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Build and
maintain a network of firebreaks;
Prevent the same areas being burnt each year;
Create a minimum of about five permanent game watering
points in the Caprivi Game Reserve. Position the
water points evenly across the Caprivi Strip to give
buffalo access to additional grazing and to enable them
to traverse between the core wildlife areas at each
end. Additional water points may also be needed in the
Forest Reserve.
Maintain dialogue with the veterinary authorities
in Namibia and Botswana in order to mitigate present
veterinary
control fences and to avoid further curtailing the
buffalo range.
Maintain dialogue with
land use planning authorities and local communities
in the Caprivi. Many of the threats of fragmentation
posed in the interstitial areas can be addressed by
internal land use planning within the existing conservancies.
Develop additional conservancies in key areas in the
Caprivi to enhance the potential buffalo range. Consider
the possibility of radical land use reform in the affected
areas: if government were to initiate a joint land use
planning exercise between the Ministry of Environment
and Tourism, Conservancies and local communities under
a revised institutional arrangement for joint management
of the entire area, it might be possible to produce
a larger and more suitable
buffalo range to the mutual benefit of all parties.
Collaborate
with the Nyae Nyae conservancy and coordinate all
management decisions affecting the buffalo
Re-introduce buffalo at Mangetti Game Camp;
this should be achieved in the short-term (within two
years). Re-introduce buffalo
in Etosha National Park and Khaudum National Park
which fall within the
historic range of buffalo. Both parks are north
of the veterinary fence and the re-introduction should
not raise veterinary difficulties.
Re-introduce buffalo focussing on commercial farm
conservancies bordering onto Etosha National Park where
a re-alignment of the veterinary cordon fence could
accommodate buffalo. This can only be achieved in the
long-term.
Law enforcement: Improve manpower and operational
budgets in the State Protected Areas to an adequate
level; Improve commitment within the conservancies towards
increasing their wildlife populations; Increase cooperation
with police and other authorities in Caprivi and with
neighbouring
countries.
Disease: Avoid contact between buffalo and
livestock but fencing could result in further reductions
in the buffalo range. Address in conjunction with land
use planning issues.
Disease-free buffalo: Increase the Nyae-Nyae
buffalo camp.
manage both herds for maximum production at a level
below a carrying capacity of 1 buffalo/2km2, i.e. max
200 animals in Waterberg, max 25 animals in an enlarged
paddock in Tsumkwe.
Implement plans for ongoing de-stocking: all animals
surplus to a population of 200 in Waterberg should be
sold on the regional market, with the funds being re-invested
in management of the disease-free buffalo herds, including
re-introductions to new areas.
Increase calf production by skewing the population
structure in favour of females. With a given amount
of grazing, it is better to put all of it into supporting
females and sell redundant males. The FMD-free buffalo
population in Zimbabwe was managed in this manner for
some 10 years and spectacular growth rates were achieved
(over 20% per annum). Also, farmers were so anxious
to obtain buffalo that they were prepared to purchase
males against the expectation that at a later stage
this would be followed by females. The males were also
valuable simply as sport hunting trophies.
Collaborate closely with the Nyae Nyae conservancy
on all management decisions affecting the Tsumkwe buffalo.
If a larger area within the conservancy is to be used
to hold the buffalo, the conservancy should be recognised
as a major stakeholder
in the future of the herd.
Set sustainable hunting quotas, e.g. through
an adaptive
quota setting system (DSS 2002 pp60).
Sell safari hunting concessions to maximum advantage
by public auction to yield higher prices and minimise
corruption, which is frequently encountered
unless the system for awarding tenders is transparent.
Inter-specific competition: This depends upon
the outcome of the research undertaken.
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Adequate capacity for controlling fires and building
and maintaining water points;
addressing
the settlement along the east bank of the Kavango River
Knowledge of import requirements for buffalo in the
importing countries, (e.g. tests, quarantine periods
etc.)
adequate manpower and operational
budgets;
Applicable research
co-ordination and collaboration
Transboundary
institution
Public and political support
Commitment within the conservancies towards increasing
their wildlife populations;
continued development of Conservancies
consensus of Namibian commercial farmers about the
re-introduction of buffalo
on commercial farms;
Development of national institutions amongst the State
and Conservancies which allow equitable sharing of proceeds
from buffalo management;
A market for Namibian disease-free buffalo;
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