BIODIVERSITY POLICY

During the protracted civil war of the 1980’s and the early 1990’s, the once abundant wildlife of Coutada 5 was decimated to the point of local extinction for most species of herbivores and carnivores. However, the diversity of habitats of the region escaped almost unscathed. The result was the availability of prime wildlife habitat in abundance, but with only remnants of especially smaller and more elusive game species still being present.

Africa Futura Wildlife Restoration Lda chose the name of the Company to specifically reflect the need, and the desire, to restore the extirpated wildlife of the Coutada to its former glory. The first priority would be to demarcate and fence a core wildlife-wilderness block, for the re-introduction of both herbivores and carnivores. The planned size of this block is 210 000 ha, encompassing 22 game blocks of 5 000 ha each. The 22 blocks will form the outer ring, or buffer zone, around a core wilderness area of 100 000 ha. The block will be fenced as a single unit, making it one of the largest protected areas in Southern Africa. The initial carrying capacity for this unit has been calculated as more than 13 000 large stock units. In the rest of the Coutada basic conservation principles will be diligently applied, to ensure that the remaining renewable natural resources are in future utilized in a sustainable manner.

The list of herbivore species that is planned for re-introduction is impressive. Species such as elephant, buffalo, sable antelope, eland, reedbuck, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, Burchell’s zebra, blue wildebeest, nyala, kudu, impala and warthog, as well as smaller species such as suni and oribi, are planned for re-introduction. Major carnivores on the re-introduction list include the lion, leopard, spotted hyena, cheetah and African wild dog. The general paucity of wildlife in Mozambique will force the Company to source most of the species from neighbouring countries. This will greatly add to the cost of an already expensive exercise, and may also lead to insurmountable problems with the supply of suitable species in adequate numbers. The wildlife re-introduction program, linked to the general rehabilitation of especially the core wildlife-wilderness area, will be one of the largest conservation efforts currently under way in Africa. It will certainly be the most impressive and expensive private sector-based conservation effort in Africa, and probably in the world.

The restored wildlife of Coutada 5 will be sustainably utilised in both consumptive and non-consumptive ways. Initially at least consumptive use will be the most important source of revenues, but it is envisaged that non-consumptive uses will gradually increase in importance. The most important reasons for the existence of the Coutadas in Mozambique are firstly sustainable hunting, and secondly the creation of benefits for the local people. Africa Futura Wildlife Restoration Lda will comply with both these contractual obligations’