:: THE WILDLIFE CONFLICT PREVENTION GROUP (WCPG)

For the past decade the Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation have generously funded the work of the Poison Working Group (PWG). This annual contribution has allowed the Group to continue with its programmes and activities in the area of human-wildlife conflict and has enabled the Group to undertake valuable work in educating the public, creating awareness and fighting poison-related crimes against wildlife.

Much has been written in the past about the illegal use of agrochemicals. Closer analysis highlights a major causal factor as conflict scenarios between farmers and damage causing animals. Not only does abuse of poison lead to both primary and secondary poisoning of wildlife, but also to large scale ecological disruptions of predator populations and population dynamics. Incorrect conflict management methods have exacerbated the problem and cause many environmental imbalances. The outcome of the above has been an ever increasing need to adjust the focus from poisons, or agrochemicals, to a much wider scope of human-wildlife conflict resolution or mitigation. This led to the successful establishment and launch of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Conflict Prevention Group on the 18 July 2007.

The Working Group won the Mail & Guardian’s Greening the Future Award in the Chemical category and also won the Chemical and Allied Industries floating trophy for chemical safety.

Our Vision Sustainable co-existence between humanity and the environment.

Our Mission The mission of the Wildlife Conflict Prevention Group is to address human-wildlife conflict in southern Africa by positive and proactive interventions; with emphasis on stopping irresponsible practices; and by promoting environmental sustainability

OPERATIONAL REPORT AND ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW

Programme overview

The Wildlife Conflict Prevention Group (WCPG) has engaged in six basic programmes, comprising one or more projects.

Crop Protection and Environmental Health Programme

Objective:  To achieve environmentally responsible crop protection Achievement of this objective will be evident from an increase in the number of farmers using environmentally compatible pesticides for pests on crops.

Project 1:  The Monsanto Genetically Modified Seed Project

A literature review conducted by Dave Kleyn on pesticide reduction in maize commenced. A project has started with farmers in the Winterton region to determine if there is a reduction in pesticide use in Bt & Roundup Ready maize.

Vegetation Management Programme

Objective:  To achieve environmentally responsible vegetation management

Achievement of this objective will be evident from an increase in the number of people contacting the EWT-WCPG for advice on herbicide use and a decline in the irresponsible use of herbicides and detrimental impact.

Project 1:  The prevention of intentional and unintentional vegetation damage by herbicides

The Working Group was approached by ESKOM and also Telkom with regard to a vegetation management advisory service that the group will provide for the servitude areas managed by these corporations. We are in the process of negotiations.

The group continues to attend the TIPWG (Timber Industries Partnership) meetings. The group offered valuable advice on the correct products for use in tracer lines and fire belts in the timber industry.

Animal and Environmental Health Programme

Objective:  To achieve environmentally responsible animal husbandry

Achievement of this objective will be evident from an increase in the number of farmers using environmentally compatible ecto- and endoparaciticides and a natural expansion of the Redbilled Oxpeckers and Dung beetles respectively, into areas of their former range.

Project 1:  Operation Oxpecker

Operation Oxpecker reached an all time high with a capture of the full 150 bird quota. The beneficiaries were the Rookwood/Komani conservation area near Queenstown in the Eastern Cape; and this was a completion of the reintroduction which was interrupted by Eugene Marais’ untimely death in 2005. The second group of 50 went to the Black Rhino range expansion project at Mkuze in Zululand, and the third group is in a captive breeding and research trial in Limpopo province. It is gratifying to note that contrary to predictions, the birds have bred in the captive situation.

Project 2:  Operation Dung beetle

The Dung beetles for Africa workshop took place from the 16-17 July 2007. More than 60 delegates attended and a diverse programme with presentations from holistic farming to the importance of dung beetles, were presented. The aim was to create new awareness around the importance of dung beetles.

2.1.4.  Wildlife–Human Conflict Mitigation Programme

Objective:  To achieve environmentally responsible wildlife-human conflict mitigation.

Achievement of this objective will be evident from a reduction in the number of conflicts caused by inappropriate wildlife damage management methods and an increase in the use of preventative and/or non-lethal problem animal management methods.

Project 1:  The prevention of intentional and illegal wildlife poisoning

The Wildlife Conflict Prevention Group continued to chair the National Chemical Crime Management Forum. A nodal point where chemical crime issues may be reported was established at SAPS headquarters in Pretoria. Many cases which were previously treated as trivia are now receiving top level attention. The forum is also addressing the link of poisons to crime.
The chemical registration holder, Bayer, remains extremely supportive of our efforts regarding chemical stewardship.

Project 2:  Greenlabelling

In 2007 the WCPG investigated the viability of introducing a ‘green’ meat product to the market. This product would be environmentally sensitive in as many areas as possible, including good veld management, predator management, water conservation and eventually even energy consumption. Initial findings are that the retailer and consumer appear to be ready, but the farmer needs greater support, in particular around predator management, before being able to deliver a truly environmentally responsible product.

Project 3:  Resources and toolkits

The EWT-WCPG completed the re-writing of the book Predators and Farmers, since the old one presented outdated information which no longer reflected the views of the EWT. The new book was funded by Rand Merchant Bank and launched on 18 July 2007. Response to it has been most gratifying, with not only local requests for copies, but several international requests also.
The second milestone for this project was the completion of the first draft and first edit of the Best Practice Manual for Wildlife Damage Management. This is a book of over 200 pages written in collaboration by Hannes Stadler of Cape Nature and Tim Snow of EWT.

Public and Environmental Health and Safety Programme

Objective:  To achieve environmentally responsible public health and safety

Achievement of this objective will be evident from an increase in the number of people contacting the EWT-WCPG for advice on urban and household pest control.

Project 1:  Minimising the potential environmental damage from DDT used for malaria vector control

Tim Snow was appointed as a temporary advisor to the World Health Organization and provided input on the redrafting of their malaria and DDT manuals. Tim Snow attended a meeting of the Department of Health subcommittee on Malaria Vector Control. DEAT will be going to three provinces to check on the storage component of DDT and that spray teams apply DDT according to the correct protocols and wear the correct clothing. In addition they will ensure compliance with the Stockholm Convention requirements. Tim Snow has been requested to attend these inspections.

Project 2:  African Stockpiles Programme

The WCPG was requested to assume a leadership role for the South African NGO Pesticides Network by representing the NGO sector in the African Stockpiles Programme. This is a project aimed at retrieving obsolete and unwanted pesticides from the African continent in a number of phases. The group hosted a training week presented by AGENDA, Tanzania and attended the ASP Stakeholder Forum in Morocco in October.
The ASP project budgeted to retrieve 250 tons of obsolete pesticides across the country, but the Limpopo pilot project alone retrieved about 100 tons. At a meeting in early January 2008 it was decided to apply to use existing funding to form a Section 21 company which will carry out staged retrievals in the medium to long term in a sustainable manner; and which will be funded by an Industry/Government partnership.

Urban Conservation Programme

Objective:  To expand environmental principles into parks and gardens, by promoting environmental solutions such as owl boxes, which attract owls to control rodents; and to promote attitudes where urban residents become aware of their continued impacts on the ecological systems around them.

Project 1:  The Kirchhoff’s Urban Wildlife Management Project

A project in conjunction with Ballstraathof and Kirchhoff was established. The aim of the project is to improve urban eco-system health through advice and training to households and gardeners on environmentally responsible pest management in urban environments. This will be achieved through a range of marketing material that will be produced, the operation of an urban-wildlife management information line and the compilation of a WCPG office manual that can be used to offer correct information to the public.

Project 2:  Owl and bat boxes

Artificial nesting boxes for bats and owls, with an information leaflet accompanying the boxes on environmentally responsible gardening, were provided to the public. The key focus of the project is to improve urban ecosystem health, while also improving the urbanite’s awareness and appreciation of wildlife. In addition, it aims to encourage shop owners to stock the right products, while also driving consumer demand for them.

Some noteworthy achievements: 

·         The PWG was instrumental in bringing about the ban of Monocrotophos, a highly toxic organophosphate pesticide used to control crop pests. This poison was responsible for many wildlife deaths before it was banned in 2005.
·         The Group assisted CropLife South Africa and the Department of Agriculture with the formulation and execution of a national retrieval scheme, entitled the Africa Stockpiles Programme. This has seen the destruction of over 1 000 tons of old pesticides to date.
·         The WCPG plays a key role in ensuring the environmentally responsible use of DDT in malaria vector control. It is part of a team of temporary advisors who are redrafting the World Health Organisation’s policy and operational manuals for malaria vector management.
·         The Working Group won the Mail & Guardian’s Greening the Future Award in the Chemical category and also won the Chemical and Allied Industries floating trophy for chemical safety in 2007. They won a merit award in 2008 in the category for environmental best practice in not-for-profit organizations. The judges were particularly impressed with the group’s ongoing conservation efforts in the area of wildlife-human conflict mitigation and commended the Best Practice Manual for Wildlife Damage Management

Website: http:/www.ewt.org.za/wcpg
E-mail: wcpg@ewt.org.za 

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