The inaugural Snare Mitigation Symposium brought together experts and stakeholders to address the pressing issue of illegal snaring, which threatens our precious wildlife.
Pretoria, South Africa (17 September 2024) – The cruel and illegal practice of setting snares to trap animals for selfish gain continues to be a significant problem in many local communities across South Africa.
Collaboration and partnerships are key in addressing the negative impacts of the illegal snaring of wildlife. This was among the takeaways from the inaugural two-day national Snare Mitigation Symposium in Pretoria on 10 and 11 September.
The meeting was co-led by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), the Cape Leopard Trust (CLT), the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) and South African National Parks (SANParks) where 140 delegates delved into the impacts, drivers and solutions to this increasing threat to wildlife and the economy.
The event brought together leading experts in wildlife crime, government officials and representatives of numerous stakeholders across the sector to examine the multifaceted aspects of the snaring crisis.
Snares are a significant threat to wildlife across South Africa, with many species falling victim to these cruel and illegal traps.
The symposium helped shed light on the reality that many animals are snared largely for personal or commercial use and are occurring at unsustainable rates across all provinces and in diverse landscapes. Sadly, many species, including leopard, lion, hyena and other predators, are killed as by-catch in snares originally set for bushmeat.
Another key insight was that communities living with wildlife, and those linked to snaring, need to form an integral of the solutions being proposed, and to be undertaken, to address snaring.
No solution will be credible without the involvement of the relevant community voices in the co-development of solutions.
Solutions need to be diverse, purposely inclusive and tailored to and by the people living in the affected areas. Technological advances were showcased to improve snare detection and data collection.
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Among the key decisions adopted as outcomes included further research on the drivers and alternative livelihood solutions, more cohesive legislation to address snaring and other wildlife crimes, more centralised reporting and monitoring to ascertain the extent of the problem, and creating a greater understanding of the impact of snaring not only on biodiversity but also on the economy and well-being of communities.
At a workshop following the event, the host organisations strategised the next steps related to key themes and action points identified during the symposium that will include a wide range of stakeholders.
Looking to the future, greater teamwork and communication between the state, private sector and civil society will be cultivated to find sustainable long-term solutions for both people and wildlife.
Sources: DFFE, the CLT, the EWT, SANBI and SANParks
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