Report demands action from Tanzanian government on China connection

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