#TANZANIA REVOKES ALL HUNTING PERMITS ISSUED THIS YEAR
(Posted 24th October 2017)
Those in the mood to celebrate over the sudden revocation of hunting licenses in Tanzania may want to read on first before breaking open their bottles of champagne, as this does not mean a ban on hunting per se.
To the contrary will a new system be prepared under which hunting licences can be obtained through auction, leaving those who earlier this year legally obtained and paid for their permits hung out to dry. Tanzania, unlike others of her East African neighbours, continues to permit hunting with all the negative global publicity associated with it and as repeatedly reported here in the past.
The recently appointed new Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism – his hapless predecessor was unceremoniously sacked – Hamisi Kigwangalla made the announcement in Dodoma but remained silent on any level of compensation for those who had paid for their current licenses, the loss of revenue for them and the likelihood of staff being made redundant should enacting the new auction system take longer than anticipated.
Tour operators meanwhile dismissed and laughed at a statement made by the chairman of the hunting operators association, one Eric Pasanisi, who had claimed this would affect wildlife conservation as in his own, many say distorted, belief his association members raise over 65 percent of the financial resources used for conservation in the country.
The Minister further directed that any hunting blocs under any form of dispute like Loliondo and Lake Natron, be excluded from having new licenses issued until pending disputes have been fully resolved.
At the same meeting did the Minister also threaten to repossess at least eight privatised hospitality businesses over alleged non performance and breach of terms and conditions by the new owners, fitting into a recent trend seen in Tanzania where the current government, reminiscent to actions taken in the 1970’s is again nationalizing businesses and cancelling land leases under reasons strongly disputed by the owners of such enterprises and land.
