The Mozambican Government has approved the regulation on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, reinforcing its commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Mozambique, a signatory to CITES since December 1981, seeks through this measure to establish rigorous standards of protection and control in the international trade in endangered specimens. The spokesman for the Council of Ministers, Filimão Suaze, clarified that the regulation approved at the body’s 37th ordinary session will not only guarantee the protection of endangered species, but also facilitate effective monitoring of their trade.

According to data from the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), more than 8,400 species of fauna and flora are critically endangered worldwide. In Mozambique, around 10,000 species of flora and fauna have already been catalogued, of which 5,743 are plants, including 250 endemic. Terrestrial fauna, for its part, totals 4,271 species, covering insects, birds, mammals and amphibians. Cataloguing efforts are continuing, with new species being identified by research institutions.

ZIMOZA transfrontier area ratified
At the same session, the Executive ratified the agreement for the creation of the ZIMOZA Transfrontier Conservation Area, which brings together Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The agreement, signed last July in Harare, covers an area of 38,435 square kilometres, located in three Mozambican districts of Tete province — Mágoè, Cahora Bassa and Zumbo —, as well as in the districts of Mbire and Makonde in Zimbabwe and Luangwa in Zambia.

Use of drones regulated
The Council of Ministers also approved a regulation on aerial surveys and cinematography for civil purposes, which will allow land and aerial resource studies to be carried out using drones. Filimão Suaze explained that the rule establishes the principles, rules and guidelines for these activities, applicable to operators and user entities in Mozambican territory.

The regulation excludes leisure and entertainment activities carried out by individuals, focusing on applications for civil and commercial purposes.