Pretoria – South Africa has stepped up its efforts to fight rhino poaching, says Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.
“In the world-famous Kruger National Park, the epicentre of the rhino-poaching epidemic, we have stepped up our efforts, bolstering traditional anti-poaching strategies with the utilisation of K-9 units, air and land capability, and night capability,” Minister Molewa said.
Addressing the 2nd Interpol-UNEP Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Conference in Singapore, she said Kruger National Park has a Mission Area Joint Operations Centre which allows South Africa to be one step ahead of the poachers.
“The centre enables real-time decision-making, faster reaction and more proactive operations through live streaming of information that enables us deploy our resource more intelligently.
“In addition, the GEF-UNEP Rhino Programme continues to strengthen our capabilities in relation to forensic capacity, information sharing and implementation of our commitments,” Minister Molewa said.
The programme also enables the country to raise awareness on environmental crime with 150 magistrates and has trained 120 prosecutors during 2015.
South Africa is also working with international counterparts in the fight against rhino poaching.
“We have in place several Memoranda of Understanding between South Africa and other countries and partners such as the members of the International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime (ICCWC),” Minister Molewa said.
She said South Africa brought back the rhino from the brink of extinction in the early 1900s and continues to lead the world in rhino conservation best practice and management.
“It is because of this successful track record that today we are home to 22 000 both black and white rhino.
“This is more than 70% of Africa’s rhino, and more than 80% of the entire world’s rhino population,” Minister Molewa said.
She said South Africa has recently finalised its Biodiversity Economy Strategy, which is expected to play a major role in the communities’ ownership of wildlife, as entrepreneurs.
“We hope that this will serve as a real incentive against being lured to poach,” Minister Molewa said. – SAnews.gov.za
