BEARDED VULTURE POPULATION AND HABITAT VIABILITY ...

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Population and Habitat Viability Assessment: Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) ________________________________________________ highlands then electrocution and collisions could increase (Maphisa 1997), however, it would be very difficult to detect in Lesotho’s mountainous and remote terrain (C. van Rooyen, in litt.). In a study in the Spanish Pyrenees it was found, in 2004 that the most important causes of mortality were Poison (42%), Shooting (18%), power-lines (23%) and other 17%), sample size, not given (R. Heredia in Frey et al. 2004: 70-72). Conservation action includes the opening of vulture restaurants, monitoring (especially breeding pairs), awareness programmes (among rural Basotho inhabitants and South African commercial farmers) to discourage indiscriminate use of poisons, nest disturbance and persecution (Brown 1997a). 12. Legislation The southern African deme of the Bearded Vulture is found in just two countries: Lesotho and South Africa. However, within South Africa, it is found in three provinces, each of which has separate legislation covering this species. Lesotho: The Bearded Vulture is specifically protected under Act 41 of 1967 “The historical monuments, relics, fauna and flora act”. In terms of this act the Bearded Vulture is specifically listed in the category “Protected Fauna” (section 8, clause d) and see also Legal notice No. 36 of 1969 “Proclamation of monuments, relics, fauna and flora”, “Protected fauna” – “10. All bearded vultures seoli/lammergeyer.” A new act is currently before the Kingdom’s parliament (Nature conservation bill 2005) in which (clause 64) the conservation of threatened or protected species is proscribed. In this new act the Minister must list these species but “The species of fauna and flora proclaimed in terms of section 8 of (the previous act) as protected fauna or flora are deemed to be protected in terms of this act”. While Lesotho has signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) this has not been ratified because of the high cost of implementation (Kopij 2004). The following comment is offered on the effectiveness of the above legislation (Kopij 2004): “This proclamation is written in English and unfortunately has not been translated into Sesotho (the mother tongue of almost all Basotho which (sic) constitute 98% of Lesotho population). Furthermore, it is now out of print and so that only a few legal scholars know it today. If an ordinary villager knows about this proclamation, it may be because (of an) unwitting infringement and consequent punishment. … Resentment is understandable in such circumstances and may prevent its implementation.” 33
Population and Habitat Viability Assessment: Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) ________________________________________________ South Africa: In general terms, environmental conservation as a whole in South Africa is governed by the “Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989” and subsequent amending legislation and proclamations. The following acts also impinge upon nature conservation: “National Environmental Management Act, 1998 – Act No. 107” “National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004” of which Chapter 4, Part 2 covers “Protection of threatened or protected species” while Part 3 covers “trade in listed threatened or protected species”. “National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, No. 57 of 2003” KwaZulu-Natal Province: The protection of wild birds in the province is governed by the provisions of the “Nature Conservation Ordinance No. 15 of 1974”. This ordinance governs the killing or capture of wild birds (section 114), the sale and purchase of wild birds (section 115), the keeping of wild birds in aviaries (section 118), the exhibition or display of wild birds (section 121), the export of wild birds (section 125) and a number of other minor items. In Schedule 9 the Bearded Vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is specifically listed among the “Specially protected birds”. 13. Acknowledgements The following people are thanked for their contributions towards this document: Sonja Krüger, Brenda Daly, Peter Mundy, Christopher Brown, Chris van Rooyen, Steven Evans, Tim Snow, Richard Dean, Doug van Zyl, Andrew Jenkins, David Allan, Tsepo Lepono, Richard Lechmere-Oertel and Hans Frey. 34
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