JOHANNESBURG, April 16 (Xinhua) -- The South African government on Thursday published a revised biodiversity management plan for rhino conservation, shifting toward a holistic, multi-pronged strategy to curb illegal poaching.
The revised Black and White Rhino Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) was officially published in the Government Gazette. This updated framework consolidates two separate policies, the Black Rhinoceros BMP (2013) and the White Rhinoceros BMP (2015), into a single, integrated tool for the next decade.
"The Black and White Rhino BMP provides a holistic strategic framework and detailed action plan to strengthen rhino conservation in South Africa, while also supporting collaboration with relevant range states," said Willie Aucamp, minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment.
According to the minister, the integrated approach is designed to foster a "whole-of-society" effort. "Successful conservation depends on collaboration between government, conservation authorities, private landowners, communities, and other stakeholders, in the interest of both South Africa's rhinos and its people," he added.
Implementation of the plan will be managed by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in the interim, until the National Rhino Conservation Coordination Committee is formally established under the department's chairmanship.
South Africa is home to over 15,000 rhinos, which represents about 80 percent of the world's wild population. However, illegal poaching driven by international organized crime remains the primary threat to their survival.
While national statistics reported a 16 percent decline in poaching in 2025, the threat remains highly adaptive. Recent data show that while poaching decreased in some areas, it saw a concerning doubling of incidents in the Kruger National Park during the same period, necessitating the more agile approach outlined in the new plan.
