Question NW1188 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs
11 May 2018 - NW1188
Purdon, Mr RK to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
(1)What is the (a) total economic revenue generated by the predator breeding industry in South Africa (i) in each of the past three financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2018; and (b) detailed breakdown of the (i) income generated through (aa) tourism activities, (bb) hunting activities, including the sale of predators to other hunting facilities and (cc) bone sales; and (ii) tax revenue contributed by the predator breeding industry to the National Revenue Fund in each of the specified financial years; and (2) what number of job opportunities were (a) created and (b) sustained by the predator breeding industry in each of the specified financial years?
Reply:
1 (a) and (b)
There is currently no universally agreed figure on the total economic revenue generated by the predator breeding industry in South Africa. However, the recent International Journal of biodiversity and conservation as appearing on the academic journal of the Northwest University by Peet Van der Merwe et al, 2017, purported that the lion breeders alone contribute R500 million annually to South African economy in each of the past three financial years: According to information supplied by Provincial Conservation Management Authorities, It is estimated that an amount of R110 729 285.00 was generated from hunting activities during 2016 and R180 967 456.00 during 2015 respectively. The information for 2017 hunting activities will only be available after the end of June 2018. Please note that at the National level we do not have statistics. Such stats are compiled by Provincial nature conservation authorities on an annual basis.
Information on tourism activities, including the sale of predators to other hunting facilities; bone sales; and tax revenue contributed by the predator breeding industry to the National Revenue Fund in each of the specified financial years, is not available to the Department of Environemntal Affairs at the moment, but may be available to the Provincial Coservation Managemnt Authorities.
(2) The Department does not have, at its disposal, data on the number of job opportunities (a) created and (b) sustained by the predator breeding industry in each of the specified financial years; however, the same study by Van der Merwe et al, 2017, indicated that a total of 1 162 jobs are sustained in the economy due to lion breeding activities alone. Cadman (2009) indicated that 900 people are employed in the lion breeding industry alone.
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