The amendment to the National Parks and Wildlife Act was passed in December 2016. The legislation has critically increased the maximum prison sentence to 30 years and has removed the option of a fine for crimes involving listed species, which are the most protected species under the Act. Definitions have been clarified and penalty provisions against hunting in protected areas has also been significantly strengthened, which reflects the heavy depletion of wildlife populations.
New regulations were passed in Parliament in February 2018 which has placed an additional 216 species considered threatened in Malawi under protection, including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, invertebrates, plants and fungi. They also protect thousands of other endangered species thanks to the inclusion of IUCN red lists and CITES Appendix listings within the auspices of the new subsidiary law.
The project was funded by GIZ and co-managed by Lilongwe Wildlife Trust.
