South Africa's minister of environment affairs, Edna Molewa has prohibited a range of activities related to certain cycads (encephelartos). The prohibitions were gazetted in notice 382 of Government Gazette 35343 and notice 371 of Government Gazette 35344 on 14 May 2012.
Unless required for conservation of enforcement purposes, the following activities are not allowed with regard any listed threatened or protected cycad species:
- Collect, pluck, uproot, destroy
- Export from the Republic of South Africa, sell, trade, buy
- Receive, give, donate, accept, acquire, dispose
- Import into the Republic of South Africa, convey, move, translocate
- Possess, exercise physical control (except where permits have been issued, prior to the publication of this notice, for plants that form part of legally obtained parental stock).
Artificially propagated specimens may not be sold or purchased for a period of five years, or until recovery targets in the relevant biodiversity plans have been achieved. Encephalartos cerinus and cupidos with a stem diameter of more than 7cm are excluded from this ruling. The export of artificially propagated specimens with a stem diameter of more than 15cm is prohibited, with the exception of encephalartos caffer, humilis, cupidos, cerinus and ngoyanus with stem diameters of less than 7cm.
In South Africa, all cycads are highly protected by law and wild, indigenous species may not be tampered with, collected or kept as a garden...