In 2016 I was in Johannesburg at CITES CoP17 where I witnessed the South Africa lions being dealt a devastating blow when they were not uplifted to Appendix I.
This decision was in fierce opposition to wildlife conservationists who sought to protect the lion from the captive industry and the lion bone trade.
In 2018 after a report called the Extinction Business was released and a two day colloquium was held in Parliament which I attended, the Portfolio Committee for the Environment agreed that the industry should be shut down.
However, it took another three years and the formation of a High-Level Panel of Advisors and many submissions and on-line presentations and follow-up meetings with wildlife conservationists before the majority of the Panel arrived at the same decision.
Their Report was delivered to Minister Creecy and the contents were accepted by Cabinet.
The hard work to legislate these decisions begins now and there will be opposition from the lion breeders during the public participation process.
This process will be lengthy and complicated but we believe that we are on the correct path, the first fight in a long battle has been won.