NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REGULATIONS

The Nature and Environmental Conservation Regulations, issued on August 29, 1975, establish a comprehensive legal framework for the management of provincial nature reserves, the captivity of wild animals, the hunting of protected species, and the regulation of inland waters and flora. The document details strict requirements for cage sizes, permit systems for professional hunters, and specific prohibitions against activities that could damage the environment or disturb fauna within protected areas.

• Access to provincial nature reserves is strictly controlled through entrance fees, designated gates, and specific admission times determined by the Director. However, the Director may issue permits for scientific or other necessary purposes to allow entry without tickets, at non-standard times, or through non-designated gates.
• A wide range of activities are prohibited within nature reserves to protect the environment and fauna, including lighting fires outside designated areas, driving over 50 km/h, traveling off constructed roads, polluting inland waters, and disturbing or feeding fauna.
• The regulations mandate specific minimum cage sizes and environmental conditions for wild animals kept in captivity, categorized by species and mass. Requirements include daily cleaning, ventilation, and protection from weather extremes.
• High-risk animals, including lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, wolves, wild dogs, rhinoceros, and buffalo, require cage specifications approved by the Director. Additionally, cages for primates over 5 kg and the aforementioned carnivores must feature a buffer at least 1.5 meters from the cage and 1 meter high to prevent public access.
• Professional hunters and hunting contractors must be permitted by the Director. Contractors are required to provide comprehensive services to clients, including escorting by a professional hunter, catering, transport, and first-aid. They must also enter into written remuneration agreements with clients.
• The regulations establish minimum size limits for various fish and crustaceans caught in inland waters to prevent the harvesting of undersized specimens. For example, the minimum length for Yellow fish (Barbus capensis) is 400 mm, and for the Giant crab (Scylla serrata), the minimum breadth is 100 mm.
• Strict record-keeping is required for the sale of protected flora and the carcasses of protected wild animals. Registered flora sellers must use invoice books and attach labels to plants, which the purchaser must not remove for six months.
• The regulations prescribe a standardized system of signs to indicate allowed or prohibited activities in nature reserves. Allowed activities are shown in dark green on a white background, while prohibited activities are marked with a red border and a red diagonal slash.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (1975). NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REGULATIONS. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Regulations.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REGULATIONS. 1975. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Regulations.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REGULATIONS |date=29 August 1975 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Regulations.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights1975nature, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION REGULATIONS}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {1975}, month = aug, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Regulations.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }