African Insight

Position Statements on Specific Issues

Wildlife Viewing

African Insight ensures that all wildlife viewing activities that it carries out or supports  (walking and driving experiences) are conducted responsibly so as to avoid causing disturbance or injury to wildlife and at the same time minimising the impact on these activities on the environment. African Insight has developed ‘responsible guidelines to wildlife viewing’ to achieve this to which it strictly adheres.

Golf Tourism

African Insight is extremely conscious and concerned about the potential social and environmental impacts of golf tourism in the South African context.

• In relation to the size of the industry, golf courses are low volume employers of relatively unskilled labour. The great majority of employment opportunities available to local people are of a temporary nature and consist of menial positions, offering little security or long-term job prospects.

• Most golf courses in South Africa are aimed at a very small rich, white, elite portion of the population and exclude the majority of South Africans.
• Golf courses place a disproportionate demand on water supplies (some courses use up to 3 000 litres a day) in a water poor country like South Africa where 15 million South Africans (32%) have no access to potable water.
• Golf courses have a large development footprint and as such can impact considerably on the natural landscape and on biodiversity.

In light of the above, African Insight believes that golf tourism in South Africa is not responsible and hence does not promote golfing experiences.  If a client wishes to include golf in their holiday itinerary African Insight will provide information on courses available and their social and environmental impacts to allow the client to arrive at their own informed decision. 

Boat Based Whale and Dolphin Watching

African Insight is aware of the potential negative impacts of boat based whale and dolphin watching on cetaceans including the disruption of parent-offspring bonds and the disturbance of feeding and breeding patterns. African Insight, therefore, only supports boat based whale and dolphin watching where it is operated and managed responsibly so as not to disturb or harm in any way the cetaceans being viewed. African Insight supports licensed operators who when monitored through African Insight’s own internal audit process have been shown to be responsible. This includes:

• Boat operators having an in date operating license.
• Approaching cetaceans at an appropriate angle or direction so as not to disturb or alarm them.
• Maintaining an appropriate distance away from cetaceans so as not to disturb them. If cetaceans appear disturbed, then the distance approached is too close.
• Minimising speed (no-wake speed) and avoiding sudden changes in boat speed, direction and noise when close to cetaceans.
• Minimising noise from all sources (people and boat) when close to cetaceans.
• Not pursuing cetaceans showing avoidance tactics.
• Never encircling or separating cetaceans.
• Taking extra care when approaching cetaceans with young. Parents and their offspring should never be separated. If whale calves are separated from their mothers, with whom they normally maintain constant body contact, they can transfer their attachment to the side of the tourist boat with potentially serious consequences.
• Ensuring no more than 3 boats are viewing cetaceans for a prolonged period. If further boats are waiting to view, time spent viewing is limited to 10 minutes before giving way to other boats.
• Allowing cetaceans to control the nature and duration of the 'encounter'.
• Adopting a ‘no contact’ policy with cetaceans i.e. no ‘swim with’ dolphin encounters or touching of cetaceans permitted.
• Prohibiting the feeding of cetaceans.
• Not running through groups of dolphins to solicit bow riding. If dolphins choose to bow ride, boats to maintain original course and speed.
• Not using ‘playback’ tapes of whale/dolphin sounds to attract cetaceans so they are more easily viewed. This can displace animals from their natural territories and affect their survival success.
• Providing litter disposal facilities on board boats and instructing tourists not to drop litter over-board.
• Avoiding pumping oily bilge water or other hazardous substances into the sea, particularly when near coral reefs.
• Encouraging visitors to use rest rooms on land before their trip.
• Disposing of sewage on land, or if not possible, treating sewage before disposal at sea.

Scuba Diving

Responsibly operated scuba diving offers outstanding opportunities for people to discover a diverse range of underwater marine life. African Insight hence supports responsible scuba diving experiences that seek to minimise their disturbance and negative impacts on the environment and at the same time maximise the education and enrichment of visitors. African Insight supports licensed operators who when monitored through African Insight’s own internal audit process have been shown to be responsible. Responsibility implies:

• Not allowing visitors to disturb, touch or remove plants and animals e.g. coral.
• Operating a ‘no contact’ policy with all marine life.
• Not permitting feeding or harassment of sharks, reef fish or other marine wildlife.
• Not permitting divers to pursue marine wildlife that is displaying avoidance tactics.
• Not permitting divers to swim closer than 100m from whales and 10m from dolphins, seals and other marine mammals.
• Not disposing of any litter into the sea – all boats equipped with litter disposal facilities.
• Using reef mooring buoys (rather than anchors) over coral reefs to prevent damage.
• Avoiding pumping oily bilge water or other hazardous substances into the sea, particularly when near coral reefs.
• Disposing of sewage on land, or if not possible, treating sewage before disposal at sea.

Shark Cage Diving

Direct contact between humans and wildlife carries the risk of disturbance and harm to wildlife, as well as placing humans at risk. African Insight hence does not support activities that involve direct contact/close interaction with wildlife.
In the case of sharks, however, African Insight believes that the opportunity to learn and understand these much maligned, misrepresented and threatened predators through responsibly operated shark cage diving experiences, may benefit the future conservation of the species. For this reason African Insight supports responsibly operated Shark Cage Diving that have taken into consideration the potential threats of such experiences to the sharks’ health, welfare, natural role in the ecosystem and natural relationship to humans, and have put in place effective operational procedures to mitigate these along with an active public education programme as an integral part of these experiences.
African Insight believes that these issues have been investigated and considered by Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) in South Africa, the government body responsible for Marine Affairs. In consultation with professional environmentalists and concerned tour operators MCM have developed a Code of Conduct for responsible White Shark Cage Diving and a permitting system (Permit Conditions) which responsible operators are accredited to.
African Insight hence supports Shark Cage Diving operators who are accredited by MCM.

Captive Animal ‘Attractions’

Although animals in captivity have the same needs of the same species in the wild, captivity is an artificial environment. An animal in a cage almost certainly lacks the quantity and diversity of space enjoyed by an animal in the wild. Similarly, a captive animal does not have the same degree of freedom to forage, hunt, feed, exercise or interact with other species, or individuals of the same species. Research has shown that animals can experience feelings similar to those found in humans including fear, pain, boredom and frustration, and it is very difficult to prevent these from occurring in captivity. As such many animals in captivity suffer for the benefit of the visiting public. Compounding the issue is that many captive wild animal attractions across the globe are to a great extent unregulated and uncontrolled. Some of these are poorly designed, managed and maintained, unable to provide the barest essentials necessary for the health and psychological well-being of the animals in their care.

In light of the above, African Insight does not support captive animal attractions and instead firmly believes that wildlife belongs in the wild unless circumstances dictate that captivity is the best option for the animal in question e.g. it is an injured or rescued animal that would not otherwise survive in the wild. In these circumstances African Insight supports the caring for these animals in responsibly run animal sanctuaries.

African Insight supports visits to wildlife sanctuaries that:

• Only acquire injured or rescued animals.
• Maintain high standards of animal welfare.
• Have an active programme of rehabilitation back into the wild for all animals where this is an appropriate strategy.
• Have a policy of not breeding animals or replacing animals that have died.
• Do not dispose of surplus animals into zoos and other such captive animal attractions.
• Do not allow visitors to touch, feed or handle animals.
• Do not use animals to ‘perform’ to the visiting public.
• Do not mutilating animals to make them safe for handling e.g. removing claws, teeth, venom etc.
• Have an active public education programme.

Off-Road Motorised Experiences and Adventures (4x4 Vehicles, Motorbikes & Quad Bikes)

National park rangers the world over have experienced the thrill of accessing the wildest corners of our national parks in their official 4x4 or other vehicles.  African Insight director, Andrew Anderson, was such a ranger in charge of 20 000 ha of the famous Umfolozi Game Reserve where access was mostly by means of rough 4x4 tracks and on horseback. This opportunity has inspired the desire to make it possible for others to share this soul enriching experience.
African Insight supports the responsible use of 4x4 motor vehicles, motorbikes and quad bikes to offer sustainable opportunities for experiencing the great outdoors.  African Insight recognises, however, that non-responsible usage can cause environmental damage, disturbance to wildlife and conflict with different user groups and with local communities. To ensure our activities in this area are responsible African Insight adheres to the following ethics and procedures in carrying out these activities:

• We only use designated trails and keep to these at all times.
• We obey all designated speed limits.
• We do not use designated trails to test the power of vehicles or driving skills, but only to provide the opportunity and privilege to visit and appreciate remote areas.
• We do not allow anyone to drink and drive.
• We strive to travel through an area with little or no negative impact. On the contrary we strive to leave trails in a better state than in which we found them e.g. remove fallen trees, fill in pot holes, improve drainage, etc.
• When driving through grassy areas, we frequently check the undercarriage of vehicle for grass packing close to the hot exhaust. Grass catches fire very easily and this prevents veldt fires.
• We do not stop unnecessarily or idle in dry grass on the trail, as hot air from exhausts can start fires in dry grass.
• We respect and are considerate to other user groups, so as not to impact negatively on their experience and enjoyment of the area.
• We drive slowly past farms and villages so as not to disturb local people or their livestock.
• We use the opportunity to be outstanding ambassadors for our country, culture and as outdoor enthusiasts. During these activities we are fortunate to meet people in very remote areas on which we will leave lasting impressions – and we want these to be good ones.
• We are constantly on the look out for wildlife and domestic animals crossing the road and drive slowly when these are sighted so as not to harm, disturb or alarm them.
• We do not chase, unnecessarily disturb, or follow an animal that is displaying avoidance tactics at any time.
• We ensure each vehicle has a rubbish bag in the cab to prevent littering.
• We ensure that all vehicles are well maintained and mechanically sound.
• We ensure that all vehicles have appropriate insurance cover and meet all legal requirements.

Trophy Hunting

Whilst not involved in the trophy hunting industry, African Insight recognises that trophy hunting has the potential to support conservation and benefit local communities if it is operated responsibly. Hunting should not, however, be regarded as a conservation management tool like culling.
In terms of a visitor’s experience African Insight believes that wildlife viewing and trophy hunting in South Africa ARE DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSED and hence does not support any private wildlife destination where trophy hunting and game viewing are offered simultaneously.
Responsibly operated hunting experiences encompass:

• Hunting is undertaken outside of proclaimed national parks i.e. on privately owned commercial land.
• Quotas for the sustainable off-take of trophy animals are set and monitored.
• Baiting with prey to attract trophy animals is not permitted.
• Hunting does not take place from vehicles or with spotlights.
• ‘Canned hunting’, where wild animals are bred in captivity for use in trophy hunting, is not permitted.
• Local communities living in hunting areas benefit from trophy hunting activities either through receiving a share of the income from the sale of trophy hunting licenses and/or receiving meat from trophy animals, etc.

Culling

African Insight supports the view that the national parks authority has a mandate to conserve the complete spectrum of biodiversity (plant and animal) in South Africa, and that no one particular species should be managed to the detriment/cost of another. In this respect African Insight understands that wildlife population numbers may need to be managed when they are adversely impacting on the biodiversity of an area. 
Wildlife populations are currently managed by a variety of methods from live capture/translocation and birth control through to culling. African Insight believes that live capture/translocation is the best option and should be considered first. African Insight also believes that animals captured in this way should be translocated to wildlife areas that can sustain an increase in numbers, and should NOT be sold to captive animal attractions or into the trophy hunting trade.
It is African Insight’s view that culling, whilst an important control tool, should only be employed as a last resort when other methods have been fully investigated yet proven to be inappropriate/not viable. When culling is considered as the best option African Insight believes this should be conducted responsibly by conservation managers considering the welfare of individual animals and ensuring that benefits accrue to local communities e.g. meat.