Hi again
Herewith, some snippets from various sources.
I appeal to you to send me items to distribute to our members for the Cleft Stick, the Game Ranger magazine and to be posted on the web site. These are your magazine and website, so ensure it gets the news that you would like to see in it.
Please let me have any changes to your physical address, phone no. or e-mail address to keep the database up to date.
Thanks to all of you who have made the effort. Please will any of you who know of members who do not get this “electric” Cleft~Stick, & have access to e-mail, pass their address along to me.
Don Yunnie
7 Chalet Drive, Hilton, 3245, South Africa Local Tel & Fax (033) 343 1534 Int. Tel & Fax (+2733) 343 1534 cell 082 377 7562 E-mail dyunnie@xsinet.co.za.
If you do not wish to receive this e-mail newsletter please send a blank e-mail to me at the above address with the word “unsubscribe C~S ” as the message heading.
Website
The agreement between the Southern African Wildlife College and GRAA is on our website under Joint Training Initiative. – please have a look and let us know what you think.
nominations for Africa committee
The Africa Committee are inviting nominations for the committee. It is important that the committee is made up of people representing the membership profile. Perhaps some younger blood in the ranks?
In terms of the constitution any nomination for Committee Member must reach the office of the Association no later than 14 (fourteen) days before the Annual General Meeting. Kindly submit your nomination (form below) to Don Yunnie before 24 January 2007 at:
Email: dyunnie@xsinet.co.za, Fax: (033 343 1534), Mail: 7 Chalet Drive, Hilton, 3245, South Africa.
I do hereby propose;
...................................................................................
........................................................................(full name & membership No.)
being a Professional Member of the GRAA, to serve on the Committee of the GRAA.
This nomination is proposed by............................................(full name & Membership No.)
being a Professional Member of the GRAA.
The nominee accepts this nomination and undertakes to serve the Association in the capacity of Committee Member for a period of 2 (two) years without remuneration.
Signature of Nominee:.............................................................
Signed at................................this.........................day of...........................2007.
Signature of Proposer:...................................................Membership No.
Signed at:...................................this...............................day of..........................2007
Signature of Seconder:.........................................................Membership No.
Signed at:...............................(place)..................................(Date)............................. January 2007
COMMENTS ON THE FIREARMS CONTROL AMEMDMENT BILL
The Firearms Control Act Amendment Bill has been passed by parliament and may now have been signed by the State President. The Bill consisted of 24 pages of small type and I will only deal with what may be applicable to the average member of the GRAA and official conservation agencies. I will not deal with sections for collectors.
One of the major changes made was to define “muzzle loading firearm” and provide for their regulation. Dozens of sections have been altered to deal with muzzle loading firearms.
| Section of Bill | Section of Act ammended | Contents of comments |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | The definition of “ammunition” was changed to mean “A primer or cartridge” while a “cartridge” means the entire object including the case, primer, propellant, and bullet or shot. A “fit and proper person” is now defined as a person that complies with the requirements of section 9(2). In other words is over 21 years of age, is not dependant of alcohol or drugs, hasn’t been convicted of serous offences, has completed the prescribed training and testing, etc. A “muzzle loading firearm” can only fire one shot per barrel and must be reloaded from the muzzle end of the barrel with separate components including black powder, a wad and a led bullet. It is ignited with a flint, match, wheel or percussion cap. An “occasional hunter” is now simply a person that participates in hunting activities from time to time. An “occasional sports person” is now just someone that participates in sports shooting from time to time. A “professional hunter” means a person who supervises, escorts, offers to, or agrees to supervise or escort a client, for reward in connection with the hunting of a wild or exotic animal and who is authorized to do so in terms of any applicable provincial law. |
| 2 | 3 | The general prohibition has been changed to specify that no person may possess a firearm unless they hold a licence permit of authorization for that firearm, and no one can possess a muzzle loading firearm unless they have the relevant competency certificate; or unless they have a licence issued under the old Act that is still valid during the transitional period. |
| 3 | 4 | This wording of this one is a bit confusing but it seems that while you can’t have any imitation of any gun, cannon, recoilless gun, mortar , projectile, etc, you can have a imitation of a fully automatic firearm. This will obviously allow imitations of fully automatic firearms to be used for training, paint ball games, etc. |
| 4 | 5 | There is no longer such a thing as “antique firearm” so all those cap and ball revolvers that members purchased will now be firearms. The definition of antique firearm has been replaced with that for a muzzle loading firearm which is quite different. |
| 6 | 7 | Juristic persons must nominate a new responsible person in writing and notify the Registrar within 7 days from the date of nomination. (Note: this is done on a SAPS Form 521(e) via the relevant Designated Firearms Officer. |
| 7 | 8 | This section provides for the Registrar to cancel accreditations. |
| 8 | 9 | This section now also provides for competency certificates for muzzle loading firearms as well as regular firearms. |
| 9 | 10 |
|
| 10 | New 10A | This new section deals with renewal of competency certificates. Key provisions are:
|
| 12 | New 16A | Provides for firearm licences for professional hunting. Any firearm that is not fully automatic can be licenced. The applicant must be a member of an accredited professional hunting association. |
| 13 | 17 | Collectors |
| 14 | 18 | Collectors |
| 15 | 19 | Collectors |
| 16 | 21 | This section only deals with the withdrawal of temporary permits by the Registrar. |
| 17 | 22 | The holder of a licence that is over 21 may allow another person to use their firearm or muzzle loading firearm under their direct control. |
| 18 | 27 | Validity of licences remains unchanged except that:
|
| 19 | 31 | Trading |
| 20 | 42 | Dealer |
| 21 | 45 | Manufacture |
| 22 | 56 | Manufacturer |
| 23 | 70 | Gunsmiths |
| 24 | 73 | No person may import or export a firearm or muzzle loading firearm without a permit |
| 25 | 88 | Transporter’s permit |
| 26 | 91 | The limit of 200 round of ammunition does not now apply to professional hunters |
| 27 | 93 | The limit on reloading components no longer applies to professional hunters |
| 28 | 94 | A “silencer” is now considered to be a “firearm part.” No one can therefore possess a silencer unless they hold a licence for a firearm that can bear the silencer. |
| 29 | 96 | This deals with export of firearms by official institutions |
| 30 | 102 | This section deals with the Registrar declaring a person to be unfit to possess a firearm.
|
| 31 | 103 | This deals with persons being declared unfit to possess a firearm by a court. This now includes muzzle loading firearms. |
| 32 | 104 | This section dealing with search and seizure now includes muzzle loading firearms |
| 33 | 110 | This section dealing with search and seizure now includes muzzle loading firearms |
| 34 | 111 | Search and seizure during police operations now includes muzzle loading firearms. |
| 35 | 113 | This section on bodyprints and bodily samples includes now includes muzzle loading firearms |
| 36 | 114 | This section on ballistic testing now includes provisions for muzzle loading firearms. |
| 37 | 117 | This section on presumptions now includes provisions for muzzle loading firearms |
| 38 | 118 | This section deals with failing to report the loss of a firearm. The terms “loss, theft, or destruction” have been replaced by the term “dispossession of a firearm” which covers everything. |
| 39 | 120 | In this section that deals with offences all references to “antique firearms” have been changed to “muzzle loading firearms”. |
| 40-51 | 132-150 | These sections deal with administrative matters, including appeals, compensation, forfeited firearms, disposal of firearms, deceased persons estates, compulsory destruction, and deactivation. All these sections have been changed to include provisions for muzzle loading firearms. |
| 52 | Schedule 1 | This schedule now requires anyone with a muzzle loading firearm to apply for the relevant competency certificate within one year from the commencement of this Amendment Act. |
| 53 | Schedule 4 | This section deals with penalties |
| 54 | General | This Act will come into effect on a date determined by the President in the Gazette. |
Herewith an article which appeared in the S.W.A. ANNUAL 1955 – some 52 years ago, written by Otto Pulon of the then Department of Game Preservation, S.W.A. Hunters Association.
Perhaps you might wish to share this article with other readers who would be interested to note that today’s ongoing appeal for ethical hunting behaviour was shared as in this case by people like ourselves more than a half century ago.
Malcolm
SOME THOUGHTS ON SPORTSMANLIKE HUNTING
While stalking buck one day during the last hunting season I saw a fully grown springbok standing some distance from the herd, but he had already noticed me. Carefully I took aim. He showed up beautifully through my sights. “Too far”, a voice in me warned; a second voice cried: “Shoot, before it is too late”. Simultaneously my springbok and his herd disappeared in full flight.
After some further stalking I suddenly wondered why I had not fired. I decided that I had not wanted to burden my huntsman’s conscience with a doubtful shot. Must we always shoot? I wondered. Does it afford us as much pleasure to watch a herd of springbok through binoculars, learning and studying their habits?
That night in bed ( after my friends and I had emptied the usual bottles of beer while talking of hunting and our experiences – always one of the most enjoyable aspects of a hunt) the thought struck me to cross-examine that second self which had frozen my trigger finger during the morning’s hunt.
“Look”, I said, “that buck was as good as dead and you prevented me from firing. Why?”
My second Self considered this and then replied, “You claim that you are a hunter in the true sporting tradition, following the long established rules of the hunt. Yet how do you act? You would not shoot a duck which is sitting, but would give it a chance to rise. But do you give the kudu or the springbok the same sporting chance? No, you shoot them in cold blood whilst they are grazing and you feel so proud of yourself when you receive the blood-stained twig from your companion and he puts the other twig in the buck’s mouth. Well may you feel uncomfortable and wish that you need not hear such things said of you. Isn’t it your own selfishness which dictates the method of killing, according to the measures of enjoyment it affords you? You make the traditions of hunting an empty phrase”.
I tossed and turned in my bed. Where did these strange thoughts come from? Did I, that evening, perhaps drink one glass of beer too much?
Such thoughts have doubtless gone through the minds of many hunters besides myself. Could the strange bed have caused them or excitement at the prospect of tomorrow’s hunt? I got up and walked around. The cool night air did me good and after futher reflections I lay down again. Enough of these contradictory thoughts. After all, “Sportsmanship”, the “Law of the Hunt”, is nothing but the law of conscience within each hunter which rules his actions.
Too often hunting has the same meaning for us as for the cheetah and the leopard, namely, to kill. Sportsmanlike hunting should have a deeper meaning:- a man should enjoy the hunt but should not hunt like a beast of prey, insatiable, unchecked.
The first commandment of the “Law of the Hunt” is CONSIDERATION of the game. The life of the animal is in our hands and it has little chance of escaping. Therefore it is our task to kill it painlessly whenever possible. Hunting is a skilled occupation. We should at all times choose a “safe” shot in preference to an exciting one, particularly when accompanied by an ill-trained dog or no dog at all.
The second rule binding us is consideration of our neighbours, and although this does not actually concern the animals, the obligation nevertheless exists to respect the property of other people. The game may not respect the fences, but this is no excuse for the hunter not to do so. The simplest rule to follow is the old one: “Never do unto others what you would not have them do unto you”.
To summarize: sportsmanlike shooting means the hunter is self-disciplined and self-controlled. An excellent way of achieving this in practice is to learn the old hunting traditions and to uphold them. The green twig, the buck’s last bite, is not an idle triviality, but forms part of the rules of the hunt, which, conscientiously and properly applied, causes the heart of the true hunter to beat faster.
We have to bear in mind that sportsmanlike hunting and game preservation are necessities, and I am asking everybody to help before it is too late. We should therefore start revising our thoughts and attitude towards this question. He who has discovered that watching is far better than killing has fully understood and should start influencing his friends and particularly the younger generation. This is also a field for our teachers. Awaken the love of nature in our children, teach them to respect all living creatures, show them the thousand secrets of the animal world. Then the protection of our wild animals life will in future years be no problem at all, otherwise coming generations will face many conservation difficulties.
Hunting has to be, otherwise the game would increase to such an extent that it would make farming in our country impossible, and we all want to live. However, it need not be ruthless shooting.
The S.W.A. Hunters Association considers it a primary goal to train and help young hunters and others who are interested, to hunt in a sportsmanlike manner.
AHI News : South Africa : Lion breeders in uproar about canned huntingon 2007/1/4 7:48:06 (225 reads)
South African lion breeders are prepared to go to court to test regulations on canned hunting, specifically of lions, the deputy chairperson of the South African Predator Breeders' Association said on Wednesday.
While the regulations, to come into force in March, do not ban lion hunting outright, they stipulate the circumstances under which it can take place. What they do not specify is the size of properties on which hunting would be allowed to take place, the association's Thys Mostert complained.
The new laws also require that lions be free-ranging for six months before they can be hunted, he said.
A Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism statement on the Biodiversity Act regulations on threatened and protected species notes only that hunting camps be "reasonably big", said Mostert.
"We have a problem with this. This could mean that certain people would hunt lions in a two-hectare area. We want the area to be a thousand hectares," he said.
Questioning the period for which the lions have to be free to roam, Mostert said lion breeders do not understand the provision. "Where does [Environment and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk] get the six months from? Why must other animals not walk six months before being hunted?" he asked.
Mostert said lion breeders are aware of the problems in the industry and want to resolve them. "Things need to happen in a proper and ethical manner," he said.
In the Free State alone, up to 100 people have bred lions in captivity in one way or another -- some for tourism purposes, he said, estimating there are about 3 000 captive-bred lions in the country.
Mostert said the answer to the problem of canned hunting does not lie in a complete ban on lion hunting. "Then you have to ban all hunting. This includes buck hunting. Everything," he said.
Banning lion hunting altogether would also leave the government open to claims for costly infrastructure put in place in line with legislation.
The draft regulations on norms and standards for hunting in South Africa were put together by a panel of experts appointed by Van Schalkwyk. In December last year, his department said it had recommended a ban on captive breeding for anything other than scientific and conservation purposes.
Captive bred is defined as "bred in a controlled environment" and refers to enclosures that prevent the escape of listed, threatened or protected species, but facilitate intensive breeding. It excludes breeding on fenced land on which self-sustaining wildlife populations are managed in an extensive wildlife system.
The panel also recommended a prohibition on hunting in national and provincial parks. -- Sapa
Alarming news from Uganda...
http://www.iied.org/mediaroom/061214Ugandaforests.html
Planned carve-up of Uganda's protected forests sparks mass resignation
As negotiators meet this week at the United Nations to agree an international framework for sustainable forest management, experts in the field are warning that an illegal carve-up of protected forests is imminent in Uganda.
Uganda's president Yoweri Museveni has sparked a mass resignation of forestry officials by demanding that they hand over protected forests to commercial interests.
Lawyers and sustainable development experts have condemned the move, which would see rainforest cleared to grow oil palms and sugarcane.
Olav Bjella, executive director of the National Forestry Authority (NFA), resigned last week (7 December) and is preparing to return to his native Norway after Museveni gave him an ultimatum: sign over public forest land to private companies, or quit.
Bjella's departure followed the resignation of the NFA's board and four senior technical officers, who opted to sacrifice their jobs rather than be party to the forest clearance. These resignations represent a huge loss to Uganda's capacity to manage its forest resources.
Bjella was asked to give a 90-year licence for areas of forest reserve on Bugala Island in Kalangala District to palm-oil producer Bidco Uganda, whose parent company is based in Kenya.
The Bugala reserves are tropical rainforests designated as core conservation areas due to their importance for biodiversity conservation and their contribution to Uganda's hydrological cycle. Local people benefit from the forest both directly (extracting fruits, medicines and other forest products sustainably) and indirectly.
"This move contravenes the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, to which Uganda is a signatory," says James Mayers, head of the natural resources group at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in a statement issued today.
"It also sends out a signal internationally that Ugandan forests are expendable just at a time when efforts to tackle climate change are bringing new attention to the pressing need to prevent deforestation."
The Ugandan government has also directed the NFA to grant the India-based Mehta Group rights to clear protected forest in Mabira to grow sugarcane.
Uganda's minister of water and environment Maria Mutagamba has defended the moves, stating that the clearance of forest to plant oil palms does not constitute a change in land use change because the oil palm plantations will eventually constitute a forest.
Last month, IIED and its Ugandan partner Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) held an international meeting of forestry experts to explore ways of making the law work better to promote social justice in forest management (see press release).
"We applaud the people who resigned," says Onesmus Mugyenyi of ACODE. "These are real patriots. They did it in defence of the constitution and set a precedent."
"ACODE plans to seek a court injunction to challenge any apparent illegal actions that undermine the integrity of our environment and threaten people's livelihoods," says Mugyenyi.
Mayers points out that Uganda's own Poverty Eradication Action Plan clearly acknowledges the role of natural forest in poverty reduction.
"The palm oil and sugar industries are resurgent internationally and, when astutely developed through smallholder production, can bring important benefits to countries such as Uganda," says Mayers. "But carving up protected forest is not the way to do it."
"This move makes a mockery of the palm oil industry's own commitments," he says. "Wilmar International, co-investor with Bidco in the project, is a member of the International Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, whose principles and criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil were endorsed in October 2005."
The Bugala project appears to contravene Principle 2, which requires compliance with all applicable local, national and ratified international laws and regulations. It also appears to break Principle 7, which requires that new plantings of oil palm do not replace primary forest or any area containing one or more high conservation values.
Representatives of governments, intergovernmental organisations and civil society are meeting this week in New York to negotiate a new agreement on international forest policy that will be present to the UN Forum on Forests for approval in April 2007.
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Mike Shanahan
Press Officer
International Institute for Environment and Development
Email: mike.shanahan@iied.org, Tel: +44 (0)20 7872 7308, Fax: +44 (0)20 7388 2826,
http://www.iied.org
Tailpiece-
An American tourist in London decided to skip his tour group and explore the city on his own. He wandered around, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping at a quaint pub to soak up the local culture, chat with the lads, and have a pint of Guinness.
After awhile, he found himself in a very high class neighborhood..... big, stately residences... no pubs, no stores, no restaurants, and worst of all, NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS.
He really, really had to go, after all those pints. He found a narrow side street, with high walls surrounding the adjacent buildings and decided to use the wall to solve his problem.
As he unzipped, he was tapped on the shoulder by a London Bobby, who said, "I say, sir, you simply cannot do that here, you know."
"I'm very sorry, officer," replied the American, "but I really, really HAVE TO GO, and I just can't find a public restroom."
"Ah, yes," said the bobby . . . "Just follow me".
He led him to a back 'delivery alley', then along a wall to a gate, which he opened. "In there," he pointed. "Whiz away sir, anywhere you want."
The fellow entered and found himself in the most beautiful garden he has ever seen. Manicured grass lawns, statuary, fountains, sculpted hedges, and huge beds of gorgeous flowers, all in perfect bloom. Since he had the cop's blessing, he unburdened himself and was greatly relieved.
As he west back through the gate, he said to the bobby, "That was really decent of you... is that what you call 'English Hospitality'?"
"No, sir" replied the bobby, "that is what we call the French Embassy."
Sorry, if you are French – substitute another nationality above! – ed
Thanks Phil!
Matter of Fact
This is an electronic newsletter of the Game Rangers' Association of Africa. The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Association, nor of the Editor. This is intended to be an exchange of news snips, ideas and communication between members. Newsletter content may be copied and re-distributed without authorisation. Correspondence should be addressed to the Editor at dyunnie@xsinet.co.za