DCA Policy.
The damage causing animal policy is currently open for public comment. A workshop will be held on Monday 26-Sep-2005 in Polokwane to discuss and consult on relevant issues.
DEPARTMENT
OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENT AND TOURISM
POLICY ON THE CONTROL AND
MANAGEMENT OF DAMAGE CAUSING WILD ANIMALS IN
1.
OBJECTIVE.
To
regulate, control and management of Damage Causing wild animals in the
2.
AIMS.
a.
To ensure
control of Damage Causing Animals.
b.
To protect
genetic integrity of indigenous animals.
c.
To ensure
awareness and education to human communities.
(a)
“certificate of competency” means a permit issued by the
department to persons who are qualified Professional hunters and Hunting
Outfitters who are in possession of unrestricted or open permit.
(b)
Damage causing wild animal” means any species of wild animal which,
because of its high incidence in any area or its way of life or other
characteristics, is harmful to any other species of wild animal or any other
animal or any property, or has the potential for harming the agricultural sector
or human life.
(c) “Hunt”, means hunt with the intent to kill, and includes-
(i)to search for, lie in wait for, bait, pursue, shoot
at, set a snare or trap or disturb with the intent to kill wild or alien animal;
or
(ii) to dart or immobilize a wild or alien animal by
any means or method for trophy purposes
(d)
“
(e)
“State land” means land of
which the minister of land affairs is the de jure land owner, which also include
state land for permanent use to tripe, communities and individual-such
allocation is normally published in the government gazette where specific land
is included in that area of jurisdiction of groups or individual; and land to
which a power of authority has been issued to an authorized agent for the
administration and management of state land on behalf of the minister.
(f) “poison”
means any poison, preparation or chemical substance used to catch,
immobilize, drug, sterilize, kill, physically harm or physically impair a wild
animal;
(g) “written authorization or permission” means–
(i)
Written authorization or permission given by any landowner to any other
person in accordance with the provisions of section 34(1) of the LEMA (Act No.
2003).
(ii) Written authorization of, or a permit
issued by an officer to, any person who complies with the conditions set by the
Department.
(f)
“Authority”
the provincial department to which the responsibility to control and promote all
environmental issues has been assigned through legislation.
4.
MANAGEMENT OF DAMAGE CAUSING ANIMALS.
‘MEC may direct that wild animals and alien animals be hunted or
caught’. (LEMA no 7 of 2003 Section 44 subsection (1).
“The MEC may with the concurrence of the owner of the land where wild
or alien animals are found, instruct an Environmental Compliance Officer or
other person in writing to hunt, catch or remove any specific animal, if the
animal –
a)
is
causing damage to livestock, cultivated trees or crops;
b)
is
present in such numbers that grazing is materially damage;
c)
is
likely to constitute a danger to human life;
d)
is
causing damage to property;
e)
is
wounded or injured;
f)
should be hunted, caught or removed in the
interest of environmental management; or
g)
is
to be caught or removed for the survival of the species”.
4. 1 CONTROL AND THE MANAGEMENT OF
DAMAGE CAUSING ANIMALS ON
4.1.1
The local officer will assess the damage and advice the delegated
authority to issue a permit to destroy or hunt, in consultation with Department
of Land Affairs.
4.2
CONTROL
AND MANAGEMENT OF DAMAGE CAUSING ANIMALS ON
The
local officer will assess the damage and advice the delegated authority to issue
a permit to destroy or hunt.
4.3.
METHODS TO CONTROL DAMAGE CAUSING WILD ANIMALS
a)
Education
Information could
be supplied to educate relevant communities, and better protection mechanisms in
place.
b)
Physical barriers
An electric fence
(SANS Standard) can be used with some degree of success to exclude damage
causing wild animals form residential land and any other place where the damage
might be caused. Success dependant on the ability of the animals to learn how to
cross the fence line and therefore design and maintenance are critical for
success.
c)
Capture and Translocation
Capture
and relocate to an area decided by the Authority.
d)
Elimination
With
the intention to destroy as a last resort
e)
Hunting
No
person may hunt a damage causing animal without a permit
4.4
CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCE
A hunt must be supervised by a qualified Professional hunter.
The
registered institution may issue certificates of competency to the following:
(a)
A hunter who has attended a training course presented by a qualified
instructor and has also passed the required theoretical and practical
examinations for the hunting of harmful wild animals, if the person who applies
-
(i)
has the required knowledge, capability, skill and experience;
(ii)
is twenty one (21) years old ;
(b)
A qualified instructor, if the person who
applies –(LEMA no 7 of 2003 . 49
(1) C.
(i)
Complies with the requirements referred to in sub clause (1) (a) (i),
(ii) and (iii);
(ii)
has the necessary communication and presentation skills;
(iii)
has extensive practical experience as a hunter of harmful wild animals,
and
(iv)
is competent to test the knowledge, capability, skills and experience of
applicants or candidates for the control of harmful wild animals.
(2)
A certificate of competency referred to in
sub clause (1)(a) or (b) is valid
for the period specified therein unless it is cancelled by the recognized
institutions before the expiry of that period on good cause shown and after
consultation with the person to whom it had been issued.
5. ACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES WHICH ARE
NOT BE PERMITTED WHEN HUNTING
(i)
Any form of set-up hunt,
(iii)
Hunting out of vehicles, with the exception of paraplegic,
(iv)
Hunting with automatic or semi-automatic firearms,
(vi)
The
use of pitfalls or any form of poisoning.
6.
TRAPS
6.1
Only be used by the persons with valid permit from the government
6.2
Traps must be checked within 24 hours.
6.3
Trap cage requirements
(I)
A person may not use a trap cage that does not comply with the following
requirements:
(a)
The size of the trap cage
must be species specific and be determined mindful of the size of the target
animal.
(b)
The cage must be
adequately covered with material that will keep any caught animal inside and
minimize injuries to that animal.
(c)
The cage may not have any
sharp metal edges and wires on the inside.
(d)
The cage must be equipped
with a safety catch on the door to prevent any animal caught from escaping from
the cage.
(ii)
A person may not omit to take the following precautionary measures while
handling a trap cage:
(a)
The caught animal may not
be taunted or be allowed to be taunted or injured intentionally.
(b)
No caught animal may be
left unprotected against any natural or environmental elements or other
disturbances.
(c)
No caught animal may, be
left intentionally in a trap cage for extended periods or for longer than is
reasonably necessary
7.
Dogs
7.1
Use of dogs to control damage causing wild animals, dogs will be used
only when an animal is wounded and injured.
Responsibility of dog owners to be in charge of and control dogs
A person who is
the owner of a dog or dogs may not allow his or her dog or dogs –
(a)
to enter upon any land of
which he or she is not the owner, and
(b)
to act without such dog
or dogs being taken charge of and controlled properly by that person, or being
taken charge of and controlled properly by an adult and responsible person
authorized by the owner of the dog or dogs to have the dog or dogs in his or her
charge and under his or her control.
8.
CONTROL OF DAMAGE CAUSING WILD ANIMALS BY MEANS OF POISON
No person shall
use poison or chemical substances to eliminate alien and wild animals
9.
DISPOSAL OF CONTAMINATED ANIMALS.
Your are welcome to contact us at: info@dcaforum.org.za or fax number 086 658 7688.