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The Department of Environmental Affairs says the norms and standards regarding the management of elephants are to be amended.
This is to close loopholes identified in the recently adopted norms and standards that make implementation difficult.
"The department of environmental affairs (DEA) notes recent reports that it has abandoned key provisions of the norms and standards for the management of elephants in South Africa, adopted on May 1 2008," it said in a statement.
"The DEA also wishes to clarify misconceptions that these amendments could overturn the founding principles of the 2008 norms."
These included requirements relating to an elephant management plan, in particular: --Complexities relating to the information to be included in the management plan; a lack of clarity regarding who was responsible to develop a management plan for roaming (wild) elephants when their origin could not be readily determined.
"In addition, certain provisions do not adequately specify whether they apply to wild or captive elephants," the department said.
This includes restrictive provisions relating to the import or export of live elephants, as no provision had been made for the export of captive elephants to captive facilities, such as exchanges between zoos.
"To address these potential problems, and streamline the implementation process, the DEA convened a general stakeholder consultation workshop on August 12 2014," the department said.
Additional challenges identified included there being no provision for methods of euthanasia and the need to ensure norms and standards provisions were aligned with the threatened or protected species regulations involving elephants.
"Discussions from the above-mentioned workshop as well as submissions received from stakeholders will inform the amendment of the Elephant Norms and Standards."
Environmental Affairs says the draft revised norms and standards will be gazetted next year.
