Mozambique: Conservation policy review spotlights selective culling, boundary changes

The intention was announced today by Secretary of State for Land and Environment Gustavo Djedje at the opening of the National Dialogue on Transboundary Conservation Areas, which brings together representatives from Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Eswatini, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), cooperation partners and conservation organisations in Maputo. According to Djedje, the measure is part of the revision of the national conservation policy and will initially be implemented on a pilot basis in areas where excessive animal populations and increasing wildlife numbers are worsening conflicts with communities. “We are thinking that this will also be a way of mitigating human-wildlife conflict, but it will also be a way for communities themselves to benefit from the resources that they have been fighting to preserve,” the Secretary of State told journalists.

Gustavo Djedje explained that the Government is also preparing a decree to regulate the wildlife culling process, allowing animal populations to be managed in certain protected areas. “The extraction (…) consists of the Government authorising the selective culling of wildlife in order to maintain an appropriate and balanced ecosystem in conservation areas,” he said. The Secretary of State added that the Government is also reclassifying conservation areas to update boundaries established in the 1960s, which, according to him, no longer correspond to the current occupation of the territory, marked by population growth and the expansion of economic activities.

The official explained that Mozambique maintains the same number of parks, reserves, hunting areas and community conservation areas, but intends to update the size and actual occupation of these spaces. He added that the first results of the reclassification process are expected to be presented from September. According to Gustavo Djedje, the latest national census recorded 22,708 elephants, an increase attributed to stronger conservation measures and efforts to combat poaching, but which has also increased human-wildlife conflicts in areas surrounding protected areas.

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Photo: Ministério da Agricultura, Ambiente e Pescas “The growth in wildlife numbers shows, on the one hand, the great efforts the country has made to protect this resource, but it also highlights a major challenge in managing this animal,” he said. READ:Mozambique wants to resize existing conservation areas to ensure balance with communities

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