AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF THE PRACTICE OF INTENSIVE AND SELECTIVE BREEDING OF GAME TO BIODIVERSITY AND THE BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA REPORT AUGUST 2018 Images obtained from the Web Jeanetta Selier, Lizanne Nel, Ian Rushworth, Johan Kruger, Brent Coverdale, Craig Mulqueeny and Andrew Blackmore AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF THE PRACTICE OF INTENSIVE AND SELECTIVE BREEDING OF GAME TO BIODIVERSITY AND THE BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA Task team Dr Jeanetta Selier, South African National Biodiversity Institute Mr Andy Blackmore, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr. Brent Coverdale, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mr. Johan Kruger, Limpopo, Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism Mr. Craig Mulqueeny, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Mrs. Lizanne Nel, South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association Mr. Ian Rushworth, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Contributing authors Prof Paulette Bloomer, Head Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria Dr Mike Jordan, IUCN Species Survival Commission Conservation Breeding Specialist Group Dr Kelly Marnewick, Endangered Wildlife Trust Dr Tim O’Connor, University of the Witwatersrand Prof Michael Somers, Centre for Wildlife Management, University of Pretoria Dr Andrew Taylor, Endangered Wildlife Trust Dr Gerhard Verdoorn, Griffon Poison Information Centre External reviewers Prof Brian Reilly, Tshwane University of Technology Dr David Mallon, IUCN Antelope Specialist Group Dr Harriet Davies-Mostert, Endangered Wildlife Trust Michael ‘t Sas-Rolfes, University of Oxford Prof Paul Grobler, University of the Free State Dr Peter Novellie, Research Associate at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Dr Adrian Tordiffe, University of Pretoria i Figure 1: Task team members. From left to right: Dr Andy Blackmore, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife; Mr. Johan Kruger, Limpopo, Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism; Dr Jeanetta Selier, South African National Biodiversity Institute; Mrs. Lizanne Nel, South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association; Mr. Brent Coverdale, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife; Mr. Ian Rushworth, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Mr. Craig Mulqueeny, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. ii Well done to you and the team! You have accomplished an enormous task and this report will be hugely valuable in guiding policy and practice to avoid some potentially irreversible impacts from the industry. I found the report incredibly interesting and have also learned a lot in reading it. Dr H Davies-Mostert I am really impressed with this report. It is comprehensive, well thought through and clearly laid out. The authors should be commended for completing such a mammoth task and doing so with such a high level of care and professionalism. Dr A Tordiffe This is an exceedingly thorough piece of work. The team and their coordinator should be congratulated on a job well done. Prof P Grobler This a complex and frequently controversial topic. A structured approach to assessment evaluation is therefore needed and the IPBES (2014) methodology selected is both fully appropriate, already tested in several global situations and widely appreciated and understood. This is an admirably thorough, carefully researched, and professionally executed report that explores every detail (that I can think of) of a problematic – and increasingly widespread – set of issues. I greatly enjoyed reading it. Dr D Mallon What a wonderful piece of work and congrats to all involved. I particularly liked the rational approach and the excellent referencing. I hope the authors can be encouraged to publish this in a reduced form in a scientific journal and present at conferences. It is a fine example of what can be done with existing info. Prof B Reilly South Africa’s hitherto world-leading track record in conservation, driven by a unique combination of public management and private enterprise, currently faces new challenges. This important and thorough research highlights some divergence between private and public interests in the biodiversity sector in relation to breeding practices. Hopefully South Africa’s vibrant wildlife ranching industry will take these concerns to heart and help to forge an improved regulatory environment that more closely aligns the objectives of ranchers and sustainable landscape conservation, thereby mitigating the risks identified here. Michael ‘t Sas-Rolfes iii TABLE OF CONTENTS AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS OF THE PRACTICE OF INTENSIVE AND SELECTIVE BREEDING OF GAME TO BIODIVERSITY AND THE BIODIVERSITY ECONOMY IN SOUTH AFRICA ............................................................................................ i Table of Contents .................................................................................................................. iv TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x TABLE OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS USED .............................................................................. xii DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................... xii AKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................... xvi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: Purpose of the report .................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER 2: Background .................................................................................................. 6 CHAPTER 3: Brief Legal Context ....................................................................................... 9 The Decision-making Role of Government ........................................................................ 9 Use of the Principles in Environmental Management and Decision-making ................... 9 Principle of Public Trust and Biodiversity Conservation ................................................ 10 Needs of People .......................................................................................................... 11 Sustainable use of Biodiversity .................................................................................... 11 Risk-Averse Approach to Decision-making .................................................................. 12 Defining the legal Context of Biodiversity ..................................................................... 12 Ensuring that biodiversity is safeguarded in decision-making ....................................... 13 The relevance of the Nagoya Protocol in Selective and Intensive Breeding of Game ... 13 CHAPTER 4: Approach and method ................................................................................ 15 Biodiversity Risks ............................................................................................................ 15 Biodiversity Economy Risks ............................................................................................. 17 CHAPTER 5: Biodiversity Issues ...................................................................................... 18 Issue 1: Intentional breeding for selected traits ................................................................ 18 Impact statement 1: Expression of deleterious attributes that may lead to physical, behavioural and lethal outcomes ..................................................................................... 18 Concerns ..................................................................................................................... 18 Evidence ...................................................................................................................... 18 Extent of evidence ....................................................................................................... 20 Level of agreement ...................................................................................................... 20 Key findings ................................................................................................................. 20 Potential mitigation measures ...................................................................................... 21 Impact statement 2: Loss of genetic and allelic diversity resulting in decreased fitness and reduced adaptive potential ............................................................................................... 21 iv Concerns ..................................................................................................................... 21 Evidence ...................................................................................................................... 21 Extent of evidence ....................................................................................................... 22 Level of agreement ...................................................................................................... 23 Key findings ................................................................................................................. 23 Potential mitigation measures ...................................................................................... 23 Impact statement 3: The mixing of genes from naturally separated gene pools leading to the breakdown of natural evolutionary processes and/or possibly leading to outbreeding