WRSA & SATTA Proposals Approved for CITES CoP20
We are proud to share that two key proposals, submitted by WRSA and SATTA under the Sustainable Use Coalition (SUCo-SA), have officially been approved for discussion at the upcoming CITES CoP20, taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan later this year!
✅ WRSA’s Proposal to remove the Bontebok from CITES Appendix II.
✅ SATTA’s Proposal to remove Southern Giraffe populations (from Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe) from Appendix II.
What does this mean?
These approved proposals will now be formally considered at CoP20, where global CITES Parties will decide on possible changes to international trade controls – an important step for evidence-based conservation and sustainable use in Southern Africa.
- “These proposals focus on sustainable use of giraffes and bonteboks, with research showing that regulated hunting can fund conservation, as evidenced by a 2019 peer-reviewed study in Conservation Letters indicating that trophy hunting revenues supported 70% of Namibia’s community conservancies, challenging narratives that equate hunting with ecological harm.
- The inclusion of these species reflects South Africa’s unique biodiversity role, with the bontebok being endemic to the Cape fynbos and once nearly extinct, its population rebounding from under 100 in the 1930s to over 3,000 today due to targeted conservation, per data from the South African National Biodiversity Institute.”
We extend our sincere thanks to the DFFE and the Scientific Authority for recognizing and supporting these two proposals, which are grounded in robust scientific evidence.
Why CITES matters
CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) governs global trade in wildlife. For South African wildlife industry, its listings directly impact how we manage, conserve, and utilise species like bontebok and giraffe – making informed, locally led participation critical.
This is a win for conservation, a win for science, and a win for sustainable-use practices in South Africa!
