LIONS in RSA- SOUTH AFRICA PREDATOR BREEDERS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL REPORT 2011 -

This is not the entire report.
It is an imperfect translation from Afrikaans, but it will give you the jist of how the responsible outfits/businesses are trying to work with PHASA, WRSA and Government in the wake of the Court decision to try and properly address and manage concerns.

South African Predator Breeders Association

Original version :SAPBA JAARVERSLAG 2011.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE CHAIRMAN 2011
1. Composition of the Executive Committee
After the trial the Carel van Heerden resigned as chairman. In
Members meeting of 15 April 2011 at Vryburg was decided to Prof. Peter
Potgieter to request the chair of the Association in Carel van
Heerden to take over. Although he did not "lion farmer, he himself on" a
long period with the lion breeders associated and assisted in the case
and in negotiations with the Minister and the Department
Environmental Affairs. As former President of the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association. he "a thorough knowledge of the game industry, and the lion industry.

During the members meeting of 15 April, the Executive Committee as follows
restated:
President: Prof. Pieter Potgieter
Committee Members:
 For North: Jan Steinman, Freddie Scheepers, Monkey Reyneke
 Free State: Deon Cilliers, Thys Mostert, Randy Westraadt
 Limpopo: Christo Gomes
The Executive Committee has since submitted three meetings, namely on May 20, 2
September and 28 October.

2. The Appeal Decision
2010 is "a positive note ended when Judge Heher JA on 29 November the
appélaansoek of the Society for Art 24 of the TOPS regulations invalid
stated as far as lions go about costs maintained.
In his reasoning, Judge JA Heher several important findings
made concerning the procedure followed by the Minister with the
drafting of the Regulations, but also with regard to fundamental aspects
regarding the hunting of lions in captivity bred. I refer to
only some of those findings:

There is no logical connection between the objectives of the
Biodiversity (protection of species) and the requirement of "24
month rehabilitation period. According to information that the Minister himself
the court, it is clear that lions bred in captivity is
no role in the conservation of the species and hunting as "a lion
the survival of threatened species This means that the hunting of such
lions Bine the purpose of Art 57 (2) (a) of the fell Biodiversity
no. The ban by the Minister in Section 24 of the TOPS regulations on hunting
lions of such places, is irrational and unjustified.

 The basic assumption that Art 24 of the Regulations is based, is that "a lion
that captive bred, can be rehabilitated. Hence the required
that may be hunted only after it is rehabilitated. This saw the Court
However, "an endless problems. Neither the Biodiversity nor the TOPS regulations
makes it clear exactly with "rehabilitation" meant, who shall determine
so when "the lion gerehabilteer and the criteria for doing so. The
expert advice the Minister received, however, indicate clearly that
there is no scientific evidence exists of successful rehabilitation
of lions.
The Court therefore finds that the 24 months
rehabilitation period in Section 24 required scientifically unfounded and
is unjustified. The Court went so far as to declare that his interpretation
of the Panel of Experts' final report, if it be read
with the provisions of Section 24 of the Regulations, "... strongly suggests that
the Minister misinterpreted or distorted the Panel "s" recommendations "...".
 The conclusion which the Court is: "Taken singly or cumulatively the
Minister's reasons for formulating rule 24 (2) if he did
(I)
did not rationally conduce to the objectives of the Act;
(Ii)
Given that his intention hunting [or captive bred lions] Should not be the
subject of a total Prohibition, in short, to the opposite effect;
(Iii)
can not be Justified According to the facts and opinions available to
him. "
The practical significance of the decision is that 24 months 'release period'
by Art 24 (2) of the TOPS regulations for the hunting of lions in
captive bred, will not apply and that the existing provincial
regulations in this regard shall apply. The rest of Section 24's restrictions on
breeding and keeping of lions remain in force.
This court ruling was "a great victory for the lion industry. South African
lions were legally hunted again as before the promulgation of the TOPS-
regulations.
But where does that leave us now? What should happen next? The court has no
decision to put them. Neither the Minister of Environment or the
Lion Farmers instructed to negotiations on the revision of Section 24
to initiate. Accordingly, the Executive Committee decided to initiate
take.

3. Further negotiations with the Department of Environmental Affairs
3.1 The first meeting with the Department of Environmental Affairs on March 9 in Pretoria
occurred.
Proposals of the Association's part in the meeting were as follows:
 The lion selfregulerend industry should be to membership
enforceable order application can do for any
permits.
 Regulations should be the same nationally for all provinces.
 Government Association to recognize and understand that we are concerned to
in any future decisions.
Dept of Environmental Affairs:
 undertake SAPBA on the list of players authorized to place
that the Association may be invited for consultations;
 SAPBA agreed to allow a member of the Wildlife Forum and
SAPBA request "an application in the prescribed manner;
 request the Association to assist with information about
Key issues in which they operate lion database
is not sufficient;
 announced it is working on "a review of the TOPS-
regulations and that "a draft document will be sent to us.
3.2 Discussion with Minister of Environment
On March 19, 2011 the President and Ben Duminy "had a conversation with the
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Ms Edna Mulewa, by Mr. John
Serfontein is facilitated. There were no specific issues on the agenda, but
rather "a courtesy call in which the Society to bereidwilliheid
with the Minister looking for answers transferred. The minister's
attitude towards the lion industry as very open and accommodating, polite, especially
regarding the idea of compulsory membership of the Association and the role
of the Association in granting permits.
3.3 Membership of the Wildlife Forum
President, the Association's application for membership of the Wildlife Forum
on October 31, 2011 in the prescribed format. The Forum will
Association's application on Friday, November 18 recital.
3.4 Amendment to TOPS regulations
The draft document on the amendment of the TOPS regulations were received and
is currently the Executive Committee studied with a view to delivering
comments and suggestions.

4. Discussions with Phasa and WRSA
4.1 On Wednesday, November 9, the Executive Committee, "a workshop
with "a management group of the Professional Hunters Association of South
Africa (Phasa) held. Phasa was in recent years towards the distant hunting
South African lion, but recently they decided to attitude
change with SAPBA work for "a sustainable and respected
leeujagbedryf in South Africa.
The workshop was in "very good spirit took place. We have valuable
opinion of Phasa received. It was decided early in the new year "follow-up
workshop at which will seek to establish guidelines for marketing
the hunting of South African lions. Issues that will receive attention are:
 Our definition of "Canned hunting" and our explicit rejection of
practice;
 Our definition of a responsible hunt "a lion in terms of business
as the size of the jag area the coasting period, and
 Our guidelines for responsible breeding and keeping of lions, especially
order to prevent "human imprinting".
 How the "bad apples" from the ranks of the lion farmers removed
be.
Members will be invited to the workshop to participate.
4.2 Lion Farm is just "a specialized form of game farming and fall
in the same category as (stud) farming with buffaloes, ostriches, crocodiles,
sable, baste gemsbok, etc.. All these types of game farming in place
Wildlife ranching South Africa (WRSA) "an organizational home. Therefore the
the Executive Committee decided to move closer to WRSA search. Although
no formal decision has been taken, are the first indications that WRSA
very positive and connecting SAPBA (in any form whatsoever) would be welcomed.




10. The Code of Conduct and Disciplinary procedure
The Association must "Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure have.
The
Constitution provides, and the Annual General Meeting will
Today "a concept Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures considered and hopefully
approves.
11. Administrative matters

 The website of the Association ( www.sapredators.co.za ) Must be serious and
urgently updated. The Executive Committee decided that the
following components on the site should be loaded:
 The Society's Vision and Mission statement
 The names and contact numbers of the EC members
 The names and addresses of the Association's members
 The Constitution
 The Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedure
 "Application forms for online applications for membership
 The names and addresses of the provincial offices and permit officials
 The table of rules and requirements for the hunting of lions in the provinces
 "a Department of Ads
 "A Conversation sforum
Any suggestions in this regard will be appreciated.

12. Closing remarks
The court ruling gave us "a door wide open. We have the opportunity to
lion industry nationally and internationally established as "a respected player in
the hunting industry, but we shall be home in order to get.
 We need strong and unequivocal stand against "canned hunting."
 We need "a strong and pro-active contribution to policy and regulatory
development at national and provincial level and moving in the direction of "a
national "release period".
 We need clear and unambiguous commitment to action within the
framework of current legislation and our members do not
discipline
 We must take action against non-members by the illegal actions
whole industry at risk
 We must work together with other players in the game industry with a view to
common benefit
 Unlimited entry into the lion's industry is currently the greatest threat. It
had "a very negative effect on the price of our product. It should
strategically planned and performed to the supply side of the product within
limits.
Thank you
(Prof) Pieter Potgieter JJS

THANKS Brickburn very interesting read and websites.