Animal activists crash ‘secret’ DEA meeting with hunters

[RogerFraser]

http://citizen.co.za/864923/animal-acti ... V.facebook

“It is of grave concern that issues of this nature and importance are discussed at closed meetings.”

A meeting behind closed doors in Polokwane between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) was gatecrashed yesterday by protestors from animal rights organisation Ban Animal Trading (BAT).

The week long meeting between DEA and SCIF has been widely criticised by animal rights and anti-hunting lobbyists for its “secretive” nature.

According to the SCI website: “SCI Foundation ensures the best available science is used in wildlife policy and management, and demonstrates the constructive role that hunting and hunters play in the conservation of biodiversity worldwide. The organisation is “First for Wildlife,” investing millions of dollars into wildlife conservation and education every year.”

“We are extremely upset no-one from South African organisations who know about conservation and how we should be conserving wildlife in this country were invited,” said Smaragda Louw of BAT.

“So we went in and demanded to hand over a memorandum, they gave us the time to do that, and then we left.”

According to the Conservation Action Trust, NGOs requesting access were emailed by DEA deputy director Mpho Tjiane saying ‘this is a Government meeting and is not open to the general public.’

Journalists requesting accreditation were allegedly told attendance was by invitation only.

“It is of grave concern that issues of this nature and importance are discussed at closed meetings with what appears to be predominantly pro-hunting representation,” said Karen Trendler of the NGO Working Wild on the CAT website.

“Many conservation and response organisations will be affected by the various issues being discussed, as will broader South Africa, and it would be preferable to have wider representation.”

Ian Michler, producer of the film Blood Lions, questioned why a foreign a hunting club was playing such a significant role in deliberations about the sustainability of wildlife in Africa.

“The agenda is clearly not only pro-hunting, but also seeks to raise doubts about the value of photo-tourism against hunting. It also appears to support those wishing to overturn the CITES ban on trade in rhino horn.”

DEA spokesperson said the Department would be sending out a press release later today, however denied the meeting was secret.

BAT’s memorandum:

Memorandum handed over to the African wildlife consultative forum at Legends Golf resort on 12 November 2015

It has come to the attention of Ban Animal Trading South Africa (a registered NPO fighting for the rights of animals) that a secret meeting about conservation and wildlife issues which are pertinent to all South Africans is being held between the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Safari Club International Foundation.
As a public interest organisation, and insofar as South African tax payers’ money is being used to fund the secret meeting between the South African Government and an American hunting club about conservation in South Africa, BAT demands that:
2.1 The minutes of the meeting are made public, including all the presentations and papers delivered at the meeting.

2.2 The DEA meet with ALL stakeholders, including animal protection organisations and those opposing hunting and trade, to discuss the same issues discussed at this secret meeting opposed to hunting.

2.3 The following questions be answered publically:

2.3.1 How much money was spent on this secret meeting and from which budget was the money paid and which Minister authorised the allocation?

2.3.2 The agenda indicates that this secret meeting will be ‘developing unified strategies for CITIES Convention of the Parties 17”: please explain this further and is this meeting part of a series of secret meetings relating to CITES and which will influence and enunciate South Africa’s position at CITES?

2.3.3 How has this meeting/forum influenced DEA positions and policies, generally and particularly in relation to CITES.

2.3.4 Is the South African government bound to the decisions taken at this meeting with the Safari Club International Foundation?

2.3.5 Why is this meeting secret?

We look forward to receiving your response in the media, or in writing to Ban Animal Trading: info@bananimaltrading.org.

Kind Regards

Ban Animal Trading South Africa

[Richprins]

I don't like this at all, Rog.

Sounds far too much like the hashtag protests sweeping the country, bothering people via intimidation and making unilateral demands instead of debating.

Uh uh.

[RogerFraser]

DEA media release :

MEDIA STATEMENT
13 NOVEMBER 2015
THE 14TH AFRICAN WILDLIFE CONSULTATIVE FORUM IN SOUTH AFRICA DOES NOT INFLUENCE SOUTH AFRICA’S ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
The Department of Environmental Affairs places on record that the 14th African Wildlife Consultative Forum, held in Limpopo, from 9 to 12 November 2015, was a consultative meeting and in no way influences government policy.
This is a meeting of African governments affected by hunting with the Safari Club International and professional hunting associations.
Claims that the Forum is an indication of excessive interference by American hunters in South African government policy are not true. This meeting is not a policy-making platform.
This meeting is an information-sharing platform between SCI and African countries affected by hunting. While discussions do include Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of Parties (CoP) decisions, these are not country positions to the CoP, as governments have their own individual processes to prepare their positions for tabling at the CITES Conferences of Parties.
It is pertinent to emphasise that the AWCF is a SCI initiative which started in 2001 in Botswana. South Africa and other African countries have always participated in these meetings. So, it is inaccurate to suggest that South Africa has partnered with SCI. South Africa is merely a host country for the meeting. These meetings rotate annually amongst African countries affected by hunting and all meetings are all sponsored by SCI. SCI also invites professional hunting associations from participating countries, just the same as South African hunting associations have been invited.
The Consultative Forum meeting is an annual Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF)-sponsored initiative which provides an important platform for African countries to enhance existing co-operation between governments, including hunting industries of participating countries. In addition, it assists with a coordinated and pragmatic approach towards the implementation of and compliance with the SADC Protocol on Wildlife Conservation and Law Enforcement, and CITES, specifically focusing on the sustainable use of natural resources with the SADC region. The AWCF is further a platform for sharing experiences in wildlife management and hunting in particular.
The meetings are usually attended by approximately 14 African countries, as well as a representative of the CITES Secretariat, and representatives of many African professional hunting associations.
During the 12th annual AWCF held in November 2013 in Zambia, it was confirmed that the 13th meeting of the AWCF would be hosted by Ethiopia in 2014, and South Africa was nominated to host the 14th meeting of the AWCF in 2015.
At the meeting, South Africa emphasised that there is a need to balance economic and social development goals with that of environmental sustainability for the benefit of present and future generations.
As South Africa we would like to continue to conserve and improve our status of our natural resources for the benefit of our socio-economic development, and the wildlife industry has an important role to play in ensuring that this goal is achieved. This will be advanced through the implementation of the Biodiversity Economy Strategy (BES), which will guide the growth trajectory of the environmental sector and provide a basis for addressing constraints faced by the sector. The Strategy will also ensure sustainability of the sector and ecological infrastructure which underpins the health of this sector, identify clear responsibilities of stakeholders.
The next AWCF meeting is likely to be hosted by Tanzania in 2017 and by Botswana in 2018.
For media inquiries contact Albi Modise on 083 490 2871
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

[Richprins]

Aha! This sounds far more like normal Government BS once they have received a complaint, on the other hand!

[Lisbeth]

A government department meeting secretly with an unilateral organisation as the HUnters organistion and calling it a Wildlife Consultative Forum smells of totalitarismo and is asking for trouble.

Yet another scandalous behavior of the Government. -and they have the nerve to call it a democratic country