Mozambique, South Africa battle poaching
June 16, 2013, 9:54 pm

More than 400 rhinos were killed in South Africa this year [Getty Images]

The Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Conservation Area was formed in 2002 by South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe to cooperate on cross-border conservation.

South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa met Mozambique’s Minister of Tourism Carvalho Muaria in Maputo on Friday.

Molewa said: “We had very frank discussions with our counterparts in Mozambique, and we are glad that we are moving forward.”

“We will work together to curb this problem of poaching,” added the minister.

The meeting was necessitated by the upsurge in the rhino poaching in South Africa.

A total of 408 rhinos have been killed for their horns in South Africa this year; the Kruger National Park, which is under the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Conservation Area, lost over 250 rhinos.

The South African government said the increasing loss of their heritage forced them to seek dialogue with its neighbors.

Albi Modise, the spokesperson of Ministry of Water and Environmental Affairs said: “The unfortunate scourge of rhino poaching led to these frank and open talks on means to deal with the problem.”

“The objective of the ministerial meeting was to discuss the successes achieved by this partnership between South Africa and Mozambique on the management of the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Conservation Area,” said he.

Modise said both agreed to establish a joint law enforcement operation unit in the Great Limpopo Trans-frontier Area.

They also recommended to erect an effective fence on the conservancy area to curb poaching.

In 2013, 121 poachers have been arrested in South Africa. There are currently 119 poachers facing prosecution in South Africa, with 24 of them being from Mozambique.

The two countries agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding very soon on biodiversity conservation and management.

Xinhua