Home 
Community Action Alerts South Africa: Burning the Traps
Community Action Alerts South Africa: Burning the Traps
|
South Africa: Burning the Traps |
|
The Landmark Foundation staged a public and symbolic burning of gin traps in the Baviaanskloof (Eastern Cape) this week. This is a culmination of a 4 year effort to rid the area of these barbaric predator control mechanisms; namely gin traps, indiscriminate poisons and hunting dog packs. These "tools" have seen the known numbers of leopards killed in the area rise to 25. These barbaric and ecologically damaging production tools are causing havoc and immeasurable damage to our biodiversity countrywide, as literally thousands of animals are being indiscriminately wiped out through these practices in the interest of agricultural profits. Furthermore, retailers are knowingly sourcing their products from such production methods, and we as consumers are knowingly or ignorantly supporting these practices through buying these products. Four leopards were killed in 2006 by these traps in the Baviaanskloof valley alone. This led to dramatic and public conflict between the Landmark Foundation and local farmers who had used this method of predator control for generations. But from the start of 2007 the farming community decided to formally forgo the use of these much derided methods of predator control. The Landmark Foundation then developed an integrated project to convert the entire valley (about 50 000 hectares) to non-lethal, ecologically acceptable and ethical control methods (our other efforts are scattered across the landscape from Mossel Bay to Graaff Reinet to Grahamstown). The Baviaanskloof became an important focus and pilot area where we have been able to demonstrate and prove the dramatic success of the non-lethal control methods on an area-wide basis with cooperating neighbouring farmers. These methods include Anatolian dogs, protective sheep collars, alpacas, herding techniques and limited compensation schemes. It is currently being applied to about 13 000 small livestock animals in this valley and in the 12 months that these methods have been applied less than 10 livestock losses attributed to predators have been reported. This seems to emphatically counter the nay-saying in the agricultural sector and agricultural media about these methods, and dramatic and unexpected early successes in an area plagued by heavy losses at the time of using lethal controls! Our current effort has seen the entire Baviaanskloof valley, on the western entrance to the Baviaanskloof Mega Reserve near Willowmore, participate in the eradication of these barbaric and cruel production methods. More than a year ago the farmers agreed to stop using gin traps, poisons (which were not really used in the area) and hunting dog packs. This week, the farmers and the local community formally rid their entire valley of these tools by destroying 160 of these traps in their valley. This follows the confidence they have developed in the non-lethal control methods. Robert Leggat, a world renowned bronze wildlife sculptor will be melting down these traps and shape a memorial sculpture from the remains of the traps to both celebrate these magnificent creatures , the leopards, but also (to use his own words) to "capture and honour the collective suffering caused by these barbaric traps and devices". In the wider area we have been able to rescue 17 leopards from certain deaths at the hands of these methods. The Gin Trap Debate: The Landmark Foundation lives under no illusion that this is merely our first great collective breakthrough and that this battle will continue to tax us. We will need to continue our mission from valley to valley to clear our country of this barbarism, as the formal government structures and commercial and retail players have done little or nothing to assist in our efforts. It is tragic and inexcusable that government has remained largely silent on this matter, and that they continue to allow these methods in their regulations and legislation. Gin traps are legally allowed in South Africa in the use of predator control. How ridiculous, as these tools have been banned in more than 90 countries, but not in South Africa! In fact, the agricultural sector promotes it, and is fighting to retain its use. Appeals to meet the Minister of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism on the matter have gone unanswered. Furthermore, some government conservation agencies and conservation NGOs (like the Cape Leopard Trust) are actively going around promoting the use of rather sickeningly called "soft" gin traps (sometimes called rubber jaw or soft jaw traps). Example of a so-called "soft" gin trap The traps are barbaric, and the attempt to rebrand them with rather euphemistic names is a mere "green washing" effort and a sellout to strong lobbies to continue the use of these barbaric devices! They continue to fracture limbs, cause blood supply cut off and gangrene and thus the death of the animal; they tear ligaments and tissues, and cause dehydration and stressful deaths. The animals still chew off their limbs and break their teeth trying to free themselves from these devices. Using "soft" as a prefix to a barbaric device does not remove the barbarism! There have even been attempts to bribe the Landmark Foundation in May this year to "soften" our language on gin traps!!!! Has the world gone mad?! All this while there seems to be little or no support from the regulatory authorities, if not active undermining of efforts to remove this scourge of gin traps/leg-hold traps from the country side, and while all our retail chains continue to profit and source products through this production method. We have a situation where thousands of these traps are added to the landscape on a monthly basis. With a ban on these traps, significant pressure will come to bear on the retail sector not to source their produce from illegal production methods! Thus even in the absence of enforcement capacity of the government entities, the market could enforce this ban through the power of the retailers to ensure compliance with legislation by their suppliers. A government ban is essential to rid our country of these barbaric practices, and the retailers have a moral obligation to urge for this. Failing their support we must mobilise consumers to force them into it. It is our belief that the gin trap will do to our meat and animal fibre products and exports what the meulsing debate did to the Australian wool industry - we will certainly campaign for this and we are taking our campaign to Europe and focusing our efforts on the Wool and Mohair industry to start. Our green labeled brand of Fair Game™ will provide the incentive to farmers to conserve the biodiversity on their farms, and thus reward those that conserve our biodiversity through premiums for their products. The Source of the Traps in South Africa: The Landmark Foundation discovered that a factory in Prince Albert, in the Western Cape, is "quietly going about its business" of manufacturing as many as 1200 gin traps each month - two hundred of these are leopard traps - and this while it is expressly illegal to use these devices on protected species! The factory owner, Mr Peter Schneekluth, boasts that he has 3000 farmers on his books. That means that between 12 000 and 15 000 of these traps enter the system each year! These traps can very easily be used for the next 20 years. The next time you visit the town of Prince Albert, amongst the many other beautiful tourist attractions, do go and visit Mr Schneekluth in Magrieta Prinsloo Street, in the wooden factory in the industrial area. WHAT IS THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT OF THIS DAMAGE TO OUR BIODIVERSITY?! Yet, our government allows this, and statutory and conservation agents promote the use of these and so-called "soft" options of this form of barbarism. In our understanding there is no such thing as soft barbarism!!!! We suggest that you write to the following people to protest about the situation, if you support our efforts: * Mr Peter Schneekluth - the owner of the gin trap factory in Prince Albert to object to the barbarism that he is promoting and the barbaric tools he is manufacturing; Tel 023 541 1360 Fax 023 541 1255 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it * The Tourism Association in Prince Albert to voice your disquiet that this factory blights the image of the town; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it * Prince Albert Mayor, Mrs Gay van Hasselt should hear how the origin of such barbarism stems from her town, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it * Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of DEAT whose legislation still allows this barbarism and who has not responded to request to meet him on this matter; Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it * Mr Quinton Martins, Project Manager of the Cape Leopard Trust who is going around promoting barbaric "soft" gin traps as acceptable conservation tools. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; and * The retailers that continue to source and sell produce that are manufactured using these barbaric tools. Contact the CEOs of Shoprite Checkers, Pick 'n Pay, Spar and Woolworths and ask them to explain why they source produce using such barbarism in production! - Between them they are responsible for between 55 - 70% of all meat sales in South Africa! Source: Landmark Foundation Newsletter No. 3 Dr Bool Smuts, Director Landmark Foundation This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it | www.landmarkfoundation.org.za | +27 (0)83 324 3344 |
Conservation of the critically endangered Cross River Gorilla in South West Cameroon
More information:
Art for Africa
