African Wildlife Environment Issue 75 FINAL

CONSERVATION

iSimangaliso Wetland Park

Other critically endangered species which need large areas of land, such as wild dog, vultures and cheetah could also benefit. TheEndangeredWildlifeTrust ,withtheirproactive emphasis on threatened species protection in general have also been instrumental in consolidating certain areas for protection and lobbying for the inclusion of these areas into the provincial and national protected area networks. Through the EWT Birds of Prey Programme, conservation strategies for flagship and indicator raptor species such as Martial Eagle, Tawny Eagle and Secretarybirds and other species have been formed which includes motivating for their range expansion via proclaiming new suitable protected areas and buffer zones around existing areas. Via the EWT Carnivore Conservation Programme, biodiversity management plans for species such as Lions, Cheetah and African Wild Dog have motivated for protected area expansion in these species home ranges with successful introductions made in certain areas such as at Samara Private Game Reserve in the Karoo, Isimangaliso in Kwazulu-Natal as well as a large number of small fenced reserves throughout the country. EWT’s ‘guidelines for custodianship’ project has incentivized farmers for conservation- friendly farming and potential protected area status via the conservation of species such as cranes, blue swallows, oribis and riverine rabbits. Other examples could include motivating for protecting the critically endangered Hewitt’s Ghost Frog by proclaiming suitable protected areas in their restricted range in the Elandsberg in the Eastern Cape (via the EWT Threatened Amphibian Programme). In the same province, the critically endangered Albany Adder has prompted the call for formal protection of sufficient unmined Bontveld habitat (intact limestone pavement) to protect this snake species (this time by SANBI). A number of other threatened species would

no doubt welcome incorporation into the protected area infrastructure/network if given a voice. Isimangaliso Wetland Park is a World Heritage Site for its natural significance and a flagship protected area in South Africa. (www.isimangaliso.com) WESSA’s uMngeni Valley Education Centre on the outskirts of Howick in Kwazulu-Natal plays an important role in environmental education. Earlier this year the uMgeni Valley was officially proclaimed a nature reserve. The reserve traverses mist-belt grasslands and indigenous forests and the uMgeni River catchment is a critically important river system in Kwazulu-Natal. The Cape Leopard Trust continues to look after the welfare of leopards in the Cederberg/ Boland/ Kogelberg Biosphere region and via the 'Cape Leopard Conservation Area' aims to expand and link existing physical conservation areas for these elusive cats. Also SANCCOB via their pro-active work in reversing the decline of seabird populations (such as in the Betty’s Bay and Robben Island areas) could help motivate for the proclamation of certain Marine Protected Areas which are also vulnerable to fishery pressures as well as oil/gas exploration and potential phosphate mining. The NPAES aims to proclaim a representative network of such Marine Protected Aras that protects at least 5% of mainland South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone . This is thought to be relevant to the ‘fisheries function’ of the new configuration of DEFF.

BirdLife’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) programme is a progressive conservation initiative which has played a fundamental role in

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