Tanzania Poaching
Stung by criticism, Tanzania president lays into tourism ministry
(eTN) - During the customary post-election visit to all the government ministries, Tanzania President Kikwete on Wednesday visited the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. According to reports, the ministry was then promptly subjected to several broad side attacks by the president. He accused them of not doing enough to stop poaching and safeguard the country’s wildlife.
The president went on to say if the ministry and subordinate organizations are not capable of carrying out such duties, other security bodies, including the army, may have to be drafted in to support TANAPA’s (Tanzania National Parks) ranger force. He was quoted as saying, "Gangsters are killing wild animals" before continuing, "the gravity of criminal acts in our game reserves is quite alarming." He went on to say, "We have to stop the massive poaching, otherwise we will spoil our reputation in wildlife conservation."
A source in Dar es Salaam reported that the president appeared quite unsettled over the issue. He rejected explanations given by the tourism minister, under whose responsibility anti-poaching and conservation ultimately falls, demanding the use of latest technology in combating poachers and stiffer laws with higher fines and longer prison terms for offenders.
Notably, no mention was made over the president's directive to cancel an application made by the ministry to UNESCO for recognition of a new World Heritage Site, nor was mention made – or probably allowed – over the hugely controversial plans to build a highway across the Serengeti’s migration routes or "tap into hydro power" at Stiegler’s Gorge in the Selous Game Reserve. The third World Heritage Site (WHS) controversy over the planned development of a major hotel in the protected Stone Town in Zanzibar was apparently off limits for public discussions as well.
The contradictions are becoming clearer still, when it was learned that Tanzania is reportedly preparing another application to the CITES Secretariat in Lusaka to be tabled at the next CITES General Assembly. This application is to allow the country to sell stored ivory stocks including confiscated blood ivory from within and outside Tanzania.
It is clear that conservation cannot succeed or take place in isolation. This type of piecemeal and "when it suits us" approach is clearly not helpful in the medium and long term to protect Tanzania’s biodiversity and natural resources, and the country’s reputation abroad. It seems for pet projects, conservation is pushed aside as a nuisance only to be revisited when funding is at stake or when the pressure from conservation groups becomes too strong or when politically convenient while addressing a specific audience. So while the president’s sentiments are appreciated and should be fully supported, the circumstances and wider context under which his comments were made, does make one more than a little suspicious about the timing, location, and background prompting the comments in the first place.
Comments
It seems like The west poisons people in Africa(using Toxic DDT)Toxic Flouride toothpaste etc, all the time. Is The aim to take their natural resourses at any cost. Why is Tanzania not allowed to manage its own resources sustainably, something African people have managed to do for hundreds of thousands of years, respecting Nature is natural to them, the west is full of control freaks, (the west gets involved bringing war money & religon to condition/control people) Poaching is a western/asian influenced act, money is the cause. UNESCO protecting areas probably has more to do with stopping anyone getting resources untill someone UN? WHO? WB? WTO? USA? is ready to move in & claim them in the name of greed at a later date. How can there be Unity in the world, how can people unite with so much discrimination & greed. To all you racist greed driven whites We are the same Human Beings all equal of Love & Compassion. USA has a problem it needs two Planet Earths to cope with its consumption of resourses alone. http://www.fluoridealert.org/health/brain/
http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/Actives/ddt.htm
This one is important too http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Dear President Kikwete,
Do you realize the hypocrisy of your statements? You are upset about poaching and yet, care nothing about the millions of animals that will be killed by the road thru the Serengeti.
Your hypocrisy is mind-boggling! You fool no one; look deep into your heart and reject the greed that is the reason for the road.
Please rethink your position.
Thank you.
Glad to see the president is taking a hard stand on paching as my husband Andre de Kock was murdered by 12 poachers armed with AK47's on the 18th Febraury 2011 in the Maswa/Makau game reserve on the edge of the Serengeti. Andre was driving through the bush when he saw a bag and some movement and reversed to see what it was when the poachers opened fire and instantly killing Andre and wounding three other people. 8 elephant tusks and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were found at the scene. What will happen to these murderers if and when they are caught will they just disappear into the depths of corruption and beurocratic chaos I seriously hope not our lives have been changed forever loosing a much loved husband and father because the poachers were given guns and ammunition and told to shoot as many elephants they could find and my husband just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Poachers will always be willing to take up arms and kill anything that moves as long as someone is paying them and that is where this nightmare must be stopped find the purse strings and you will curb the commercial poaching but this will never happen whilst the powers that be turn a blind eye to what is happening.
Destroy the stock, please. Do not sell it on the market. That will only encourage the continued underground trade in ivory. Let that ugly, harmful trade die once and for all.
Don't keep feeding it now and then.
Richard Leakey burned big stocks of ill gotten ivory back in the 1980's.
Helped bring world attention to the devastating ivory trade.
That is the best policy.
A live elephant and rhinocerous is much more valuable that a dead one.
Those poachers are stealing your country's inheritance and wealth.
When a country is so rich in wildlife and open spaces it would seem that that country would do EVERYTHING possible to protect it and promote it AT AlL TIMES.
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