Parliament at its twenty-ninth (29th) sitting of the second meeting in the third Session, on Friday, July 28, 2023 passed the Wildlife Resources Management Bill, 2022 which had been pending for over fourteen (14) years.
The statement, signed by the sector minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor and released in Accra over the weekend, said the new law, which seeks to revise and consolidate all laws relating to wildlife and protected areas, was previously laid before the fifth, sixth and seventh Parliaments, before it was eventually passed by the Eighth Parliament, on Friday, July 28, 2023.
The following is the full statement;
Parliament at its twenty-ninth (29th) sitting of the second meeting in the third Session, on Friday, July 28, 2023, passed the Wildlife Resources Management Bill, 2022, which had been pending for over fourteen (14) years.
The new law, which seeks to revise and consolidate all laws relating to wildlife and protected areas, was previously laid before the fifth, sixth and seventh Parliaments before it was eventually passed by the Eighth Parliament yesterday
Wildlife and protected areas are currently regulated by the Wild Animals Preservation Act, 1961 (Act 43),the Wildlife Conservation Regulations, 1971 (L.I. 685) and the Wildlife Reserves Regulations, 1971 (L.I. 710).
These legislation, enacted over fifty (50) years ago, are not in tune with current international best practices for wildlife protection and management, and do not provide a proper legal framework for the implementation of the Forest and Wildlife Policy, 2012, the Forestry Development Master Plan (2016-2036) and other national and international frameworks that guide sustainable resource management, all of which were adopted years after the current legislation.
The existing law, also, does not clearly define the aims and objectives of wildlife management and the various categories of protected areas, and lack deterrent sanctions for wildlife offences.
On Thursday, October 28, 2021, Cabinet, at its seventeenth meeting, gave approval for the new Wildlife Resources Management Bill, developed through a very extensive consultative process involving both state and non-state actors, to be laid in Parliament, and on Friday, 3rd March, 2022 I duly laid the Bill in Parliament.
Among others, the new law brings Ghana’s wildlife law in conformity with existing policies in the sector and provide for the implementation of international conventions on wildlife to which Ghana is a signatory.
It provides for a new management structure to give legal backing to the involvement of local communities in wildlife management through the creation of Community Resources Management Areas (CREMAs) and provide higher penalties and sanctions regime for wildlife offenses, deterrent enough to protect our wildlife resources.
The law also provides for the implementation of several international wildlife conventions to which Ghana is a signatory, such as the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (RAMSAR), 1971, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, (CITES), 1973, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (BONN) 1979, as well as several indicators in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The passage of the Bill by Parliament means that it is only left with assent by the President of the Republic, and publication in the Gazette, then the Bill will become law. The eventual passage of this Bill, which has been pending for over fourteen (14) years, and which has gone through four Parliaments, marks a momentous milestone in the effective and efficient management of wildlife resources in the country.
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is confident that the President of the Republic, who has personally shown keen interest in this Bill, will assent to it once submitted to him for the Bill to become law.
The Ministry is committed to the effective implementation of this piece of legislation, for the efficient and progressive preservation and management of the wildlife resources of our country, in the spirit of transparency, anchored on integrity and utmost good faith, for the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
