The Draft Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP)
for Honeybush
In consultation with honeybush stakeholders, the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning (Lead agent), has produced a Draft Biodiversity Management Plan for honeybush.
This was published in the Government Gazette on 25 June 2021, with a call for written comments to be received by 26 July 2021.
Why do we need a Biodiversity Management Plan?
What is a Biodiversity Management Plan?
As a honeybush stakeholder how can you contribute to the Biodiversity Management Plan?
The need for sustainable use and management of the honeybush resource has been widely recognised by the honeybush community.
Honeybush populations are affected by unlawful harvesting, over-harvesting, expansion of human settlements and agricultural lands into areas where the species occur, and invasive alien plant encroachment, amongst other factors such as poor fire management practices, and hybridisation and
genetic contamination.
The BMP is aimed at ensuring the sustainable use and long-term survival of vleitee and bergtee (Cyclopia subternata and C. intermedia) populations in the wild, whilst safeguarding and respecting the livelihoods of stakeholders.
It is a plan created by stakeholders, consisting of a description of actions and identification of implementing parties (e.g. Govt. agencies, NGO’s, Research Institutions) aimed at ensuring the sustainable use and management of honeybush resources. The actions include:
Implementation of compliance with Access and Benefit-Sharing regulations
Ongoing evaluation and monitoring of the honeybush resource in the landscape
More controlled cultivation practices
Implementation of a permitting system for resource users.
It is important that you take this opportunity to check that your inputs provided through the earlier consultation process are reflected appropriately. This also provides an opportunity to consider all planned activities that may impact your operations going forward and comment accordingly.
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You can give input to the plan by submitting comments on the draft plan. These may affect the content of the final version of the Biodiversity Management Plan for honeybush to be accepted by and ultimately published by the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.
BIODIVERSITY
This information was compiled and distributed by members of the Honeybush Community of Practice
Contact email for submission of comments:
Note: The document contains both Aloe and Honeybush BMPs