Conservation, biodiversity and animal wellbeing

Our expertise spans virtually all legal aspects of the conservation and management of indigenous flora and fauna, protected areas and animal welfare / wellbeing. Our lawyers have drafted legislation (e.g. Western Cape Biodiversity Act, 2021), litigated, and advised on the implementation of international treaties (e.g. CITES, the Convention on Biological Diversity, and Nagoya Protocol on genetic resources, and the World Heritage Convention).. We have advised on: international trade in endangered species, conservation policies, the establishment of protected areas, conservation agreements for the management of private nature reserves, material transfer agreements and access and benefit sharing agreements in relation to genetic resources, keeping and hunting large predators, baboon management, threatened and protected species, and the control of alien and invasive species. We have litigated to uphold the right of municipalities to make by-laws to protect the environment, and in connection with baboon management on the Cape Peninsula and the release of captive elephants. (See ‘Our Cases’ for more details).