The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Ms Barbara Dallas Creecy, hereby, gives notice of her publication of the revised draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy in the Government Gazette for public comments.

Section 24 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa requires that reasonable legislative and other measures be put in place to ensure that the environment is protected for the benefit of present and future generations, including through promoting conservation and securing ecologically sustainable development and use of natural resources. Therefore, the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy is one such measure, to ensure effective conservation and sustainable use of South Africa's biodiversity, with inclusive and equitable socio-economic development.

In 2020, minister established the High-Level Panel (HLP) to review policies, legislation and practices on matters related to the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros. The Cabinet of the Republic of South Africa adopted the HLP report with 18 goals and 60 recommendations on 21 April 2021. The HLP recommended that the department should recontextualise the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy to fully leverage the value of the iconic species as a unique selling point for South Africa, prioritising both responsible photo-tourism and hunting.

In December 2022, during the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Biodiversity (COP15), the parties adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Goal B of the GBFG indicates that biodiversity is sustainably used and managed and nature's contributions to people, including ecosystem functions and services are valued, maintained and enhanced, with those currently in decline being restored, supporting the achievement of sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations by 2050. Target 9 of the GBF ensures that the management and use of wild species are sustainable, thereby providing social, economic and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities, products and services that enhance biodiversity, and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.

The revised draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy is informed by the White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity which was approved by Cabinet on the 29th March 2023 and published for implementation on 14 June 2023, under Government Notice No. 3537, Government Gazette, No. 48785

The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy is, therefore, underpinned by two cross-cutting imperatives:

• Cross-cutting imperative 1 | leverage the biodiversity economy to promote conservation and species and ecosystem management, thereby ensuring a positive feedback loop;
• Cross-cutting imperative 2 | promote growth and transformation of the biodiversity economy.

The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy sets out to achieve four strategic goals with their anticipated impacts:

• Goal 1 | Leveraging biodiversity-based features to scale inclusive ecotourism industry growth in seascapes and in sustainable conservation land-use.
  Impact statement: This will grow sustainable and inclusive eco-tourism-based businesses by 10% per annum through marine-based ecotourism activities and expansion of the conservation estate from 20 million ha to 34 million ha by 2040 (4,2 million ha from declared protected areas and 10 million ha from other effective area-based conservation measures-OECMs).
• Goal 2| Consumptive use of Game from extensive wildlife systems at scale that drive transformation and expanded sustainable conservation compatible land-use.
  Impact Statement: This will increase the GDP contribution for consumptive use of game from extensive wildlife systems from R4.6 billion (2020) to R27.6 billion by 2036.
• Goal 3 | Consumptive use of wild and produced marine and freshwater resources that drives inclusive coastal socio-economic development.
  Impact Statement: Grow sustainable consumptive use of marine, coastal, estuarine and freshwater resources, including through aquaculture, by 10% per annum by 2036;
• Goal 4 | Well structured, inclusive, integrated and formalised Bioprospecting, Biotrade, and Biodiversity-based Harvesting and Production Sector that beneficiates communities.
  Impact Statement: This will increase the GDP contribution of the bioprospecting/biotrade from R1,85 billion (2020) to R11,6 billion by 2036 through local beneficiation (finished pharmaceutical, cosmetics and food supplements products), and the development of SMME based production systems for restoration and sequestration.

In order to achieve these goals, the NBES requires implementation of four key enablers:

• Enabler 1: effective and efficient regulation and policy implementation;
• Enabler 2: increased capacity, innovation and technological support;
• Enabler 3: financial support sustains conservation and grows the biodiversity economy;
• Enabler 4: market access for communities and previously disadvantaged individuals.

• The revised draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy [PDF - 3.1 mb]
• Template: socio-economic impact assessment study (SEIAS) on the draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy [PDF - 333 kb]
• White Paper on Conservation and Sustainable Use of South Africa's Biodiversity [PDF - 2.7 mb]
• Report of the High-Level Panel (HLP) to review policies, legislation and practices on matters related to the management, breeding, hunting, trade and handling of elephant, lion, leopard and rhinoceros  [PDF - 9.5 mb]
  
  

By post

The Director-General: Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
Attention: Mr Khorommbi Matibe
Private Bag X447
Pretoria
0001

By hand

By hand at:
Reception
Environment House
473 Steve Biko Road
Arcadia
Pretoria
0083

By e-mail: nbes@dffe.gov.za

Any inquiries in connection with the draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy, or in connection with the socio-economic impact assessment study (SEIAS) on the draft National Biodiversity Economy Strategy, can be directed to:

Mr Khorommbi Matibe
E-mail: kmatibe@dffe.gov.za

For media enquiries, please contact

Chief Director: Communications and Advocacy, Mr. Peter Mbelengwa
Mobile: Cell: 082 498 4799

Members of the public are invited to submit, within 14 days from the date of publication of this notice in the government Gazette or in newspapers, whichever is the later date of publication.