Department of Forestry and Fisheries and the Environment - Republic of South Africa

06/29/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/29/2022 09:24

Cooperation on biodiversity conservation is key in the western boundary of Kruger National Park, says Creecy

29 June 2022

Private reserves on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park and government have committed to working together on a number of areas, including tackling wildlife crime, enhancing transformation and improving the local economy.

"The cooperation with private reserves in the western boundary of the Kruger National Park is key to ensuring that communities live in harmony with nature," said the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Creecy on conclusion of her engagement with representatives of the Associated Private Nature Reserves (APNR), community members and other stakeholders in Mpumalanga this week to discuss a range of problems that have arisen in recent years. These include wildlife crime and rhino poaching.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Forum of which the APNR is a part, agreed to create three sub-committees to address rhino poaching and combatting wildlife crime, economic ecosystems and protected areas' conservation. Also to be discussed will be administrative blockages and governance.

Another important area of collaboration includes creating opportunities for beneficiation of communities living on the borders, or close to, to reserves and the Kruger National Park, and expansion of the protected areas estate.

"It was indeed an honour to meet with Minister Creecy to discuss critical conservation efforts to sustain the Greater Kruger area," said the CEO of the GKEPF, Ms Sharon Hausmann who added that the meeting had pledged their continued commitment to conservation efforts, and specifically the three identified areas of closer cooperation.

"The positive engagements lay a firm foundation for collective action in the interest of biodiversity and sustainable development in this area," said Ms Haussmann.

Minister Creecy invited all stakeholders to participate in the policy processes by submitting their written submissions on the draft White Paper on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in South Africa and the draft Game Meat Strategy, which were approved for public comment by Cabinet on 22 June 2022. The White Paper and Strategy are to be gazette for consultation in the near future.

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