Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2024

The Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2024 introduces significant changes to the Parks and Wildlife Act [Chapter 20:14] in Zimbabwe. Below is a summary of the key amendments: Definitions and Interpretations: New terms such as "captive wild animal," "consumptive tourism," "non-consumptive tourism," "wildlife professional," and "precautionary principle" are introduced. Definitions for terms like "animal," "alienated land," "appropriate authority," "fish," "plant," and "wildlife" are updated. Wildlife Conservation Principles: The Act emphasizes sustainable utilization, community participation, gender equality, adaptive management, and transboundary cooperation in wildlife conservation. Ownership of Wildlife: Clarifies ownership rules for wild animals, including provisions for exotic animals, specially protected animals, and animals on alienated land. ​ Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund: Establishes a fund to provide monetary relief to victims of human-wildlife conflict, funded by quotas, levies, and parliamentary appropriations. Wildlife Professionals Council: Creates a regulatory body to oversee wildlife professionals, enforce ethical codes, and maintain professional standards. ​ Donation of Wildlife: Introduces regulations for donating wildlife, including approval processes, assessments, and fees. ​ Trafficking in Wildlife: Criminalizes the illegal sale, purchase, import, or export of wildlife, trophies, or derivatives, with penalties for violations. ​ Animal Welfare: Establishes guidelines for humane treatment of wildlife and allows inspections to ensure compliance. ​ Problem Animals: Defines "problem animals" and outlines measures for their management, including translocation, euthanasia, and containment. Trapping of Animals: Repeals the Trapping of Animals Control Act and introduces new regulations for the classification, use, and control of traps, including penalties for violations. Quelea Control: Repeals the Quelea Control Act and introduces new provisions for managing quelea birds, including reporting, destruction, and control measures. Park Rangers: Defines roles and responsibilities for park rangers and honorary park rangers, including their powers, uniforms, and protection of Authority property. ​ Quotas and Hunting Regulations: Establishes rules for determining and allocating quotas for consumptive wildlife activities and penalties for overconsumption. ​ Land Donations and Conservancies: Allows private and communal landowners to donate or designate land as part of the Parks and Wildlife Estate or community conservancies. ​ Mining Restrictions: Restricts prospecting and mining activities in protected areas, requiring presidential and ministerial approval. ​ Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA): Provides a framework for establishing cross-border conservation areas with neighboring countries. ​ International Cooperation: Promotes collaboration with other countries and organizations for wildlife conservation and management. ​ Increased Penalties: Raises fines and imprisonment terms for various wildlife-related offences. ​ Repeals and Updates: Repeals outdated schedules and acts, including the Quelea Control Act and Trapping of Animals Control Act, and updates several schedules to reflect new boundaries and classifications. ​ Administrative Changes: Revises the composition and functions of the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Board, introduces virtual meetings, and updates procedures for appeals, permits, and regulations. The amendments aim to modernize wildlife conservation and management, enhance community involvement, address human-wildlife conflict, and strengthen penalties for illegal activities. ​

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• Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2024
• Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Amendment Act, 2024