DFFE Calls for Public Comment on Draft Leopard Conservation Strategy and Action Plan

Posted 28 August 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Environmental Law

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has gazetted a draft strategy and action plan for leopard conservation, inviting written representations and public submissions by 27 September 2026.

The draft document aims to establish a co-ordinated, legally grounded, and resourced framework to guide the conservation, sustainable use, and inclusive governance of leopards across South Africa. The executive summary notes that the absence of a unified implementation plan has historically served as a significant barrier to effective conservation management.

Although developed through a formal public consultation process, the draft framework does not constitute a formal Biodiversity Management Plan as contemplated in section 43 of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004 (NEMBA). It operates instead as part of a dynamic management planning framework designed to align community-driven conservation, local livelihoods, and species protection.

Core Objectives

  • Living Landscapes: Ensuring leopard populations persist in viable numbers across mixed-use landscapes and protected areas.
  • Inclusive Governance: Supporting cultural traditions, local livelihoods, and community-driven conservation initiatives.
  • Co-ordinated Implementation: Establishing clear operational protocols for managing human-wildlife conflict, legal hunting, and trade regulation.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: Environmental law practitioners and compliance advisors should review the draft framework to assess its alignment with NEMBA regulations and wildlife management practices.
  • For your business: Wildlife management consultancies, eco-tourism operators, and hunting outfitters must assess potential shifts in provincial permitting standards, hunting quotas, and conflict-management protocols.
  • For your clients: Landowners, game farm owners, and agricultural clients operating in leopard-range habitats face potential updates to problem-animal reporting procedures, mitigation requirements, and sustainable utilisation rules.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/environmental-management-input-sought-on-leopard-conservation-strategy

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