NHSA NEWSLETTER
VOL. 16 (25) - 25-05-2020
DAMAGE CAUSING ANIMAL CONTROL: LOCKDOWN REGULATIONS AND PERMITTING
Dear Member,
1. Under Level-4 of the Covid-19 Lockdown Regulation the control of damage causing animlas may be conducted as essential service under the heading, Wildlife Management - see Level-4 Lockdown Regulations issued by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 14 May 2020 (see specifically Essential Services, Column 1 on page 16 & 17 of the document).
We suggest you make a printout of these Regulations and take that document with you just to inform police and defence force member who might stop you, that you are busy with legal activities Regulated under Lockdown.
2. Damage Causing Animal Control include activities such as control of pigeons and doves in sunflower and sorghum fields, control of damage causing guineafowl, Egytian geese and spurwinged geese on i.e. pivots, and control of damage causing porcupine, bushpig, warthog and ferral pig. Control of damage causing vervet monkeys, baboons, jackal, caracal, leopard, and other predators may thus also be conducted under Level-4.
3. It can be accepted that the Level-4 Lockdown Regulations regarding damage causing animals will be valid under Level-3 too - we are awaiting the specific Regulation in this regard for Level-3 Lockdown (we shall inform members the moment we have the specific Level-3 Regulations).
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
4. Bird hunting licences are required in all Provinces for control of feathered damage causing animals - see where to source Provincial hunting licences and available Provincial hunting proclamations HERE
5. A farmer may apply for a permit to control damage causing animals on his farm from his Provincial nature conservationn department. He may then ask friends to come an assist him to execute the required control.
6. A suggested permit a farmer can issue a person rendering assistance with the control of damage causing animals under the Covid-19 Lockdown period can be downloaded HERE
7. We advise that members rather have more documents than required with them for if they should be stopped in a road block (an ID document is compulsory).
CULLING OPERATIONS
One can also use Culling for legitimate hunting purposes
The relevant Regulations start on page 15 of the Government Gazette, which you can download HERE
Ask the Farmer/ game rancher to complete the form you can download HERE
Kind Regards
Natshoot Office
All members notified per Email on 25-05-2020, of the posting of this Newsletter.