THIS IS CONSERVATION - SOUTH AFRICAN STYLE.

For 350 years farmers have been poisoning, trapping and shooting so called problem animals and nothing has changed. Any intelligent person will realise that such persecution has not solved the problem, and will look for non- lethal alternatives. And it is so easy. Indigenous Africans were successfully farming with livestock long before European settlers brought poison, gin traps and guns into South Africa. Kraaling livestock at night; safe camps for pregnant ewes and lambs; more agile breeds; employing herders and night watchmen; refraining from sport hunting the natural prey species of predators; employing large specialised dog breeds as flock protectors; donkeys, ostriches; these and others are cheap, easy and effective methods of non lethal animal control. Further, protecting the resident pair of predators is an easy way to keep out nomads who would prey on small stock.

In short, there is no such thing as a problem animal, there are only problem farmers.

In 2004, we sent the following email out to the media, conservation authorities and animal welfare in and outside South Africa:-

Take the case of Mr. Peter Schneekluth of Fritz Schneekluth & K.H. Wilhelm,

P.O. Box 103, Prins Albert, 6930, Tel (023) 541 1360.

This citizen advertises openly in the Landbou Weekblad, describing his products and how best to kill animals with them, and he supplies callers with his promotional pamphlet, entitled "Predator Control Equipment." This pamphlet has to be seen to be believed. With breathtaking disregard for the new laws, he lists a grisly collection of medieval instruments of torture, poisons and other devices, all designed to wipe out our wildlife in imaginatively cruel ways. Pictures of caracals or jackals strangled in neck-traps, and brutally caught in leg-smashing gin-traps adorn this horror pamphlet. The agony suffered by the animals as a result of Mr Schneekluth's grisly business activities can scarcely be imagined by South Africans. And there are without a shadow of doubt numerous violations of the Animals Protection Act in the use of these ghastly devices.

Gin traps (steel leg-hold traps) have been banned in 90 countries including all the member states of the European Union, because they are both shockingly cruel, and indiscriminate. In a country like South Africa where we have a rich diversity of small wild mammals, the use of such un-specific instruments of death and torture is both irresponsible and environmentally delinquent. Yet Mr. Schneekluth is able to function brazenly because of the obsolete mentality which contaminates our conservation services, namely that not only damage-causing animals, but the whole species to which such animal belongs, and all other animals in the vicinity, should be eradicated without regard to the preservation of biodiversity, or any ethics. Schneekluth actually refers his clients to Nature Conservation officials for advice on the vermin laws.

In short, here is a man openly working with conservation officials to exterminate our wildlife by the use of wholly unnecessary and indiscriminate traps which are banned elsewhere and ought to be banned here, and by the use of banned poisons. Until the outdated provincial vermin laws have been abolished, and conservationists start to protect our wildlife, all of it, instead of facilitating its cruel slaughter, ordinary decent South Africans must surely wonder how wisely their taxes are being employed.

Last week (September 2008) we received an email from the Landmark Foundation showing that despite the protest, and as with canned lion hunting, nothing has changed:-

The Source of the Traps in South Africa: The Landmark Foundation discovered that a factory in Prince Albert, in the Western Cape, is "quietly going about its business" of manufacturing as many as 1200 gin traps each month - two hundred of these are leopard traps - and this while it is expressly illegal to use these devices on protected species! The factory owner, Mr Peter Schneekluth, boasts that he has 3000 farmers on his books. That means that between 12 000 and 15 000 of these traps enter the system each year! These traps can very easily be used for the next 20 years. To read the full story go to:

http://www.environment.co.za/post.asp?method=Reply&TOPIC_ID=2152&FORUM_ID=16

We suggest that you write to the following people to protest about the situation, if you are concerned about this routine cruelty to helpless animals on an industrial scale:

Mr Peter Schneekluth - the owner of the gin trap factory in Prince Albert to object to the barbarism that he is promoting and the barbaric tools he is manufacturing; Tel 023 541 1360 Fax 023 541 1255 Email: jackalcontrol@absamail.co.za
The Tourism Association in Prince Albert to voice your disquiet that this factory blights the image of the town; Email: princealberttourism@intekom.co.za
Prince Albert Mayor, Mrs Gay van Hasselt should hear how the origin of such barbarism stems from her town, Email: Vanhasselt@icon.co.za
Mr Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of DEAT whose legislation still allows this barbarism and who has not responded to requests to meet him on this matter; Email: ministry@deat.gov.za or mwillemse@deat.gov.za or CLenders@deat.gov.za
Cape Nature Conservation - : fbekker@capenature.co.za, khamman@capenature.co.za Dhignett@pgwc.gov.za
The supermarkets and butchers who sell meat produced in such a barbaric way.

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CHRIS MERCER

CAMPAIGN AGAINST CANNED HUNTING