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Media Statement
STATEMENT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, 14 DECEMBER 2007
FRIDAY, 14 DECEMBER 2007:
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has announced amendments to the TOPS regulations, gazetted in February 2007. These amended regulations have been gazetted today in the Government Gazette (Gazette number 30568). The implementation of these regulations was delayed due to the implementation concerns that were raised by the provincial authorities.
“The amendments are therefore a product of that wider consultation with the implementing and issuing authorities, the Provincial Agencies."
“In a spirit of cooperative governance and in ensuring that all views and opinions from all affected parties are heard, we felt it necessary to engage in this thorough consultative process with these stakeholders before the implementation phase of the regulations could begin” he added.
We have now ensured that possible gaps and loop holes are closed and agreed upon by all to ensure that we present to the industry water tight regulations”, said the Minister. The definition for listed large predators has however been changed to temporarily exclude lion from the definition while the court case of the South African Predator Breeders Association against the Minister is pending.
The amendments will provide greater clarity to the text and also to make provision for the enforcement of the Norms and Standards to be published in terms of section 9 of the National Environmental: Biodiversity Act, 2007 (NEMBA).
These regulations will come into effect on 1 February 2008.
DETAILS OF THE AMENDMENTS ARE HERE
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