THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION STATUS REPORT 2015 - 2017 Ministry of Tourism www.tourism.go.ke and Wildlife Republic of Kenya Foreword Wildlife Service in managing and protecting this resource. During this period the government financed the wildlife sector to the tune of Ksh 6.8billion for both recurrent and development expenditures in addition to Kshs 513 million for compensation of human wildlife conflict cases. The sixth schedule, lists 245 endangered species and each requires a recovery plan to be developed. Currently only 22 endangered species have recovery plans developed. In the next period we shall be working with the various partners and stakeholders to expedite the development and implementation of endangered species recovery plans while reviewing the species listed in schedule three. The IUCN lists 463 endangered species of flora and fauna in Kenya. Section 44(1-4) requires all wildlife conservation areas to have Gazetted management plans developed and implemented in a participatory manner. This will inform development in protected areas. During this period three management plans were gazetted by my ministry and we intend to get more. Hon. Najib Balala (EGH), Cabinet Secretary, It is expected that the output of this report will Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife enhance the formulation and implementation of the Wildlife Policy and guide the formulation The Wildlife Conservation Management Act of guidelines related to wildlife management of 2013 (WCMA, 2013) requires the Ministry to and conservation in its entirety. The threshold prepare and present to Parliament a Wildlife in terms of report as set out in the WCMA, 2013 Status report. I am pleased to present the section 49 is quite high but realistic and requires second National Wildlife Conservation Status government and donor support, high level Report (2015-2017). The wildlife sector is facing scientific input and appropriate technology to numerous challenges and threats that require guide policy formulation and especially species continuous assessment of our resources and status classification. Technology can enhance adjustment of the intervention mechanisms to efficiency, reduce operational costs and release address the issues resources to other areas where needed. I call upon all stakeholders to join efforts to support wildlife The government continues to be committed conservation in the country. to support the sector and particularly Kenya NWCS REPORT 2015-2017 PAGE 3 Preface This National Wildlife conservation Status report presents an opportunity to audit the wildlife sector especially in terms of resource allocation and utilization. Allocation of resources to conservation sector will be informed by efforts by all stakeholders to deliver the desired conservation outcomes as presented in this and subsequent reports. There is an urgent need to upscale management efforts to reverse the present declining trend of listed species in the schedule by developing and implementing endangered listed species recovery plans and conservation area management plans. We will continue to engage all key stakeholders in a deliberate and concerted effort to ensure the consercation agenda receives the necessary support. It is also critical to dedicate more resources and efforts on proactive measures to address human wildlife conflict; such measures will include working with the relevant state and non-state actors. Special focus will also be put on those areas that have Dr. Susan J. Koech abundant wildlife but are presently not designated as Principal Secretary wildlife conservation areas as such areas will be the State Department for Wildlife next frontier in wildlife conservation in the country. Finally we call upon all Kenyans to be on the forefront in conserving our wildlife for posterity. PAGE 4 NWCS REPORT 2015-2017 Acknowledgement The Writing of this report was supported by the United States Agency for International Development(USAID) and African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) who by themselves have been strong partners in matters related to Wildlife Conservation. Our Principal Secretary Dr. Susan Koech interrogated the document and gave very useful guidelines on the final output of the report. Similar support came from The National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Department of Resource Survey and Remote Sensing (DRSRS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Fisheries Service and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KEMFRI). The Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA) gave invaluable information on Conservancies in the Country. Virtually all reserves were contacted directly or through secondary means- including their publications. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) was heavily relied on in reporting on Birds. Local conservation bodies such as Watamu Turtle Brig. (Rtd) J.M. Waweru, EBS, ndc(K). psc (K) Watch and others of similar caliber all over the Director General, country provided invaluable information as Kenya Wildlife Service the team traversed the country. Many experts in our local universities and other institutions of learning also gave very useful inputs. Lastly I acknowledge the exemplary work done under but not least I want to acknowledge the the able leadership of the Cabinet Secretary technical team who compiled this report. The Tourism and Wildlife Hon Najib Balala in ensuring team work exhibited resulted in the report compliance to the implementation of the WCMA, coming out within the set timeframe. 2013 which by itself forms the legal basis of this report. In compiling this report, various divisions within the Service were involved under the stewardship of Director Biodiversity, Research and Planning. NWCS REPORT 2015-2017 PAGE 5 Executive Summary The WCMA, 2013 in schedule 6 lists 245 wildlife species under various categories of threats ranging from critically endangered to protected species. The WCMA, 2013 reqiures that the status of these species be reported to the National Assembly every 2years and the recovery measures being implemented to restore the said species be indicated. This 2015/17 wildlife status report is a response to this requirement. The report gives the status of the listed species in terms of population, location and trendof each species. The status of the protected areas where these species are found has also been highlighted. The report further enumerates the threats and challenged to the species and their habitats while stating the management measures in place to counter the factors that contribute to negative growth in population of these species. The general outcome indicates that the magnitude of these threats is severe resulting in the decline or stagnation in population of the listed species. Some of the species have reached a level where the remaining population is non-viable whereas a few are no longer being reported as being sighted. From the report the greatest challenge facing wildlife population increase in the country is encroachment, invasive species, poaching and infrastructure development besides other threats. The resultant effect especially of encroachment has been loss of gazetted wildlife areas, wildlife corridors and dispersal areas leading to fragmentations of wildlife habitats. Wildlife diseases is an emerging major threat Although management measures prescribed in the WCMA, 2013 are being taken to address the threats and subsequent decline in listed wildlife species population, the said measures need to be reenergized to become more proactive rather than reactive. There is therefore need to use available resources in a more innovative manner to accelerate the management measures such as in wildlife diseases, management plans, poaching, securing more space for wildlife and even genetic engineering. Presently only three protected areas in the country have management plans that are gazetted and this is a major impediment in the deployment of resources in the said areas. This situation is more pronounced in the Conservancies and National Reserves. Whereas the listed number of species in schedule 6 is 245, only 31 species recovery plans have been developed out of which 13 have since expired. Concerted efforts need to be put in place to accelerate the development and implementation of species specific recovery plans especially for the species that are critically endangered PAGE 6 NWCS REPORT 2015-2017 TABLE OF CONTENT Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES LIST PLATES LIST OF FIGURES FOREWORD PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION STATUS REPORT 1.1. CONSERVATION STATUS 1.2. SPECIES RECOVERY PLANS 1.3. SCHEDULE SIX OF THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT: - 1.4. INVASIVE SPECIES 1.5. MANAGEMENT PLANS IN PROTECTED AREAS 1.6. WILDLIFE COMPENSATION 1.7. WILDLIFE CRIME 1.8. CONSUMPTIVE WILDLIFE UTILIZATION LICENSING AND REGULATIONS 1.9. CHALLENGES AND THREATS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 1.10. FINANCING WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN KENYA CHAPTER 2: CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF WILDLIFE IN KENYA 2.1. POLICY AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK 2.1.1. NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY FRAMEWORK 2.1.1.1. THE CONSTITUTION OF KENYA 2010 2.1.1.2. WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT (WCMA) 2013 2.1.1.3. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION ACT (EMCA) (AMENDMENT ACT 2015) 2.1.1.4. WATER ACT 2016 2.1.1.5. TREATY MAKING AND RATIFICATION ACT 2012 2.1.1.6. SESSIONAL PAPER NO. 3 OF 1975 NWCS REPORT 2015-2017 PAGE 7 2.1.1.7. THE KENYA NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY ACTION PLAN 2.1.1.8. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT OF 2007 2.1.1.9. LAND ACT NO 6 (2012) 2.1.1.10. VETERINARY SURGEONS AND VETERINARY PARA-PROFESSIONALS ACT 2011 2.1.1.11. COUNTY GOVERNMENT ACT, 2012 2.1.1.12. COMMUNITY LAND ACT (2016) 2.1.1.13. MARITIME ZONES ACT NO. 6 OF 1989 2.1.1.14. FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT ACT, NO. 35 OF 2016 29 2.1.1.15. FOREST CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT, 2016 2.1.1.16. SESSIONAL PAPER NO.3 OF 2009 ON NATIONAL LAND POLICY 29 2.1.1.17. VISION 2030 2.1.1.18. ANIMAL DISEASES ACT CAP 364 2.1.1.19. VETERINARY POLICY 2015 29 2.1.2. INTERNATIONAL TREATIES, CONVENTIONS AND AGREEMENTS 2.1.2.1.