S. African gov't joins hands with private sector in rhino conservation

Minister of South Africa's Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa on Wednesday met with representatives from private rhino owners, represented by the Private Rhino Owners Association (PROA) and Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) in Pretoria to discuss issues of mutual concern around rhino conservation.

Both parties agreed on the need for greater cooperation in battling the challenge faced by rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horns, the Department of Environmental Affairs said.

The meeting came amid a growing call for greater efforts to curb rhino poaching.

At the meeting, private rhino owners laid bare the detrimental effect poaching has had on private reserves.

Currently approximately 33 percent of all rhino in South Africa are found in the private sector, with some 6, 200 rhinos on 330 reserves.

Private rhino owners indicated that the rise in rhino poaching has led to disinvestment from rhino conservation, owing mainly to the escalating security costs being incurred.

Molewa provided an overview of the current legislative, enforcement and compliance regime and provided progress towards the implementation of the integrated permiting system among other things.

Also on the agenda was the issue of rhino poaching and the upcoming 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) (COP17), to be held in Johannesburg in September.

Both parties stressed the importance on the successful hosting of COP17 and affirmed the need to support South Africa's ongoing conservation policies.

South Africa, which bears the brunt of rhino poaching, lost 363 rhinos in the first four months of this year.

In 2015, the country reported 1,175 poached rhinos. Endit