Controversy galore as EIA report stings Tanzanian government

‘TELL THE TRUTH’ CONSERVATIONISTS TELL TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT MOUTHPIECES

(Posted 09th November 2014)

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Regular conservation sources from Tanzania and the wider region minced no words when Tanzanian officials, clearly stung by the tsunami of public disgust coming their way after the revelations of the Environmental Investigation Agency entered the public domain a few days ago, attempted to deny the allegations made in the report.

‘They are playing the same old cassette and it is not new. There was a time when the same people denied there even was a problem with poaching, until the opposition in parliament exposed the lies and the game counts last year put concrete figures on the table. You just have to ask yourself what happened to Kagesheki’s list of 300 names and why no prosecutions have been instituted. No sooner had he handed the list to his boss was he out of the job. Kikwete will go down in history as the president in charge of the country at a time when nearly two thirds of Tanzania’s elephants were butchered. And believe me, in a country which is run with the methods they use against the opposition and against journalists, they were definitely aware of what was going on. Only such public lashings like when the Daily Mail exposed those schemes and fearing a political disaster ahead of the Wildlife Crimes conference in London did they reluctantly admit that there was a huge problem with poaching. Until that moment they even still tried for permission from CITES to sell a hundred tons of blood ivory. That government has lost its credibility and as far as conservation is concerned its legitimacy. They should stop lying to the world because those lies will come back to haunt them’ let a regular source from Arusha fly, understandably on condition of anonymity.

‘There were too many scandals, the export of life animals to Qatar just one of them. And of course not a word about the attempt by a Chinese man to sneak a lot of ivory into port when the Chinese navy was visiting. I find the entire charade of denials disgusting’ contributed another source, before adding ‘And by the way the opposition in parliament has concluded the same that the statements made are a smokescreen and that instead of throwing mud at the investigators the government should investigate the allegations. But of course that is not happening or otherwise would the infamous list of 300 have caused prosecutions. Believe what you want but I chose to believe the EIA report because our government has no credibility in these matters left’.

Given other problems with projects riding roughshod over environmental concerns, like the proposed Serengeti Highway, the planned soda ash plant in the Lake Natron mudflats, the only breeding ground for the East African flamingos, the Uranium mining in the Selous, plans to build a dam and hydroelectric power plant at Stieglers’ Gorge, also in the Selous and plans for a deep sea port in the very centre of the Coelacanth marine park near Tanga, among others, has the Tanzanian government much to answer for.

‘Let’s not fool ourselves about the negative impact of such projects. Conservationists are not anti-development, but they want development in areas where it can be sustained and with the least impact on our environment. This government has a tendency to brush aside such considerations and is prepared to ignore environmental concerns and consequences for short lived profit. That is not acceptable in this day and age and no amount of trying will greenwash any of these projects. Their impacts are known and if for instance that highway would ever go ahead, the international conservation groups will not hesitate and decampaign our country. And for the Stieglers’ Gorge project they are dealing with a company found guilty of corruption back home in Brazil, what does that tell you? Tourism is very important for our economy and we should not risk it so casually’ wrote another source.

Fact is that the report by the Environmental Investigation Agency has stirred the hornets’ nest big time and will pit those who believe the report’s integrity against those who will try to deny the substance of it and the allegations made. Watch the relevant media in coming days and weeks how this will play out and who will ultimately be right and wrong in this latest battle to save Africa’s elephants and kill the blood ivory trade.

EIA_Tanzanian_Ivory_report_2014_Final_LOWRES-1.pdf