Pretoria - Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says all citizens must work together to protect South Africa’s wildlife as countries around the globe mark World Wildlife Day.
“We are a country with abundant wildlife resources, whose significance goes way beyond conservation… Wildlife is inherently tied to the social, economic, scientific, cultural, recreational and educational fabric of this country,” Minister Molewa said.
Countries around are celebrating World Wildlife Day under theme ‘The future of wildlife is in our hands’. World Wildlife Day was first proclaimed in 2013 at the sixth session of the United National General Assembly (UNGA). The day is aimed at raising awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants.
“Globally, the survival of wild species of animals and plants is under threat as mass harvesting of natural resources, human settlement encroachment, and industrial activity like mining and logging result in habitat loss and ecosystem depletion,” the Department of Environmental Affairs said.
South Africa will this year host the 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Johannesburg.
On Tuesday, Minister Molewa signed the Host Country Agreement for the conference with the Secretary-General of CITES, John Scanlon, on the margins of an international conference on wildlife crime in The Hague.
“Our hosting of this conference is testament to the important role South Africa has played and continues to play in species conservation,” Minister Molewa said.
The conference, which will bring together government representatives, lawmakers, enforcement and customs officials as well as rangers from across the globe, will run from 24 September to 5 October 2016.
COP17 is expected to tackle some of the biggest issues in conservation such as poaching and the illicit trade in wildlife and plant species.
Elephants, pangolins, rhinoceros, sharks, tigers and precious tree species are among the most critically poached and trafficked species across the world. – SAnews.gov.za
