Aug 11, 2026 |
The Mozambican Government is preparing legislation to authorise the selective culling of wildlife in conservation areas with excessive animal populations.
The announcement was made by the Secretary of State for Land and Environment, Gustavo Djedje, at the opening ceremony of the National Dialogue on Transfrontier Conservation Areas, held in Maputo.
The meeting brought together in the capital delegations from Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Eswatini, as well as representatives of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), cooperation partners and conservation organisations.
According to Djedje, the measure forms part of the review of the national conservation policy and will initially be implemented in areas where the growth of animal populations is worsening conflicts with local communities.
The official added that a specific decree is being prepared to regulate the culling process, allowing animal populations to be managed in certain protected areas, according to Club of Mozambique/Lusa Agency..
The Secretary of State also noted that the Government is reclassifying conservation areas to update boundaries established in the 1960s, which no longer reflect the current territorial reality, shaped by population growth and the expansion of economic activities.
The number of parks, reserves, hunting areas and community conservation areas remains unchanged, but their respective boundaries and sizes will be revised, with the first results of the process expected in September.
The most recent national census recorded 22,708 elephants in the country, an increase attributed to stronger protection measures and efforts to combat poaching, but which has also intensified conflicts in areas bordering protected areas.
Mozambique is part of five SADC transfrontier conservation areas: the Great Limpopo, with South Africa and Zimbabwe; Lubombo, with South Africa and Eswatini; Chimanimani, with Zimbabwe; Niassa-Selous, with Tanzania; and ZIMOZA, with Zambia and Zimbabwe – strategic zones for the joint management of biodiversity and ecological corridors in the region.
Photo: wwf.fi
