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Last updated 26 January 2010
LOTS
MORE ABOUT BIRDS - ©AVIZANDUM
ANIMAL INTEREST ALLIANCE TRUST
MISSION STATEMENT :-The objective of the AIA TRUST shall be to promote the
welfare of animals, to strengthen the human-animal bond, to preserve genetic
diversity, to ensure that the use of renewable resources is sustainable and to
safeguard the rights and interests of responsible animal owners and
professionals through research,
public education and the development of sound public policy.
Brief History to date:-
The
AIA was formed in 2006 by a group of concerned citizens and passionate animal
keepers in response to a radical draft policy published by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife
( EKZNW) and put out for short notice public comment without stakeholder input.
The draft policy has caused widespread alarm and concern because if it is
adopted it would severely limit the keeping of any wild animal by anyone other
than a registered zoo, rehabilitation centre or sanctuary. A wild animal
includes any animal either indigenous or exotic that is not a domestic animal
and includes reptiles and birds. If the Policy is passed it will be adopted by
other provinces and therefore affect anyone in South Africa who keeps wild
animals. An African Grey parrot is considered a wild animal as much as a duiker,
snake, lizard or marmoset. Primates are targeted in a separate draft policy and
no one will be allowed to keep, breed and sell them. All existing animals will
be phased out.
The
AIA have been advised by their specialist environmental law attorney that the
process which EKZNW have followed
to arrive at this draft policy is legally flawed and they have challenged EKZNW
to go back to the drawing board and invite all stakeholders to take part in
drawing up a new draft policy. While EKZNW have after much pressure invited
further comments and stakeholder input, it is quite clear that they don’t
intend to back down and they have provided no guarantee that they will act on
any of the objections to date.
As
it stands the draft policy has already started to impact and cause harm to
various industries such as the film industry which stands to lose multi million
rand foreign contacts. The adoption of the policy would crash the entire pet
industry and suppliers to this industry along with their direct and indirect
dependants.
The
AIA have on numerous occasions attempted to negotiate with EKZNW but have now
instructed their attorney to bring about court action and halt the process
because all avenues of negotiation between the AIA and EKZNW have finally been
exhausted.
The
final non court activity was to inform the other affected government entities of
the intended court action as they have a legal interest in the outcome. The
office of the Premier of KZN and the MEC both responded to this correspondence
and the AIA attorney is currently in contact with them.
Nevertheless,
nothing may come of this and the AIA will probably have a huge legal battle on
its hands. We are appealing to anyone and everyone who owns animals and who
supports the cause of the AIA to become a member. It is all too easy to sit back
and hope that something gets done to stop this draft from being adopted but
without your support this may well be impossible. Each membership will
contribute towards the AIA legal fees and enable us to continue to fight for our
rights. Membership will not be afforded to any rightist group, association,
institution or person who is not in favour of animals being kept in captivity.
The
Animal Interest Alliance is currently registering as a TRUST and both the long
and short term aims and objectives will be outlined in the next issue of
Avizandum. Please encourage your friends, bird and reptile club members and any
other people who you feel are passionate about keeping animals to be proactive
and join the AIA. If this draft becomes legislation then it will be too late and
there will be many regrets.
For your membership application form or
more information email aiatrust@gmail.com
Or
contact the AIA Trust spokesperson William Horsfield as per details on the back
page AMAZONA advert. (amazona@iafrica.com)
Or
AIA Trust committee members
Jim
Stockley of Stockley Trained Animal Consultants cc
P.O
Box 36, Umlaas Road 3730
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
tel/fax 031 7851411
mobile: 082 449 1130
email: js114@pixie.co.za
Dr
Angelo Lambiris Tel 031-7656466
The Animal Interest Alliance Trust is inviting membership at the following annual rates.
INDIVIDUAL
R250
FAMILY
R500
CORPORATE
R1000
PLATINUM SPONSOR R5000 & more (this category
will entitle the member logo to be displayed on the AIA Trust Website along with
other advertising perks)
Banking details for the AIA are as follows:-
For
electronic deposits
For cheque
& cash deposits
Ridl
& Co Attorneys
Absa Bank
Investec
Bank
Gandhi
Square
Branch
code: 580105
Branch code: 632005
Account
no.: 50001513414
Account no.: 01340550303
Ref AIA + depositor name Ref: 50001513414 AIA + Depositor name
MORE ON AIA
What is AIA and Why was it formed?
The AIA is a registered non-profit TRUST, founded in 2006 by a group of
concerned citizens, in response to radical draft policies that were published by
the KZN provincial nature conservation body, Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife
(EKZNW) in September 2006
These
draft policies seek to either severely restrict or completely ban the keeping in
captivity of wild animals, and especially for commercial purposes. Unless you
are a Registered facility or EKZNW approved Sanctuary / Rehabilitation /
Research Centre you will no longer be allowed to keep ‘wild animals’.
The
draft policy defines a ‘wild animal’ as ANY species of animal that occurs
naturally anywhere in the world! This includes all primates, birds, reptiles,
fish & even insects. According to the current draft, the only animals you
would be allowed to keep without severe restriction in future, would be domestic
animals such as dogs & cats.
Consider
the implications of what EKZNW are trying to do. They are threatening the
passions of many thousands of people whether it be a hobby or an entire
livelihood. Private breeding facilities that keep and breed birds, reptiles or
other ‘wild animals’ will be forced to close down as they are deemed
undesirable. Trained performing animals would be banned from working in Films,
TV Commercials and Circus……. under all circumstances, no matter how well
cared for or regulated!
The
whole pet industry will collapse because it is not simply the handraised
lovebird that may not be sold, but the ripple effect moves onto the manufacture
of the parrot cage, to the farmer of the seeds which the bird will eat, to the
labourers and their families who work on those farms and so it goes on..........
Left
unchecked, it won’t just be KZN that suffers........ EKZNW have consulted
other provinces in the hope that their policies will be adopted nationally by
the other provincial conservation bodies. AIA membership should be of interest
to all South Africans that are in any way connected with animals, whether it be
an association or individual, hobby or as a business occupation.
The
AIA does not oppose sensible regulation and welcomes high norms and standards of
animal husbandry. AIA was NOT formed to avoid regulation. Our members
have been actively participating in improving and perfecting the conditions
under which animals are kept for many years. Many AIA members are renowned
animal specialists in their own fields and believe EKZNW have made a grave error
of judgement in not inviting their input into these draft policies from the
outset.
The
EKZNW ‘Ex Situ Wild Animal’ draft policy (and associated Primate Policy) is
clearly a wish-list of how EKZNW would like matters in the future.
The drafts are heavy with ‘animal activist’ sentiment and appear to
be driven by people who don’t want to see any animals in captivity, period.
The AIA has repeatedly attempted to negotiate with EKZNW on these matters but
EKZNW remain steadfast in their refusal to back down and instead have gone ahead
with the whole process, even berating the AIA in the press and making statements
to the effect that the AIA are an alarmist group causing ‘unnecessary panic’
and that what EKZNW are doing is in the “best interests of the animals”!
What do we hope to do now?
The AIA has enlisted the services of a specialist environmental attorney (Prof.
Jeremy Ridl) to represent them in their unified objection to the draft policies.
We
are not attacking the actual content on EKZNW draft policies (even though we
disagree with much of it!) - we are asking EKZNW to withdraw their ‘policy
documents’ because, if implemented, they would have the effect of LAW and
EKZNW cannot make law - that’s Parliament’s job!
EKZNW
failed to consult properly with interested parties and have followed a fatally
flawed process in arriving at these “draft policies”.
AIA is currently preparing legal action against EKZNW. We feel AIA has no alternative but to approach the High Court
with a view to obtaining an order that will include an interdict pending a
declaration of rights as follows:
·
the powers of the Board of EKZNW to make policy in the way in which it is
proposed (or at all);
·
the powers of officials of EKZNW to determine permit conditions except
within the confines of the Ordinance and subject to the principles of just
administrative action;
·
the constitutionality of the Board’s actions, particularly with regard
to the legislative effect of the proposed policy and its interference in the
domain of the legislative powers of the national and provincial governments; ·
that matters that have the effect of the proposed policy fall to be dealt
with by way of appropriate regulations (or norms and standards) made under the
Biodiversity Act
·
Whilst we seek no order against his office, as a matter of procedure we
have also joined Provincial Premier of KZN to the matter, as well as the MEC
Agriculture and Environmental Affairs and the Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism.
This
may well be a very expensive fight but it is one we cannot back away from. We
refuse to allow EKZNW to rob us of our constitutional right to a legitimate
interest in the keeping of captive animals for private or commercial purposes.
We think it is vital that we resolve this matter in KZN on behalf of animal
keepers throughout the whole Country.
AIA
and the Future:
The
Animal Interest Alliance was formed very quickly to face the EKZNW challenge. It
brought together a very diverse group of people with varied interests. We
believe that AIA has a useful function beyond the current disagreement with
EKZNW. There will always be Provincial or National matters where AIA could
provide a unified voice to represent the interests of animals and their owners.
A common-sense sounding board for Government to interface with interested &
affected parties. We think AIA
might become a clearinghouse for information and a forum where ‘norms &
standards’ for animal care could be written by the people actually involved
with a particular species
Please
join us:
The
Animal Interest Alliance invites you to join as a member and support our cause.
Each member adds their weight to our voice and your tax deductible membership
fees and donations will enable us to defend our rights to continue to work with
and keep wild animals, as we have done for generations.
As
someone with an interest in animals, we encourage you to be proactive and become
a member of the AIA and make your voice heard. Please refer to April 2007
issue of Avizandum for membership details and categories. The AIA is a
registered non-profit TRUST
Kind regards