeting:
- Professional Hunters Association of South Africa
- South African Predators Association
- The National Confederation of Hunters Associations of South Africa
- South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association
- Provincial Conservation Authorities
- Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
3. The Minister of Environmental Affairs from time to time receives requests to meet. And she also requests meetings with various stakeholders on a range of issues within the Department’s mandate; ranging from biodiversity and conservation, air quality, climate change, to general matters around environmental protection. All such meetings and their respective agendas are diarised.
The meeting with stakeholders in the hunting industry forms part of regular interaction between the Minister and industry. The Department’s Chief Directorate: Communications regularly releases statements on such meetings, which may be found on the Department’s website.
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