Great Limpopo: Transfrontier
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Great Limpopo: Talk of the Transfrontier Official Newsletter of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park: July 2004 – September 2004 Issue 3 Contents: Welcome Progress update Ratification of the Gaza-Kruger-Gonarezhou Treaty Translocation of rhinos AHEAD GLTFCA working group – an introduction Disease and the GLTP Feline Immunodeficiency Virus un the GLTP- the facts. Elephant Management; What are the options? Infrastructure in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique Your Say.... We bsi te : www.g reatlimpopopark.com 1 Welcome, Bem Vindo! to the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park Newsletter The Great Limpopo Transfrontier park is one of the most exciting, exhilarating and ambitious conservation projects in the world today. It aims to establish one of the largest conservation and wildlife areas not only through the integration of vast landscapes and reconnecting ecological systems, but also through development of cross-border tourism linkages, ensuring sustainable benefits to local communities through socio-economic upliftment, and the promotion of peace and stability in the region. It is a great honour and privilege for me to be involved in this exciting regional development initiative. Piet Theron Coordinator, TFCAs, South Africa This newsletter is produced by the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) on a quarterly basis, by the coordinating country, Mozambique of the GLTP, within the Ministry of Tourism. The aim of this newsletter is to keep all interested parties informed of the progress within the GLTP, to inform of issues of interest related to the park itself and agencies involved with the park and to provide a forum for comment and feedback. The views expressed in the articles in this newsletter are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management and funding agencies involved with the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. This publication is funded by the Peace Parks Foundation and GEF/World Bank. Directors: Dr Bartolomeu Soto and Dr Jorge Ferrão Editor/Layout and Design: Jacqueline Bice Author of all articles: Jacqueline Bice Collaborators: Bartolomeu Soto, Jorge Ferrão, Roy Bengis, Markus Hofmeyr, Ernest Mokganedi, Piet Theron, Danie Pienaar, Edson Chidziya, Melissa De Koch Photographs: SANParks, Jacqueline Bice, Tom Bice, Willem van Riet Jr, Ministry of Tourism, Mozambique Submissions This newsletter is your newsletter. It relies on information and stories from you. If you would like to submit a story, pictures, or ideas. Please contact Jacqueline Bice, on [email protected] or Dr Jorge Ferrão on [email protected] 2 What’s Happening in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park....... integrated land use pl an for the area fund ed by Planning and the PPF. The draft plan is well underway, with the focus Management being on the provision of attractions, access, amenities and awareness. Ministerial Meeting Held A ministerial meeting for the Great Limpopo Marketing Strategy and Investment Plan to Transfrontier Park (GLTP) was held in be formulated Shingwedzi, Kruger National Park (KNP), An investment plan and the guidelines or th South Africa, on the 20 August 2004. framework for a marketing strategy will be tabled at the next ministerial meeting to aid Joint Management Board Meetings Held strategic planning in these areas of GLTP An extraordinary meeting of the Joint management. Management Board (JMB) for the GLTP was st held at Skukuza in (KNP) on the 21 of July Strategic Review Workshop Results 2004. Discussed The following meeting of the JMB was held in As a result o f the Strat egic review workshop th Harare on the 14-15 September 2004. held earlier in 2004, (details in the June 04 issue o f ‘T alk of the T rans frontier’) some o f Zimbabwe preparing to take over the recommendations drafted were discussed at coordination of the GLTP the JMB meeting in September. T hese Zimbabwe has begun communications with included the establishment of a secretariat that other countries and the Peace Parks will be permanently in place, the drafting o f an Foundation, regarding the take over of integrated master plan, the establishment of a coordination of the GLTP, as per the road network and the term of office of the International treaty. Study visits to both country coordinator. Mozambique and South Africa are currently being organized for the Zimbabwean staff. The International Exposure for the GLTP National TFCA Coordination Unit will Representatives from the GLTP will be comprise of a national program manager, 3 presenting at the 3rd IUCN World program managers and a secretary. The Conservation Congress in Bangkok in recruitment process has now been finalised. Thailand on the 17th to 25th of November. The Mr Edson Chidziya has been appointed Congress will present an assessment of the National Coordinator and Mr Ebbias state of biodiversity on our planet. It will Manyonganise has been appointed the manager explore how cutting edge knowledge can be for co rporate services and administration, applied to address the world’s most pressing acco rding to Dr Morris Matsambiwa. sustainable development challenges through 4 broad themes; Nex t Ministerial and JMB Meetings Ecosystem management – bridging The next ordinary meeting of the JMB will be sustainability and productivity; held on 11th November immediately prior to th Health, poverty and conservation – the Ministerial meeting on the 13 November. responding to the challenge of human The meetings will be held in Zimbabwe. well-being; Biodiversity loss and species Pafuri Integrated Plan extinction – managing risk in a The Pafuri Integrated Plan (PIP) was discussed changing world at the JMB meeting in July. It involves the Markets, business and the drafting of a plan regarding the land use where environment – strengthening the countries meet. corporate social responsibility, law Johan Louw, a consultant to the Peace Parks and policy. Foundation (PPF) was appointed to draft an 3 The GLTP will also be represented at an international symposium on “International Dimensions in Political Ecology: the case of Safety and Security the Amazon and other tropical areas” from 4- 6th October in São Paulo, Brazil. The Safety and Security meeting held A meeting of the Safety and Security symposium is organized by UNESP, th UNICAMP and PUC-SP from Brazil and Management Committee was held on the 20 CLACSO from Argentina. Dr Jorge Ferrão, the July 2004 at Skukuza in KNP, South Africa. International Coordinator of the GLTP will be presenting “ New paradigms for conservation in Nex t Safety and Security Meeting Africa: The Great Limpopo Transfrontier The next meeting of the Safety and Security management committee will be held on the Park” in a session on the subject of Political th Ecology: Development, conservation and 10 of November, at Elephant Hills, Victoria impacts. Falls, Zimbabwe. Following this presentation, Dr Jorge Ferrão will then be presenting the GLTP to post Tenders received for construction of graduate students at the Federal University in Giriyondo Border Post in Mozambique Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. A tender committee meeting for the Dr Jorge Ferrão also trained stud ents at the construction of the Mozambican component of the Giriyondo border post, linking Kruger NP College of African Wildlife Management, th Mweka in T anazania on definitions, objectives, to the Limpopo was held on 10 August 2004. principles, process and management of Some companies were short listed and Transfrontier initiatives as part of a newly negotiations are underway. Construction will introduced, 2 week module on Transfrontier begin as soon as the negotiations are finalized, conservation, of which Dr Ferrão has been probably in October 2004. taking part in reviewing the curriculum. Funds for the construction were sourced from the Mozambique Ministry of Planning and Minister Valli Moosa Retires Finance in April 2004. Removal of the fence between KNP and LNP Sanctuary. Reports from the Safety and Security Committee and KNP and LNP status reports continue to show no incidents of illegal use o f the border to date. It is planned to drop another 20km of fence. Work is scheduled to start in September and it is envisaged it will take 3 months to complete. Another 9.9km will be dropped in 2005. The JMB has scheduled a workshop on fencing, to address the issues and impacts, such as disease transmission and community The South African Hon. Environmental Affairs impacts. & Tourism Minister Valli Moosa has retired from his position. A party was held in Maputo De-mining completed on development sites in April 2004. On this occasion, Mr Moosa in Mozambique talked about the GLTP and it’s challenges and The de-mining of development sites in the opportunities. He will be sadly missed. LNP has been completed and 8 of the 12 He has been replaced by Minister Marthinus suspected mined areas hav e been survey ed. Of van Schalkwyk. these at l east 2 are heavily mined and will require additional work to remove the mines and unexploded ordinances. 4 Poaching in the GLTP not already. The important issue is continuing T here have been a few in cidences o f po aching the surveillance in the community areas around recently in the GLTP, however the joint anti- the park, which is being undertaken by the poaching operations, the “ quick-fix” Veterinary Department. A meeting was held on operations hav e react ed to this and some 20 September in Kruger to discuss research arrests were made and some elephant tusks opportunities pertaining to BTb in wildlife in recov ered. the Parks in South Africa and neighbouring countries. Conservation and Rhino Translocation undertaken with local media Veterinary On 5 August 2004 4 rhinos were translocated from KNP to the LNP sanctuary. Local press Conservation and Veterinary Meeting held from Mozambique attended the release. See A meeting of the Conservation and Veterinary pictures later in this issue. Management Committee was held on the 20th July at Skukuza, KNP, South Africa.