Resource use in the Kruger National Park

[RogerFraser]

Interesting Survey received from KNP on sustainable use .Not sure my comments for some questions are what they expect but would be interested to see the outcome of this survey .

I extracted the questions not sure why it started at 2 though

Resource use in the Kruger National Park - 1
Research on visitor perceptions of the harvesting of natural resources from within the Kruger Park

Dear Visitor to the Kruger National Park,

Your opinions are important to us, and we are interested in your thoughts on certain management decisions and actions that we take. This survey is specifically to assess how you feel about extractive resource use and will take approximately 10-12 minutes to complete. Extractive resource use means the removal and consumptive use of natural resources found within the park (for example mopane worms, thatch and medicinal plants).

Kindly note the following:

Although we would love to hear your opinions on this important issue, participation in this survey is voluntary.
The survey is completely anonymous, you cannot be identified based on the answers you supply.
You may discontinue the survey at any time.
If you have already participated in this study while visiting Kruger, kindly ignore this email.

The results from this survey are for applied research purposes and may be published in an academic journal. Please feel free to email me directly for a copy of the results, once available. Kindly note that the harvesting of natural resources from the Kruger National Park is guided by National Protected Area legislation, SANParks' policies and procedures and the recently approved 10 year Kruger National Park Management Plan.

With thanks for your time and continued support as we strive for a sustainable national parks system, that benefits broader society.

Kind regards
Louise Swemmer
Scientist - Social and Economic Research
louise.swemmer@sanparks.org
Ethics approval obtained from University of the Witwatersrand's Human Research Ethics Committee (H16/10/21).

The next section contains a series of statements about resource use – please rate to which extent you agree/disagree with each.
Question Title
* 2. Allowing local communities to harvest resources from the park is a threat to conservation sustainability
3. Allowing local people to derive benefits from the park, such as harvesting mopane worms, is important for the sustainability of conservation
4. Local people should be allowed to come into Kruger and harvest certain resources under controlled conditions
5. If I knew local communities were coming into the park to harvest resources, I would stop coming to the park
6. Having access to information about the scale at which natural resources are harvested from the park (time and space scale) would make me feel more comfortable about the process
7. Knowing that the park monitors the harvesting of natural resources from within the park to minimise any negative impact on the environment would make me feel more comfortable with the process
8. If natural resources are harvested from the park in a way that does not negatively impact the environment, then resource use from the park by local communities is a good thing
9. I am comfortable with people harvesting mopane worms and thatching grass from the park, provided it doesn’t affect the environment and is sustainable
10. I am comfortable with SANParks harvesting a small number of animals (eg. buffalo/impala) each year to use the meat as part of benefit sharing and relationship building programmes with local schools and communities provided it is sustainable and does not negatively affect the environment
11. If I am on a game drive and I see people harvesting resources inside the park, it would impact negatively on my tourist experience
12. I would prefer not to see harvesting of natural resources taking place inside the park while I am on a game drive
13. It does not matter who is harvesting resources from the park, or how much is being used, I am not comfortable with any resources being removed from the park
14. The Kruger National Park is a natural environment that is natural because there are no people and little human impact in the park
15. For thousands of years, people lived in the natural landscape in and around the Kruger Park, and played an important role in maintaining ecosystems
16. If there are too many animals for the environment to sustain, they should be removed to avoid environmental damage
17. If any animals are killed for management purposes (human-wildlife conflict, research, wildlife population control or to influence the spatial use of the landscape), their carcasses must not be used for human consumption
If any animals are killed for management purposes, (human-wildlife conflict, research, wildlife population control or to influence the spatial use of the landscape), their carcasses can be used for human consumption
19. There is no need to control game numbers in Kruger Park, the animals should be left alone as the area is large enough to allow for natural regulation processes
20. If there is not an over population of animals in the Kruger Park, it is still ok to harvest some animals to use the by-products (eg. meat and hides) for relationship building and benefit sharing with local communities as long as the off-takes are ecologically sustainable
21. It is ok to sell some live animals to generate revenue to cover operational costs, provided the off-takes are ecologically sustainable
22. It is ok to lethally harvest some animals from the park to help to cover operational costs, provided the off-takes are ecologically sustainable
23. There are too many elephants in the Kruger Park and they are causing negative impacts
24. No animals in Kruger should be killed, even if their numbers are high enough that they are causing unsustainable damage to the environment

[Richprins]

Is there a link, Rog?

[RogerFraser]

It was a emailed link that only works once that I got by email .If I click now it says already completed

[Richprins]

So selective...

[Lisbeth]

It would be interesting to know how they select the "fortunate" ones

[Dindingwe]

I received the survey too.

Here is the link, https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JSQPRKY_RU3, but it might be invalid as I already completed the survey.
I said I was South African because I fear the ansewers of a foreigner are not valued the same way

Before beginning to answer questions, they ask you to read the following, probably to influence you...

Please read the following background before continuing with the survey
Although it is difficult to quantify, archaeological evidence suggests that people have been using natural resources (for building shelters, making tools, collecting food and medicine) from the area that is currently the Kruger National Park for thousands of years. When the park was established in 1926, local residents were moved outside of the park boundaries to make way for more formal conservation, with certain ethnic groups being subsequently denied access to the park for much of its history. Lack of access resulted in people living adjacent to the park losing their connection to the land, culture, plants and animals inside the park. Since South African democracy in 1994, SANParks has been implementing various programmes and projects to enhance access for broader society, both in terms of tourist visitation as well as access to tangible benefits such as business opportunities, education, and natural resources. A SANParks Resource Use Policy (2011) allows local communities to harvest small amounts of natural resources from the park under controlled conditions, with the aims of sharing biodiversity benefits more fairly, promoting value of the park and building support for conservation. Pilot sustainable resource use projects include the harvesting of mopane worms as a protein source, cutting of thatching grass for building, harvesting certain medicinal plant species and distributing meat from animals culled by park management. Harvesting is done on a small, sustainable scale to ensure that neither the ecosystem, nor the individual populations are placed at risk, and the ecological, economic and social impacts are monitored for sustainability. The harvesting has been shown to contribute to personal and household wellbeing of participants, while also promoting positive relationships between the park and its neighbours. Some participants used to be afraid of the park staff and rangers, but after participating in mopane worm harvesting, they reported feeling connected to the park, and the park staff. Some felt their relationship with the park improved after they took part in the harvesting projects, and that the park is opening up to them, unlike previous times. In summary, promoting access for local neighbours to harvest natural resources from Kruger in a way that does not negatively affect the environment, has provided benefits, and has improved relationships with neighbouring communities, both important for the sustainability of the park into the future. Biodiversity is facing many challenges as humans and wildlife compete for habitat, and it is imperative that people value biodiversity in order to be incentivised to conserve it.

[Richprins]

The link works, Dingwe!

[Lisbeth]

Have the communities not always used Kruger as their local supermarket? Snaring and harvesting mopane worms for sure. Plants for medical use also. What else is there? Wood So why this survey now? The snaring has gone too far from the visitors' point of view?

[Klipspringer]

Some questions are about buffaloe and impala "harvesting"

Some backup required for making resource use a regular event

[Lisbeth]

I have done the survey.