Conservation and Wildlife Policy.

The Conservation and Wildlife Policy is a sectoral national policy of Sierra Leone. Its long-term vision is to move towards an integrated wildlife sector that achieves sustainable, rights-based management of wildlife resources for biodiversity conservation inside and outside wildlife conservation areas which benefits present and future generations of Sierra Leone and humankind in general.
The Policy contains six main areas of policy objectives, including: (1) species management for conservation; (2) wildlife conservation areas; (3) wildlife outside the wildlife conservation area system; (4) wildlife research and monitoring; (5) wildlife education and awareness; and (6) human capacity-building for wildlife management.
In the area of species management for conservation, it aims to maintain viable populations of indigenous species of flora and fauna in their natural habitats; to maintain viable populations of migratory species according to international agreements and best practice approaches; to control those species of flora and fauna that have detrimental impacts; and to control collection and trade in indigenous flora and fauna in accordance with national priorities and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
In the area of wildlife conservation areas, it intends to establish a Wildlife Conservation Area network representative of Sierra Leone’s ecosystem diversity of land and aquatic environments; to manage Wildlife Conservation Areas according to international best practice; and to develop appropriate visitor services and ecotourism in and adjacent to appropriate Wildlife Conservation Areas.
In the area of wildlife outside the wildlife conservation area system, it provides to work towards a national and local system of strategic land use planning that incorporates wildlife conservation; and to ensure permissible offtake of indigenous flora and fauna is sustainable.
In the area of wildlife research and monitoring, it plans to collect and apply scientific evidence and traditional knowledge for informed decision-making and adaptive wildlife management; and to apply adaptive management and requisite monitoring and evaluation to all aspects of wildlife management, from policy to management of specific species or sites.
In the area of wildlife education and awareness, it proposes to incorporate an understanding of biological diversity conservation and wildlife management into school and other curricula; and to develop and apply information and education tools to raise awareness and understanding of biodiversity conservation and wildlife management among the general public.
Finally, in the area of human capacity-building for wildlife management, it targets to develop and implement a training program for wildlife staff; and to provide appropriate training to partners and stakeholders directly involved in wildlife management.
The Policy provides that a wide array of national and local government, international partners, civil society, educational, research, private sector and community institutions will need to collaborate to ensure effective coordination at national, regional and site levels. A Wildlife Committee at national level will comprise those central government ministries and agencies with mandates encompassing finance, land administration, law enforcement, land and aquatic natural resources, agriculture, tourism, education and local government. This high level national committee will oversee coordination of intra-governmental aspects of implementation of this policy and resolve specific issues of overlapping mandates and interagency collaboration.