Banner Image: Dr Dion George, The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment – courtesy of DFFE
Consultation submissions invited within 30 day (from 15 November 2024) – Government Notice 5555 of 2024 “National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (10/2004): Consultation on the Draft Notice prohibiting certain activities involving African Lion (Panthera leo)” as notified in Government Gazette, No. 51581, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE), dated 15 November 2024.
The draft notice proposes “A Person may not, in respect of a live specimen of African lion (Panthera Leo), establish and register a new captive breeding facility, a new commercial exhibition facility or a new rehabilitation facility, or establish any other new controlled environment.”
The exemption to the above prohibition being the establishment of a new facility for sanctuary of live sterilised lions from the captive lion breeding industry [assuming registering as a ‘sanctuary’ does not provide a loop-hole for existing captive lion industry facilities to perpetuate exploitation under an alternative ‘safe’ banner – ref Blood Lion’s submission].
However, the draft notice proposals do not address prohibiting the establishment of similar new commercial facilities to exploit other big cat species, or the implementation of the stated policy position to phase-out pre-existing, commercial captive lion exploitation facilities:
“To end the captive keeping of lions for commercial purposes and close captive lion facilities…..” (as per para 6.1, “The Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros,” Gazette 50541, 24 April 2024).
The draft notice states that it has become critical to prevent new commercial captive lion facilities being established “whilst a process to facilitate the voluntary exit of captive lion facilities is currently underway, and in anticipation of a broader legislative process to be initiated in due course to phase out the captive lion industry.” This latter statement implies exit from the captive lion industry will not be compulsory, but only by voluntary consent – this does not engender any confidence that pre-existing captive lion industry facilities will close any time soon. However, first the details of any voluntary exit mechanism [the proposed voluntary exit mechanism currently lacks detail in the public arena] and/or the “broader legislative process” is awaited before final conclusions and likely outcomes can be fully assessed.
IWB’s Submission – Consultation on the Draft Notice prohibiting certain activities involving African Lion (Panthera leo), 26 November 2024
Further Reading
“Business as usual for captive lion breeding after SA government keeps the door open,” Daily Maverick, 20 November 2024
“Comments on the Draft Notice Prohibiting Certain Activities Involving African Lion (Panthera leo),” Blood Lions, 19 November 2024
“Hand over your lion bone stockpiles for destruction, minister tells breeders,” Daily Maverick, 17 November 2024
“National Environmental Management Act (107/1998): General notice calling for persons to register their details and participate in the voluntary exit from the Captive Lion Industry Programme by surrendering their legal stockpiles of lion (Panthera Leo) bones and derivatives,” Government Notice 5539 of 2024, Gazette 51551, 14 November 2024
“Draft Policy Position on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhinoceros,” IWB, 9 October 2023