Poaching

• Poaching refers to the illegal hunting of animals and the illegal removal of plants
• In South Africa, poaching is on the increase due to the large sums of money generated by the illegal trade in plants and animals, as well as their products
• rhinos for their horns
• wild animals for their meet
• shellfish (abalone)
• elephants for their ivory tusks
• tortoises (shells)
• cycads- living fossil seed plants
• Poaching has a negative impact of biodiversity because it often targets endangered species, that are already scare, for economic gain
• Possible actions to reduce poaching:

  The government can make a concerted effort to fight poaching:

  • Directing more funding to conservation
  • involving many governmental departments
  • work with non-governmental conservation organisations
  • introduce radar and better training
  • raise public awareness and conservation education
  • increase community involvement
  • accelerating prosecutions
  • tightening border controls of exports
  • moving endangered species to safer locations