Farai Mabeza
Zimbabwe has approved a new wildlife policy in response to the transformation that has occurred in the sector since the enactment of the last policy in 1992.
According a statement issued by the Information minister Zhemu Soda today the New Wildlife Policy seeks to align with emerging national, regional and international best practices, in order to promote more sustainable harnessing of the vast opportunities existing in the wildlife sector.
“The new Wildlife Policy aims to strengthen the contribution of the wildlife sector to national development through sustainable use of wildlife resources; and to enhance active community participation and thereby socio-economic benefits for present and future generations,” Soda said.
The policy is designed to enhance resilience to climate change and promote a vibrant wildlife-anchored economy in line with the broader Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy Initiative under the National Development Strategy 2 and the Constitution of Zimbabwe, he added.
“The new Policy fundamentally recognizes wildlife as a public resource and, therefore, aims to promote access to equitable sharing of benefits; to support devolution; to harness public private partnerships in natural resources development; and to promote sustainable transboundary conservation and ethical conservation practices, among others.
“The Policy provides for various wildlife management mechanisms including new regulations for CAMPFIRE, and will address human-wildlife conflict and implement the approved Human -Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund for the benefit of victims,” he said.
The elaborate new Policy is anchored on ten key pillars identified to enhance and guide strategic planning and implementation, including the following: ownership and legal guardianship of wildlife; wildlife conservation in Parks estate; conservation of fisheries in the Parks estate; conservation of wildlife outside the Parks estate; conservation of indigenous wildlife and plant species; capture and movement of wildlife; viable wildlife economy; community based natural resources management; human-wildlife conflict mitigation; and wildlife education, research and development.
In addition, wildlife corridors will be established and maintained; and fisheries conservation will be promoted as part of water resources development, with penalties for violations which hamper resource sustainability.
