By Bisola Adeyemo
Ghana Cabinet, the Executive Branch of the Government, on Thursday approved new Wildlife Resources Management Bill to ensure the implementation of international conventions on wildlife, of which Ghana is a signatory
This was contained in a statement issued by the Public Affairs Unit of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra.
According to the statement, the Bill was approved during the 17th meeting of the cabinet. Cabinet’s approval of the Bill means that it is now ready to be presented to Parliament for consideration, and hopefully, passage.
It is said the current legislation that governs wildlife and protected areas, including the Wild Animals Preservation Act, 1961 (Act 43), the Wildlife Conservation Regulations, 1971 (L.I. 685) and the Wildlife Reserves Regulations, 1971 (L.I. 710) enacted some 50 years ago were not in tune with current international best practices for wildlife protection and management.
“These laws do not provide a proper legal framework for the implementation of the Forest and Wildlife Policy, 2012, the Forestry Development Master Plan (2016-2036) and other national and international frameworks that guide sustainable resource management, all of which were adopted years after the current Legislation,” the statement said.
The Bill also, will provide for a new management structure to give legal backing to local communities in wildlife management through the creation of Community Resources Management Areas (CREMAs) and ensure higher penalties and sanctions regimes for wildlife offences, which is deterrent enough to protect the wildlife resources.
Including the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (RAMSAR) 1971, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, (CITES), 1973, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (BONN) 1979, as well as several indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The statement also said the extensive consultation with the relevant stakeholders in the review process had engendered a lot of support, inputs and goodwill from all actors and provided a good indication of a successful implementation of the Bill when passed into law by Parliament.