POACHING REPORT DEMANDS GOVERNMENT ACTION ON CHINA CONNECTION
The following media report by Florian Kaijage is repeated here in full to have readers appreciate what others have to say about the poaching tsunami which has hit Tanzania:
Dar’s secret poaching report implicates China
BY FLORIAN KAIJAGE, 18th May 2013,
http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=54837
Investment relations between China and Tanzania have been cited in
elephant poaching in Tanzania, calling for serious government
intervention, a report on the elephant poaching crisis has revealed.
According to a well-detailed report authored by the Tanzania Elephant
Protection Society (TEPS) made available to the Guardian, though the
Chinese investments were important in the country’s economy and
development, they shouldn’t compromise country’s natural wildlife
conservation efforts.
The report — which states clearly the current rate of 30 elephants
killed every day and 850 elephants shot every month — poses
unprecedented risk of the country’s elephant population perishing in
the next seven years notes: “China is the number one investor in
Tanzania … but the majority of tusks exported illegally from Tanzania
end up in China due to the huge demand for Ivory in China” It
affirms: “Tanzania’s partnership with China is of great benefit to the
country’s economy and development but it must not be at the expense of
Tanzania’s vital natural resources and tourist industry … this
requires political will and strong leadership.”
The document, whose was availed to The Guardian recommends: “Tanzania
government should make investment from China and other countries
strictly conditional on China tackling its demand for ivory at home ,
and stronger law enforcement collaboration to halt the flow of ivory
from Tanzania to China.” Experts also recommended for the presence of
sniffer dogs working 24 hours at every port and airport.
In one of its four recommendations to the government, the report says:
“Ivory is a big business for major criminal … also involved in
trafficking drugs and violent crimes. The issue must be treated as a
serious crime which is a major threat to the nation. “These syndicates
are able to engage in corrupt practices to ensure that their
consignments are not subjected to law enforcement intervention in the
countries of origin, on transit and destinations. We hope thae
statistics presented would raise the hairs of the policy and decision
makers and cause them to quickly act to rescue the situation” says the
report.
Winding up debate on the 2013/2014 fiscal year, the Minister for
Natural Resources and Tourism, Khamis Kagasheki, said a kilogramme of
a tusk is traded at $1,000 at the international market, whereas a
kilogramme of rhino horn is worth $1 million, a revelation that the
poaching and illegal trade of natural resources involves people with
big money.
The report also recommends enactment of emergency laws providing for
sentences of up to 15 years imprisonment for illegal hunts of an
elephant or trading in ivory
One Response
So what is expected? What is planned? How is it leaving the country ? And Who is to blame? How about ‘outing’ the specifics?
What help is needed?
Who can be rightly shamed?
There needs to be a ground swell by Tanzanians if they are to preserve enough of their natural wildlife heritage for their future livelihoods as well as their inspiration in the face of such blatant exploitation by some of their fellow ‘citizens’ as well as those financing the poaching.
The evidence was clear enough on our transit through the Tarangiri park area last October,
KM