Maloti Minnow Policy and Action Plan                                              <<..back

Maloti Minnow Action Plan

Provide funding for ongoing work on the Maloti Minnow, including translocation, monitoring and conservation planning through LHDA Project 1041, and ensure continuity and overlap with new initiatives described below.

Project 1041 has established an extremely sound basis for decision-making on the conservation of the Maloti Minnow. It is vitally important that this work be continued, and that the services of the Maloti Minnow Specialist, Dr Johan Rall, are available to LHDA to provide guidance and direction to the future conservation action plan to manage the species as the Mohale reservoir is impounded.

Establish the Lesotho Biodiversity

An amount of approximately 8 million Maloti will be contributed by LHDA to provide the seed money for the establishment of the Lesotho Biodiversity Trust (Annexure 1).

Specialist studies have recommended that the core population of the minnow in the Senqunyane and Bokong rivers be conserved in sanctuaries, protected from the introduction of predatory fish through the construction of suitable barriers. A number of engineering studies have been carried out, and the feasibility established of constructing barriers such as a dam on the Bokong, and an artificial waterfall on the Senqunyane river.

Such drastic interventions in the rivers for the protection of a single species cannot be taken lightly. Many other species may be adversely affected by the construction of artificial barriers. Adopting the precautionary principle, it will in any case be mandatory to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment before contemplating the construction of barriers on the rivers.

An analytical decision-making procedure, such as the Population and Habitat Viability Analysis (PHVA), developed by the Conservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN (World Conservation Union), would be a useful exercise to perform before embarking on major engineering works in the rivers to conserve the Maloti Minnow.

A Workshop shall be organised to obtain the best advice and inputs for the wording of the Trust Deed, and to discuss the objectives of the Trust. The workshop shall discuss among others the following:

Establishment of clear priorities for intervention, and the impacts of different interventions on the extinction prospects of the species.

Proceed with barrier construction, or other appropriate actions identified.

Monitor the Maloti Minnow populations and provide annual progress reports.

Implement public education and awareness programmes around the minnow, and educate Basotho about biodiversity.

Once clear priorities for intervention have been identified, the Trust shall undertake an environmental impact assessment and management plan to determine the mitigation measures proposed for in-situ conservation and their impacts on other species within the areas identified.

The Trust will commence with training programmes to build capacity in Lesotho in the field of biodiversity conservation science. The Trust will hopefully develop into a viable and sustainable force for biodiversity conservation in Lesotho, and in due course will be able to make interventions for other endangered flora and fauna in the country, as well as being a public voice, an educator, and a watchdog for endangered species in Lesotho.

The Lesotho Biodiversity Trust will also negotiate with the Lesotho Environment Authority to have designated reaches of rivers gazetted as a “protected natural environments”, with specific legislation put in place to make the malicious introduction of predatory fish into the river a criminal offence.

Establish an ex situ sanctuary in the Jordane river above the Pampiri waterfall.

As part of a translocation exercise that has already commenced, 300 fish have been captured in the Jordane River, and transferred to the reaches above the Pampiri waterfall, which constitutes a natural barrier to predatory fish.

Establish ex situ populations in the Makhaleng, Quthing and Maletsunyane rivers.

As part of a translocation exercise that has already begun, 1,300 fish had been moved into the above rivers by August 2002.

Monitor in situ and ex situ populations.

As part of the ongoing project LHDA 1041, monitoring of all the populations will continue on a regular and standardised basis. Depending on the outcome of monitoring, additional fish may be moved to ex situ sanctuaries.

Build local capacity for long-term conservation of the species.

LHDA will, by formal resolution (Annexure 2), establish the Lesotho Biodiversity Trust (Appendix 1) by registering a Deed of Trust (Annexure 3), to provide ongoing funding for conservation, research and monitoring programmes on the Maloti Minnow, for the training of Basotho biodiversity scientists, and for developing public education and awareness programmes and materials. The Trust will also actively seek income from foundations and other donors to enhance its effectiveness.