WildLife Group
of the SAVA
S.A. judge lifts ban on
rhino horn trade
By News24 Correspondent | 2015-11-26 13:42
Source: News24
Read this report on News24Wire.com.
South Africa says 1,215 rhinos were killed in 2014 for their horn which is used as a traditional medicine in East Asia (AFP Photo/Tony Karumba)
Pretoria - A full bench of the High Court in Pretoria
has overturned government’s moratorium on rhino
horn trading because there was not enough adequate
public consultation.
Hume is the largest rhino breeder in the world, but
said he would have to dispose of his herd of 1 200
rhinos if the open-ended moratorium remained in
effect.
Judges Francis Legodi, Vivian Tlhapi and Myron
Dewrance granted an order to rhino breeders John
Hume and Johan Krüger to set aside the moratorium,
which came into effect early in 2009, because of
“substantial non-compliance” with the consultative
and participatory process by members of the public
contemplated by the National Environmental
Management Biodiversity Act.
The moratorium was put in place to back up an
international ban on rhino horn trading until
regulations on how to deal with rhino had been put in
place. Hume and Krüger maintained the moratorium
should be set aside because Environment Minister
Edna Molewa did not give proper notice of her
intentions to members of the public and South Africa’s
400 registered rhino breeders and owners.
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