South Africa’s national parks have to find four-fifths of the revenue they need from sources other than government, Tourism and Environmental Affairs Director General Dr Chippy Olver said on Wednesday.
Briefing local journalists at the World Parks Congress in Durban, he said there was no way in a country with so many other more urgent demands, such as health and education, that the government could provide 100% financial support to game reserves.
”When there’s such great competition for funds … conservation is at the end of the list,” he said.
Olver was responding to questions on moves towards commercialisation of the country’s national parks.
”There is no ways we can fund 100% of our [parks’] revenues from government grants.
”Conservation agencies must be looking creatively at other income streams, otherwise we will be going out of business.
”To make conservation work in our parks, we have to have the state contribution [currently about 20%] geared up by other contributions.”
Sources for this included, among others, money from concessions, gate revenues, game sales and donations. — Sapa