Cabinet has approved a new National Wildlife Policy aimed at modernising conservation laws increasing community benefits and strengthening the wildlife sector’s contribution to the economy.
Information Minister Zhemu Soda announced the decision during a post-Cabinet media briefing saying the new framework replaces the current policy adopted in 1992.
He said the wildlife sector had changed significantly over the past three decades, creating a need for updated and more innovative approaches to management and conservation.
“Cabinet considered and approved the National Wildlife Policy. Government notes that the wildlife sector has been remarkably transformed since the enactment of the current Policy in 1992, and therefore the need for sustainable and innovative wildlife management and policy initiatives,” Soda said.
He said the new policy seeks to align Zimbabwe with emerging national, regional and international best practices.
“The New Wildlife Policy therefore seeks to align with emerging national, regional and international best practices, in order to promote more sustainable harnessing of the vast opportunities existing in the wildlife sector,” he said.
According to the government, the policy is designed to strengthen the role of wildlife resources in national development while increasing community participation and long-term socio-economic benefits.
Soda said the framework would also improve resilience to climate change and support a wildlife-based economy under the National Development Strategy 2.
The policy recognises wildlife as a public resource and aims to ensure fair sharing of benefits, support devolution and encourage partnerships between the public and private sectors.
It also includes measures to promote ethical conservation practices and cooperation on transboundary wildlife management with neighbouring countries.
Among the key changes are new regulations for the CAMPFIRE programme, Zimbabwe’s community-based natural resource management initiative.
The government said the policy would also address growing cases of conflict between people and wild animals through the implementation of the approved Human-Wildlife Conflict Relief Fund for affected victims.
Soda said the policy is built around ten strategic pillars, including wildlife ownership and guardianship, conservation inside and outside national parks, fisheries management, indigenous species protection, wildlife movement, community participation and research.
He added that wildlife corridors would be established and maintained while stronger penalties would be introduced for activities threatening fisheries and water resource sustainability.
Zimbabwe is home to some of Africa’s best-known wildlife populations, including elephants, lions and rhinos making conservation a key pillar of both tourism and rural livelihoods.
