According the acting secretary of the ARB, David Spencer Mmui, the Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism through the ARB will develop supplementary regulations, which will ensure that veldt products of economic importance are not commercialised without their consent.
Speaking at a full council meeting, Mmui said that natural resources are exploited in ways that are detrimental to the environment.
“In an effort to manage these natural resources the ministry through the ARB is planning to establish a comprehensive veldt products monitoring programme. They will also review Agricultural Resource Conservation policies to align them with the current natural resources conservation and management realities,” he said.
Mmui said some natural resources have economic potential and local and international companies are exploiting the resources on an unsustainable basis.
He pointed out that the recent harvesting of the HOODIA Species has prompted this move.
“This is in an effort to better monitor the use of these resources. We would like to establish and register all buyers,” he said. He added that laws, regulations, policies and guidelines are necessary for people to use the environment sustainably for the benefit of current and future generations.
He raised fears that natural resources like grass, reeds, carving trees, basketry and wild fruits are not properly monitored and will result in over exploitation. He, however, informed councillors that harvesters of veldt products for the purpose of domestic use would not be required to apply for a permit.
Mmui said ARB is planning to improve the implementation of existing policies and legal instruments to enhance conservation and management of natural resources. He further said his board would work with the Ministry of Agriculture, other stakeholders and NGO’s on the preparation of a forest products inventory, which will provide important information, which could be used for management purposes.
