THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS, 2007

The Threatened or Protected Species Regulations, 2007, issued under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004, establish a comprehensive legal framework for managing restricted activities involving listed threatened and protected species in South Africa. The regulations detail a permit system for activities such as hunting, breeding, and trade, and mandate the registration of facilities including captive breeding operations, game farms, and sanctuaries. It includes strict prohibitions on certain hunting methods and activities involving large predators and rhinoceros species, while providing mechanisms for risk assessments, appeals, and the establishment of a Scientific Authority.

• The regulations establish a permit system for 'restricted activities' involving listed threatened or protected species. Permits can be ordinary, standing, or specific types such as possession, game farm hunting, nursery possession, and personal effects permits.
• Certain facilities must be registered with an issuing authority to legally operate with listed species. These include captive breeding operations, commercial exhibition facilities, nurseries, scientific institutions, sanctuaries, rehabilitation facilities, and wildlife traders, as well as game farms.
• The regulations prohibit specific activities involving listed large predators (Cheetah, Spotted hyaena, Brown hyaena, Wild dog, and Leopard), White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), and Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Prohibitions include hunting 'put and take' animals, hunting in controlled environments, and hunting under the influence of tranquilising agents.
• General hunting methods are strictly regulated. Prohibited methods include the use of poison, snares, air guns, and certain weapons (such as those with a rim firing cartridge of .22 inch or smaller). Luring by sound or smell is generally prohibited, though exceptions exist for leopards and hyenas using dead bait.
• Issuing authorities may require a detailed risk assessment for permit applications, particularly those involving wild populations of critically endangered species. This assessment must be conducted by an independent environmental assessment practitioner and cover taxonomy, population trends, and potential ecosystem risks.
• The regulations provide a legal pathway for managing 'damage causing animals'—individuals of listed species that threaten human life, stock, or crops. Control options include capture, relocation, or culling, and in emergency self-defence situations, landowners may kill such animals provided they notify the authority within 24 hours.
• A Scientific Authority is established to advise the Minister. It is composed of representatives from the Department, provincial departments, South African National Parks, SANBI, natural history museums, and the National Zoological Gardens.
• Specific marking requirements are mandated for elephant ivory (20cm or more in length and more than 1kg in weight) and rhinoceros horn (unprocessed and longer than 10cm). Ivory is marked via punch-die or indelible ink, while rhinoceros horn is marked with a micro-chip.
• SANBI is required to determine annual hunting off-take limits for the country and per province by the end of September each year for species determined by the Minister.
• Offences under these regulations, such as undertaking restricted activities without a permit or forging documents, carry significant penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years and fines up to R5 million (increasing to R10 million or 10 years for subsequent convictions).

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2007). THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS, 2007. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2004/09/TOPS-Regs.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS, 2007. 2007. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2004/09/TOPS-Regs.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS, 2007 |date=23 February 2007 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2004/09/TOPS-Regs.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2007threatened, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS, 2007}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2007}, month = feb, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2004/09/TOPS-Regs.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }