The Wildlife Breeding Stock Loan Scheme
Established in 2006, the Wildlife Breeding Stock Loan Scheme (WBSLS) grew out of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s recognition that there are emerging commercial farmers interested in game farming, but that the cost of stocking game farms may be prohibitively high.
When the MET announced the breeding stock loan scheme, more than 190 farmers from nine regions applied for to receive game. After examining the availability of game in protected areas, drought conditions, the size of the farms versus the existing livestock and game on the farms, grazing and browsing conditions, fencing and water installations, 24 farms were selected to receive game from the MET.
One of the conditions of the loan scheme is that those farmers who received game must give back the same number of animals to the MET once the populations on their farms increase.
Breeding herds that MET has offered include Burchell’s zebra, Hartmann’s zebra, springbok, gemsbok, ostrich and eland.
The following document provides more detailed information on the objectives, principles, criteria and conditions of the Wildlife Breeding Stock Loan Scheme:
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT ON WBSLS
1. OBJECTIVES
The criteria and conditions of the wildlife breeding stock loan scheme were developed to ensure that the scheme is implemented according to the following objectives of the scheme:
a) to promote diversification of economic activities on farmland, through empowerment and the entrance of historically disadvantaged persons into the wildlife farming and tourism industries;
b) to promote the maintenance and restoration of biodiversity for sustainable utilization;
c) to support the Ministry of Environment and Tourism’s rare species management programmes.
2. PRINCIPLES
The implementation of the scheme should furthermore be based on the following principles:
a) the implementation of the scheme should not place the status of any wildlife species at risk, and off-takes from State-owned wildlife populations managed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism should be sustainable;
b) the habitat and management requirements of wildlife species in this scheme should be fully taken into account;
c) the scheme should deliver both biodiversity and economic benefits and development opportunities;
d) the main aim of the management of the breeding stock is to ensure that a viable group of animals in excess of the introduced herd is produced at the end of the scheme;
e) the secondary aim of the management of the breeding stock is to ensure that beneficiaries are able to generate revenue from the breeding stock and their offspring, provided that viability of the remaining population at the end of the scheme is not compromised;
f) the number and composition of breeding stock and the selection of species to be introduced are at the discretion of the Minister of Environment and Tourism;
g) beneficiaries should accept that a long-term commitment is necessary to make a success of this scheme;
h) the implementation of the scheme will require the provision of technical advice from the Ministry of Environment and Tourism with the management of the introduced wildlife and their offspring, and the land unit in question, as well as information on wildlife farming, tourism, and marketing;
i) the Ministry of Environment and Tourism will encourage partner organizations, development partners, established wildlife producers, hunting guides and tourism operators to join forces and resources to support this scheme and its beneficiaries.
3. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF BENEFICIARIES
The following criteria will be applied for assessing applications for the wildlife breeding stock loan scheme, in order to promote the empowerment and entrance of the historically disadvantaged persons into the wildlife farming and tourism industries:
3.1 Criteria that define prospective beneficiaries in the category of highest priority:
a) Persons who are in the historically disadvantaged category; and
b) who have land suitable for this programme, acquired through the Affirmative Action Loan Scheme (AALS) of AGRIBANK; or
c) who have been resettled on land suitable for this programme by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement in the commercial farming area; or
d) who are lease-holders of freehold land suitable for this programme, provided that such leases have a minimum term of 10 years and that the conditions of such leases are compatible with the purposes and requirements of the breeding stock loan scheme.
3.2 Criteria that define prospective beneficiaries in the category of second priority:
a) Persons who are in the historically disadvantaged category; and
b) who have acquired land suitable for this programme by other means (e.g. private purchase not involving the AALS);
3.3 Criteria that define prospective beneficiaries in the category of third priority:
a) Corporate or joint owners of land where the proven ownership of person/s who are in the historically disadvantaged category amount to at least two-thirds of the equity.
Applicants not satisfying these criteria will be considered of lowest priority.
4. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF LAND UNITS
The following criteria will be applied for assessing applications in terms of suitability of the land unit in question:
4.1 The land unit must be able to keep a viable population of the selected species, provided that the area shall not be smaller than 1,000 ha; and
4.2 The land unit must be enclosed with an appropriate fence capable of restraining the species in question within its boundaries; and
4.3 The compatibility and complementarities of wildlife production in relation to other uses of the land in question, stocking rates for livestock, other development objectives, etc.; and
4.4 The current status of wildlife on the land unit in question; and/or
4.5 The potential of the land unit to enhance rare species management by:
a) contributing to the establishment of buffer zones around existing populations of identified rare species;
b) contributing to the substitution of undesirable species (e.g. common impala within the black-faced impala range);
c) being located within target areas identified by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in which to promote the expansion of range of selected rare species in fulfillment of national management strategies for selected species
5. CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF WILDLIFE SPECIES
[1] Persons include individuals, community groups, associations, companies, closed corporations etc, provided that such groups, associations, companies or corporations have established constitutions, articles of association or incorporation etc. that assign responsibilities for management (including financial management) and accountability to specific representatives of that group, and whose objectives are compatible with equitable socio-economic development.
The following criteria will be applied for assessing applications in terms of which wildlife species might be provided:
5.1 The habitat type and condition of the land unit; and
5.2 The type and condition of fencing; and
5.3 The type and condition of water supply systems and their suitability for wildlife species; and
5.4 The species (and the number of individuals, and required composition of breeding groups of such species) which are available to the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for this programme; and
5.5 The historical distribution of such available species and/or known performance of such species on farmland conditions in the region where the land unit is located; and
5.6 Recovery programmes of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism for rare species that may be supported through this programme.
6. CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE WILDLIFE BREEDING STOCK LOAN SCHEME
Prospective participants should keep the following conditions in mind when applying to be considered for the wildlife breeding stock loan scheme:
6.1 Prospective participants must submit written applications in the format prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism;
6.2 Prospective participants must be willing to facilitate the Ministry of Environment and Tourism to conduct a technical evaluation of the land unit by providing access, information on site, and disclose all pertinent information requested by the Ministry for the purpose of evaluating the viability of the application;
6.3 Prospective participants must be willing to enter into a contract with the Minister of Environment and Tourism that will inter alia specify:
· That the breeding stock provided remains the property of the State for the duration of the contract;
· The duration of the contract and options for its renewal;
· That a number of animals per species equivalent to the number per species delivered by the Ministry of Environment and Tourism on that land unit will be removed by the same Ministry at the end of the contract. MET will select younger animals for removal at the end of the contract period;
· That any numbers produced during the contract period in excess of the number released will at the end of the contract period remain on the land unit, and that the landholder will acquire the utilization rights over such animals, subject to Ordinance 4 of 1975 (or any subsequent legislation);
· That the recipient assumes the role of custodian of the breeding stock and their offspring upon delivery, has to take reasonable measures to ensure that members of his/her family or his/her employees or any visitor to that land unit is made aware of the State ownership of that breeding stock and their offspring and all provisions concerning their management that apply to the recipient, which may include a requirement to display a notice to this effect at the entrance to the land unit;
· That the recipient accepts any public or civil liability that may result in whatever manner from the introduction of the breeding stock and their offspring on to that land unit;
· That the recipient forfeits any right or future right to the breeding stock and their offspring should any or all of such animals escape from the land unit specified in this contract, and that the Minister of Environment and Tourism bears no responsibility to recover such animals from any other land unit or the return of escaped animals to the land unit, unless so deemed by the Minister to be in the interest of the State;
· That the recipient undertakes to comply with all aspects of Ordinance 4 of 1975 (or any subsequent legislation), and that any utilization of the breeding stock or their offspring prior to the termination of the contract must be approved by the Minister of Environment and Tourism. Subsequent to termination of the contract, all utilization must take place according to the appropriate legislation;
· That the recipient undertakes to provide such management and care of the breeding stock received as the Minister of Environment and Tourism prescribes, but in any event that the breeding stock provided has secure access to water of sufficient quantity and quality at all times;
· That the recipient undertakes to provide such management of the land unit that the Minister of Environment and Tourism may prescribe to manage fire, prevent over-grazing, maintain fencing etc.
· That the recipient must record all births and deaths and inform the Minister of Environment and Tourism of all deaths from whatever cause, and preserve the skull (including mandibles and horns where applicable) and skins of any individuals that die for research purposes and recovery by the Ministry;
· That the recipient undertakes to provide an annual report to the Minister of Environment and Tourism concerning aspects of the programme that may be specified by the Minister;
· That the recipient has to inform the Minister six months in advance of any intention to sell the land or part of the land, or to terminate or amend the lease, or forfeit the approval from any authority to occupy that land, or of any intended change in land use or management of the land that may affect the status of the breeding stock provided or the viability of the restocking programme;
· That a re-evaluation of the particular farm may be conducted if a third or more of the initial breeding stock is lost for whatever reason over time.
· That the Minister reserves the right to remove the breeding stock provided and their offspring if this contract is violated, and recover costs associated with such removal from the landholder, provided that the landholder is notified of concerns and given a reasonable time to make remedies;
· That the contract can be terminated only with the mutual consent of both parties, except in cases of violations or failure to make remedies prescribed by the Minister;
· Provisions applicable in the event of the death of the recipient;
· That the contract may be extended if the breeding stock has not performed as anticipated, but where there is reason to believe that it is likely to do so within a reasonable period of time