New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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Toko
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New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarel ... amendments

Minister Edna Molewa re-publishes amendments to the Threatened Or Protected Species Regulations and Species list for public participation
31 March 2015

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs B E E Molewa, on Tuesday, 31 March 2015, re-published amendments to the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations and species list in Government Gazette No. 38600 and Notice 256 of 2015 for public comment for a period of 30 days.

The Department of Environmental Affairs has undertaken a substantial review of the TOPS Regulations, as well as the list of threatened or protected species that was published in terms of section 56 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004). These amendments were published in Gazette, No. 36375, on 16 April 2013 for public participation for a period of 60 days.

Due to the nature of the comments received during the public participation process, a number of the provisions in the draft revised regulations required further amendment, or new provisions needed to be included. Similar amendments were also required in the draft revised species list.

As a result of amendments arising from the previous stakeholder consultation process, the Minister of Environmental Affairs is affording all interested and affected parties a final opportunity to comment on further amendments to the revised TOPS Regulations and species list.

The amendments related to the revised draft species list include making the list more user-friendly.

Sub-categories for mammal species in particular have been created within the protected species category. The sub-categories include:

species of high conservation value or national importance, such as the Southern White Rhino, African Elephant, leopard and black-footed cat;
species listed to ensure that they are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner, including species that are likely to hybridise, such as blue and black wildebeest, blesbok and bontebok. Species such as blue wildebeest, blesbok and Burchell zebra have been added to the list thus regulating the translocation of species that are likely to cross-breed with other closely-related species; and
species included in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) which are not already listed in any other categories.
Numerous species have also been moved between categories, especially bird and plant species, as a result of the latest Red List assessment for birds and the re-assessment of the Harworthia genus. Species removed from the list completely include bushbuck, nyala, southern reedbuck and the grey rhebok.

Also excluded from the list are all species threatened by habitat destruction and which are not affected by other restricted activities, such as the Riverine rabbit and the rough-haired golden mole.

Key issues necessitating the re-publication of the revised TOPS Regulations for public participation involve the inclusion of new provisions and the substantial amendment of existing regulations. These proposed new provisions include issues:

relating to risk assessments, where a compulsory risk assessment will be required for the release of a captive-bred or artificial propagated specimen of a listed threatened or protected species into a national protected area;
relating to the carrying out of restricted activities involving live specimens of listed fish species including the proposed approach that most of the restricted activities are prohibited, except for low-risk research facilities or provincial conservation authorities; and
relating to the prohibition to sell imported specimens of protected species that are listed on CITES Appendix 1 in certain circumstances . This will ensure greater regulation over the possession and sale of imported Appendix I specimens and their offspring, thus preventing violation of CITES provisions.
Members of the public are invited to submit written comments to the Minister within 30 days of publication of the notice in the Gazette. Comments or inputs can be submitted to the following addresses:

By post to:

The Director General, Department of Environmental Affairs
Attention: Thomas Mbedzi
Private Bag X447
Pretoria
0001

By hand at:

Environment House, 473 Steve Biko Street, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0083

By email: nmbedzi@environment.gov.za

Comments received after the closing date may not be considered.

To access the Gazette and Amended TOPS Species list click on the link below:

https://www.environment.gov.za/sites/de ... ations.pdf


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Re: Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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I think there are new regulations underway:

The Select Committee was briefed by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) on the draft species list and regulations pertaining to TOPS species

https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/29811/
This concerns for instance the captive breeding and the sanctuary industries:

Changes in regulations

There were also new provisions relating to captive breeding facilities:

A permit must be refused for the breeding of listed large predators or rhino in captivity, unless the applicant could demonstrate how captive breeding would contribute to the conservation of the species;

New compulsory conditions applicable to rehabilitation facilities specify that:
specimens may not be kept for a period that exceeds what was reasonably required for the rehabilitation of the specimens;
steps must be taken to prevent the specimens from becoming accustomed to human activities or intervention.
If this is done properly all big cat and rhino breeders have to proof that their facilities contribute to conservation.
And a lot of sanctuaries must come up with a plan to release rehabilitated rhino, elephant, cats back to the wild. And the hands-on approach involving paying volonteers and tourists to pet and bottlefeed animals should also be of the past.

Would be O:V if implemented


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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Great news if, as you say, enforced and controlled \O


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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It is stupid and pandering to the greenies. In the bigger picture, government should be able to do the lion's share of conservation given their vast land resources, and not force unreasonable and debatable conditions on small struggling private taxpayers. :evil:


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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You can support anything that helps making money, that's a valid point of view.

But it should be transparent and not come as a conservation operation as these lion cub petting institutions, trophy breeding farms, rhino volontourism resorts and bone producing sanctuaries that are commercial operations only.

Small struggling private taxpayers can do something meaningful such as food production \O


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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:shock: :shock: :shock:

All the rhino operations began as volunteer organisations, often borrowing large sums of money, to save orphans in the absence of government taking responsibility! :evil:


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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Re rhino orphans: What's the purpose of saving orphans?
1. Conservation of the species in the wild - then they must be relocated back to the wild and not be kept and bred in captivity as adults and sub-adults. If conservation of wild rhino is the purpose, then cost must be considered: Is it more effective to raise orphans and rehabilitate them or is the money better spent on protecting the wild populations or on reducing demand for horn strategies or on working with the communities where poachers are recruted from? Ironically there are close to zero records of relocating orphaned rhino to protected areas or to areas of introduction for range expansion. Some on site projects do however exist where orphans are raised on site and then released.
2. Running a commercial enterprise - then make sure that you keep them and attract donations and volounteers to fund your operation and label it a conservation effort or/and campaign for legal horn trade (and hope that poaching will never decline or be flexible and create a hype for saving cute pangolins)
3. Animal welfare - then keep them captive under human care and appeal to the animal welfare concerned public

All of these rely on donations largely - and private or corporate donators should be able to know what's going on to make a informed decision where to donate to.

This rhino orphan industry is largely a very intransparent industry - and people do not ask questions if they are told that this all sensitive information O** hence the requirement of proof of rehabilitation effort is a good one.


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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Yes, they are relocated! \O


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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Richprins wrote: Tue Aug 04, 2020 11:41 am Yes, they are relocated! \O
"Relocated" often means only released into a large enclosure from the small bomas, but not relaesed into the wild where they are in their natural range and can integrate with a wild population without still being cared for (supplement feed and veterinary care etc) and more importantly being wild enough to survive and reproduce.


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Re: New Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations

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No, "relocated" means moved to private reserves, where they can breed etc. \O

They are certainly not being returned to the government slaughterhouses yet, although it is all understandably sensitive information. O:V

It also takes many years and lots of trial and error to make sure they are ready for release. Remember, it has only been a decade or so. \O


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