Media Release: Introducing SUCo-SA

The founding members of the Sustainable Use Coalition Southern Africa (SUCo-SA) are immensely proud to introduce to the world a whole new organisation, embracing a whole new approach to an insidious threat. Modernistic tendencies compounded by ignorance and misinformation combine to completely misconstrue what Conservation through Sustainable Utilisation really means. While the plastic curse so devastating to our oceans is starting to be recognised, society does not realise that the plastic existence of wealthy, urbanised society who have been disconnected from the rural and wild world is even more pervasive and potentially devastating.

The unfortunate trend, which began slowly with the Industrial Revolution but has especially escalated in these last years of rapid cyber driven lifestyle changes, leaves the typical and particularly “western” urbanite totally at odds with the fact that humankind is but just one species on a planet where biodiversity has evolved over millennia to be completely integrated. The “Circle of Life”, as so insidiously misconstrued in a popular Disney movie, never evolved leaving the human species out, but this is exactly what “anti-use” and particularly animal-rightist doctrine sells down the throats of a gullible public. We are not merely observers of life on this planet, like some wide-eyed kid looking into a goldfish bowl. We are, and always were, meant to take our place within the circle of life and any move to exclude us from it will have devastating effects not just on the biodiversity of the planet, but on the psyche of many millions of us who still have the human imperative to BELONG within the natural scheme of things.

SUCo-SA will work wherever and however it must to fulfil our stated cause. This is best summed up in the following core statements from our Constitution:    

• 1.1.1 In this document, the term “Sustainable Use”means: the wise and responsible use of renewable biodiversity and the elements which support it, which does not lead to depletion of the resource.
• 1.1.2 In recognition of urbanised, industrialised society’s domination of global thinking, media and policymaking, the founders of SUCo-SA stand together to ensure that our heritage, values, conservation benefits and the wellbeing of all our people derived from ongoing sustainable use of renewable natural resources is secure into the future.

SUCo-SA will seek to include other like-minded organisations in our coalition within the Southern African landscape whether your cause is wildlife, marine resources, plants/bioprospecting or community based and traditional use interests.

The combined membership numbers of the founders exceed 70 000 people. The proud founding members of SUCo-SA, with elected SUCo-SA Exco members names and positions reflected next to the organisation they hail from, are:

Confederation of Hunting Associations of South Africa (CHASA) (Stephen Palos – Vice Chair)

National Hunting and Shooting Associations (Natshoot) (Dr Herman Els – Chair)

Professional Hunters Association of South Africa (PHASA) (Dries van Coller – Secretary General)

South African Falconry Association (SAFA)

South African Predators Association (SAPA)

South African Taxidermy and Tannery Association (SATTA)

South African Wingshooters Association

True Green Alliance (TGA) (Ron Thomson – ExcoMember)

Wildlife Ranching South Africa (WRSA) (Richard York – Treasurer)