Isap initiatives protect species and combat poaching

AS the poaching menace reaches alarming levels in Namibia, several stakeholders have come together to tackle this scourge.

One such is the multi-pronged approach of the Intelligence Support Against Poaching (Isap)’s to protecting Namibia’s endangered species that include rhinos, elephants and lions.

Isap gathers information through its digital platforms, the 555 55 SMS anti-poaching hotline and personnel on the ground then process the information into intelligence to be used by anti-poaching authorities or organisations, including the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the police. Isap relies on communities to amplify on the ground operations.

Tinus Hansen, the chief operating officer at Isap explained the important relationship between wildlife and people.

“Without the custodianship of rural communities, the saving of wildlife against poaching will be in vain, and it is therefore critical to consider our wildlife and our people as inseparably linked,” he said.

For this reason, Isap partakes in a variety of community development projects with the core objective of establishing an intelligence-gathering network across Namibia.

“Local communities know the animals – they understand how they move, how they think and how important they are for the Namibian and global ecosystems. They are key to protecting precious species by being our eyes, ears and hands,” says Hansen.

“The other side of the coin is the importance of financial aid to ensure our projects remain viable and deliver hardcore results. Partners such as Nedbank Namibia who recently donated N$50 000 to support ISAP’s operations enable us to fight full-force in the anti-poaching battle. It is with sincere gratitude that we accept Nedbank’s contribution.”

ISAP is in the process of rolling out the honorary ranger programme as well as establishing a network of informants to coordinate and centralise national information gathering. It also addresses gaps in anti-poaching logistics, including asset support – ISAP vehicles, its air wing, and monitoring and evaluation equipment is used by the task force in anti-poaching projects.

With its experience in data collection, ISAP has been nominated as the focal point for the roll-out of cmore intelligence software in Namibia. ISAP has also established alliances with international technology-based organisations.

“Our team – including lawyers, engineers, pilots, field operation specialists and CEOs of companies – has the varied skill sets needed to source and test a variety of anti-poaching solutions,” Hansen said.

“As a non-profit organisation, we are dependent on responsible corporate citizens, such as Nedbank – a strong advocate and influencer on environmental initiatives,” Hansen concluded.

Source: Nedbank Namibia

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