Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, has published the Biodiversity Management Plan for white rhinos in the governmen gazette for public comment.
Department spokesperson, Albie Modise, said the Management Plan allows for the monitoring and review of actions taken to conserve species in the wild amidst a changing environment.
He said it also requires that all management plans compiled by conservation authorities are approved by the Minister for public participation and implementation respectively.
"The development of the Biodiversity Management Plan for white rhino is intended to enhance conservation of the species.. Additionally, the development of this Biodiversity Management Plan is in response to an instruction from the Environmental Parliamentary Portfolio Committee as a result of the current upsurge in rhino horn poaching," he said.
"It also reflects on the commitment of the key partners involved to work together in order to effectively achieve priorities highlighted in the Minister's rhino summit as well as try to curb the illegal poaching and trade in rhinos. The main purpose of the proposed Biodiversity Management Plan is to ensure the long-term survival in the wild of the species and provide for monitoring and reporting on the progress with implementation of the plan."
Modise says the white rhino Biodiversity Management Plan sets short-term or five-year targets, while also providing a long term vision for the successful management and growth of the species.
"The short-term or five-year target is aligned to the present escalating poaching situations, setting a "realistic goal" of a meta-populations of at least 20 400 white rhino in South Africa by 2020.
The key components of the proposed Biodiversity Management Plan are protection, monitoring, permitting and stock control, sustainability, biological management, effective communication and collaboration and hunting of rhinos," Modise said.
He said members of the public are invited to submit to the Minister of Environmental Affairs, within 30 days of the publication of the notice in a Gazette, written representations on, or objections to the draft Biodiversity Management Plan to the Department.
