TUESDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2002: The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mohammed Valli Moosa, has welcomed the decision taken today by parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to allow a one-off-sale of South Africa's ivory stockpile at the Kruger National Park.

The decision was made at the 12th Conference of Parties (COP12) currently under way in Santiago, Chile.

"This constitutes an enormous victory for South Africa's sustainable-use policies in the international arena. South Africa constantly argued that a sensible and scientific approach needed to be taken to the management of wildlife," Moosa said. "The enhanced status of South Africa in the global environmental dialogue has made it possible for our policies to win the day after having failed at the CITES conferences of 1998 and 2000. This was notwithstanding opposition from northern countries."

"Clearly South Africa emerges as a major player in the determination of the global conservation agenda," he added.

By approving South Africa's proposal to sell its ivory stockpile, the parties had made a clear statement that they recognised the support of the African Range States of the elephant proposal and South Africa's good management of its elephants, Moosa said, adding that South African National Parks (SANParks) observed the highest international conservation standards.

The minister pointed out that the one-off sale of the existing stock of ivory, which came from natural mortalities and management actions, will be conducted under the strict supervision of the CITES secretariat.

South Africa is expecting the sale to amount to R20 million, making available to SANParks funds that are critically needed for elephant and wildlife management and for the expansion of the national parks system. This would include building predator sensing, maintaining anti-poaching operations, and translocating wildlife as part of the transfrontier conservation programme.

The minister added that southern Africa was committed to assist its brothers and sisters in the rest of the African continent with good conservation methods. "As Africa we can only grow if we share good practices among ourselves."

Other proposals submitted to COP12 by South Africa include the transfer of the South African population of Cape Parrot from Appendix II (species not necessarily in danger of extinction but which could become so if trade in them were not strictly regulated) to Appendix I (species threatened with extinction that are or could be affected by trade), as well as the transfer of Aloe thorncroftii from Appendix I to Appendix II.

The decision on the two proposals is expected to be made soon. The conference ends on Friday, 15 November.