Wildlife deptment pushing stronger anti-poaching efforts
 
 

The Citizen
By Mnaku Mbani

The wildlife department in the ministry of natural resources and tourism is establishing a new anti-poaching strategy in a bid to protect wild animals as well as its game rangers, as the latter are increasingly becoming targets of poachers.

The move comes in the wake of poaching that defies regular patrol checks because the culprits no longer just go for bush meat, but are also turning commercial, even exporting the meat.

The assistant director- anti poaching, Mr Bonaventura Midala, told the Sunday Citizen Business Review this week that limited financial resources have hindered the fight against poaching.

''Poaching is as old as history. No matter what we do to curb it, the culprits come with their own plans that pose obstacles to our campaign, ''he said in an exclusive interview this week, adding:

''Poachers can escape our measures because they have become very sophisticated.''

According to Mr Midala, most poaching activities take place during the low season - between June and December - and pointed out that poaching is denying the government revenue that could be generated from legal hunting activities

Between January and July, the government issues hunting licenses - categorised into tourism hunting, one involving foreigners; and another locals as well as foreign residents.

Poachers target nearly all big and small herbivores - zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, gazelles, elands, warthogs, hippos and buffalos and birds such as ostriches and guinea fowl.

It has been revealed that most poachers are Tanzanians or foreigners who fail to obtain hunting licence criteria, including having efficient legal firearms.

Physical confrontation with department workers have been experienced and lives lost, said the official.

Elephants, hippopotamuses and giraffes are preferred targets, mainly because they provide raw materials from their hides.

Tanzania has 84 game reserves, 16 national parks and other natural reserves in which hundreds of animal species are found.

Mr Midala revealed that two of their employees had their throats slit; two also shot dead and another killed after being attacked with poisonous arrows.

The measures involve people living close to game reserves and national parks to help detect poaching mission.

The permanent secretary of the ministry of natural resources and tourism Ms Blandina Nyoni is appealing to local people to cooperate with the department in the anti-poaching campaign and announced a Sh5 million-package for any person who will identify, and report poachers to security officials on duty.

A total of 1,318 people were arrested in the 2006-07 season in connection with illegal hunting, down from 2,302 cases recorded in 2005-06 and 2,107 arrested during 2004-05.

However, Mr Midala said the drop in the cases of poaching does not necessarily mean the problem is being contained.

This would be the case only if poachers become sensitive when anti-poaching measures are tightened.

Staff shortage

The wildlife department is currently facing a shortage of staff, especially security rangersl, which Mr Midala said is one of the loopholes for increasing poaching activities.

For example, the Selou game reserve has a total of 250 square kilometers which requires more than ten security officers for regular patrols, but there is only people performing that task.

According to him, the international standard ratio requires one security ranger to patrol a 25-square kilometer area.

He blamed the 1996 wage bill initiated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which led to retrenchment of many department employees.

''The wildlife department is among public institutions that were badly affected by workers retrenchment resulting from the wage bill,'' he said.

There are reports that some poachers originate from Kenya and Rwanda.

Mr Midelo noted that staff shortage is related to the budget constraints for maintaining regular anti-poaching drives especially patrols.

''When we plan a patrol, there are immediate costs such as fuel, allowances and food which are needed to be financed but we get only a peanut,'' said Obedi Mbagwa, the deputy director, wildlife.

Communication

The advent of improved communication technology like mobile phones and radio calls have exacerbated the problem the problem as it enables poachers to escape patrols easily.

Reports say poachers conduct activities through radio calls that detect the wildlife department communication facility.

''We heard that some of them have radios and satellite mobile phones to communicate with other people who are deployed to detect any anti-poaching move,'' he said.

According to ministry officials, some Tanzanians conspire with foreign collaborators, who are recruited either to provide information on where the wild animals spend the night or to provide intelligence on where anti-poaching units are likely to be making patrols.

Though the department has been conducting anti-poaching campaigns, it has not managed to come to grips with the problem.

This is largely because of the economic deprivation of the communities living close to wildlife zones, in the traditions of some communities and the department's own contradictory and isolated wildlife conservation policies.
By Mnaku Mbani

The wildlife department in the ministry of natural resources and tourism is establishing a new anti-poaching strategy in a bid to protect wild animals as well as its game rangers, as the latter are increasingly becoming targets of poachers.

The move comes in the wake of poaching that defies regular patrol checks because the culprits no longer just go for bush meat, but are also turning commercial, even exporting the meat.

The assistant director- anti poaching, Mr Bonaventura Midala, told the Sunday Citizen Business Review this week that limited financial resources have hindered the fight against poaching.

''Poaching is as old as history. No matter what we do to curb it, the culprits come with their own plans that pose obstacles to our campaign, ''he said in an exclusive interview this week, adding:

''Poachers can escape our measures because they have become very sophisticated.''

According to Mr Midala, most poaching activities take place during the low season - between June and December - and pointed out that poaching is denying the government revenue that could be generated from legal hunting activities

Between January and July, the government issues hunting licenses - categorised into tourism hunting, one involving foreigners; and another locals as well as foreign residents.

Poachers target nearly all big and small herbivores - zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, gazelles, elands, warthogs, hippos and buffalos and birds such as ostriches and guinea fowl.

It has been revealed that most poachers are Tanzanians or foreigners who fail to obtain hunting licence criteria, including having efficient legal firearms.

Physical confrontation with department workers have been experienced and lives lost, said the official.

Elephants, hippopotamuses and giraffes are preferred targets, mainly because they provide raw materials from their hides.

Tanzania has 84 game reserves, 16 national parks and other natural reserves in which hundreds of animal species are found.

Mr Midala revealed that two of their employees had their throats slit; two also shot dead and another killed after being attacked with poisonous arrows.

The measures involve people living close to game reserves and national parks to help detect poaching mission.

The permanent secretary of the ministry of natural resources and tourism Ms Blandina Nyoni is appealing to local people to cooperate with the department in the anti-poaching campaign and announced a Sh5 million-package for any person who will identify, and report poachers to security officials on duty.

A total of 1,318 people were arrested in the 2006-07 season in connection with illegal hunting, down from 2,302 cases recorded in 2005-06 and 2,107 arrested during 2004-05.

However, Mr Midala said the drop in the cases of poaching does not necessarily mean the problem is being contained.

This would be the case only if poachers become sensitive when anti-poaching measures are tightened.

Staff shortage

The wildlife department is currently facing a shortage of staff, especially security rangersl, which Mr Midala said is one of the loopholes for increasing poaching activities.

For example, the Selou game reserve has a total of 250 square kilometers which requires more than ten security officers for regular patrols, but there is only people performing that task.

According to him, the international standard ratio requires one security ranger to patrol a 25-square kilometer area.

He blamed the 1996 wage bill initiated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which led to retrenchment of many department employees.

''The wildlife department is among public institutions that were badly affected by workers retrenchment resulting from the wage bill,'' he said.

There are reports that some poachers originate from Kenya and Rwanda.

Mr Midelo noted that staff shortage is related to the budget constraints for maintaining regular anti-poaching drives especially patrols.

''When we plan a patrol, there are immediate costs such as fuel, allowances and food which are needed to be financed but we get only a peanut,'' said Obedi Mbagwa, the deputy director, wildlife.

Communication

The advent of improved communication technology like mobile phones and radio calls have exacerbated the problem the problem as it enables poachers to escape patrols easily.

Reports say poachers conduct activities through radio calls that detect the wildlife department communication facility.

''We heard that some of them have radios and satellite mobile phones to communicate with other people who are deployed to detect any anti-poaching move,'' he said.

According to ministry officials, some Tanzanians conspire with foreign collaborators, who are recruited either to provide information on where the wild animals spend the night or to provide intelligence on where anti-poaching units are likely to be making patrols.

Though the department has been conducting anti-poaching campaigns, it has not managed to come to grips with the problem.

This is largely because of the economic deprivation of the communities living close to wildlife zones, in the traditions of some communities and the department's own contradictory and isolated wildlife conservation policies.

Article at:  http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/newz.php?id=5147