THE STATE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S CAPTIVE LION INDUSTRY 2024 – Kicking the Can Further Down the Road

THE STATE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S CAPTIVE LION INDUSTRY 2024 Kicking the Can Further Down the Road

The Extinction Business Report and the Captive Lion Industry Colloquium

Six years ago, on the 21^st August 2018, Michele Pickover, Executive Director of the EMS Foundation and Dr Smaragda Louw, Director of Ban Animal Trading, jointly presented their findings of an eighteen month investigation and research project about South Africa’s role in the international lion bone trade at a Colloquium held in the Parliament of South Africa.

Their research, published in the Report titled the Extinction Business South Africa’s Lion Bone Trade, uncovered the world’s largest commercial lion farming industry, where lions are bred so that they can be slaughtered for their bones.

On the 7^th December 2018, the Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs welcomed the adoption of the Report from the Captive Lion Breeding for Hunting and the Lion Bone Trade Colloquium.

There was an overwhelming consensus from local and international stakeholders, participating in the Colloquium, that South Africa must bring an end to this controversial practice that has harmed the conservation image of South Africa.

The Government High Level Panel Report, the Ministerial Task Team Report and Official Policy Position – Department Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

A year later, on the 10^th October 2019, Barbara Creecy, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment appointed an Advisory Committee to review policies, legislation and practices related to the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros in South Africa.

Nineteen months later, the members of the High Level Panel recommended the closure of the captive lion industry, their Report was published in May 2021.

Another nineteen months later, in December 2022, Minister Creecy established a Task Team to identify and recommend voluntary exit options for the breeders of lions from the captive lion industry.

This task team was initially established for a period of six months to examine the 348 lion breeding facilities in South Africa. The time period was extended in July 2023 for a further six months in order for the team to concluded “outstanding work and to complete the determination of funding mechanisms”.

Various options that could be used as building blocks for the closure of the industry were suggested for the approximately 7838 lions held in captivity. These suggestions were published in the Ministerial Task Team Report which was released in February 2024.

The suggestions included the humane euthanasia of compromised lions and population control by surgical sterilization.

Another suggestion was the humane euthanasia of all lions and permanent exit from the industry or the phase out through trade opportunities for a period twenty-four months and or surrender of lions to safe havens.

A less viable exit option was the suggestion to surrender of lions to authorities, the repurposing of existing facility to a lion-safe havens or repurposing of an existing facility for biodiversity for conservation and sustainable use.

A so-called viable option suggested for the lion bone stockpiles was that the stockpiles be surrendered to authorities or for trade-out for a period of twenty-four months.

Although Cabinet approved a Policy Position to close lion facilities and end the commercial exploitation of lions and “canned” hunts, no deadlines were ever provided by the government.

The Captive Lion Industry Responds

In April 2024 Minister Creecy said that the regulatory framework for an outright ban on the industry in South Africa does not exist. The Biodiversity Bill 2024 would enable the Minister to outlaw certain practices, she said.

Lion breeding is a legal enterprise and therefore, Minister Creecy said, that it was important to allow entrepreneurs time to exit the industry. According to Minister Creecy, the exit strategy will be implemented in two phases, the first involves engaging with the breeders who said they would voluntarily exit. The second phase would see the department acquire and incinerate lion bones. To take this option, lion breeders must comply with the sterilization of lions and animal welfare and well-being requirements. A third phase will be implemented after the first phase is concluded as proof of concept.

The industry responded by stating that Minister Creecy recommended the closure of the breeding sector in December 2022 but did not provide financial incentives for lion owners once the ban took effect, the government also provided no deadline for the breeding of lions to cease.

The South African Predator Association representing 49 lion breeders in the Free State, North West Province and Limpopo has said that the industry is worth R500 million a year.

Incentives would be provided for these exit options, but not from the fiscus, explained Minister Creecy. “Government will not finance this process, the current fiscal situation does not permit that and therefore there have been other approaches which included talking to donors to assist with incentivization” Minister Creecy emphasized.

But Who Will Actually Voluntarily Exit the Lion Breeding Industry?

According to reports only one of the lion breeding facilities in South Africa has volunteered to close its business.

Perhaps that is why, on the 15^th November individuals in the captive lion industry were once again invited by the new Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, to voluntarily give up their businesses, their stockpiles of lion bones and other derivatives.

According to the invitation, a detailed implementation process of surrendering lion stockpiles and derivatives will be communicated and shared in the public domain, once approved by the Minister and once the registration process is concluded.

In an interview on SABC on Saturday 16th November 2024, Minister Dion George said that: “the lion bone trade is an unacceptable practice, bringing South African into a very bad light and it needs to end, captive lion hunting is not hunting, it is unacceptable. It has been a six year process to end this practice.”

In the meanwhile, importantly, the Biodiversity Bill 2024 that could enable the Minister to outlaw certain practices in this industry is being questioned in the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

The South African Hunters and Game Conservation Association is seeking to declare invalid and strike out various provisions in the Bill relating to wildlife well-being including the definition thereof.

The EMS Foundation is of the firm view that these provisions must not be struck out.