RESPONSE AND EXPLANATIONS REGARDING THE ARTICLE IN THE EAST AFRICAN NEWS PAPER TITLED “GAME CARNAGE IN TANZANIA ALARMS KENYA”

1.0 INTRODUCTION:

The East African Newspaper of 4-10 February 2002 carried an article titled “Game Carnage in Tanzania Alarms Kenya”, written by John Mbaria with supplement information from Apolinari Tairo of Dar es Salaam. The article was on The Ortello Business Hunting Company, which started to hunt in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area in 1992.

The following are issues raised in the article:

a) Hunting activities carried out in Liliondo Game Controlled Area near the Tanzania – Kenyan border causes loses of 80% of the Kenyan wildlife.

b) Hunting is conducted in the migratory route in the south between Kenya and Serengeti National Park. The animals are hunted during the migratory period as they move to Kenya and on their way back to Tanzania in July to December.

c) Hunting is threatening the Kenyan tourism industry, which earns the country USD 256.0 annually.

d) The hunting kills animals haphazardly, without proper guidance and monitoring of actual number of animals killed and exported outside the country.

e) Airplanes belonging to Ortello Business Corporation (OBC) carry unspecified type of live animals and birds from Loliondo on their way back to UAE. Further more, the air planes fly directly in and out of Loliondo without stopping at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA).

The following are responses to the issues raised:

2.0 Conservation of wildlife in Tanzania

Tanzania is among the top ten countries in the world rich in biodiversity. Tanzania is also leading in wildlife conservation in Africa. It has 12 National Parks, including the famous Serengeti National Park, 34 Game Reserves and 38 Game Controlled Areas. The wildlife –protected areas cover 28% of the land surface area of Tanzania. In recognition of the good conservation works, Tanzania was awarded a conservation medal in 1995 by the Safari Club International whose headquarters is in the United States of America.

Tanzania has a number of important endangered animal species in the world. Such animal species are: Black Rhino, Wild Dog, Chimpanzee, Elephant and Crocodile (Slender Snorted Crocodile).

In 1998, the Government of Tanzania adopted a Wildlife Policy, which gives direction on conservation and advocate sustainable use of wildlife resources for the benefit of the present and future generations.

3.0 Tourist Hunting

Regulated tourist hunting or any other type of hunting that observes conservation ethics does not negatively affect wild animal populations. This is because hunting ethics is based on selective hunting and not random shooting of animals. Hunting was banned in Tanzania from 1972 to 1978. The resultant effect was increased poaching and reduced government revenue from wildlife conservation. Low revenue caused low budgetary allocations to wildlife conservation activities and the lack of working gear and equipment. When the tourist hunting resumed Elephant population increased from 44,000 (in 1989) to 45,000 (in 1994). Elephant is a keystone species in the hunting industry and is a good indicator in showing population status of other animal species in their habitat.

In 1989 to 1993 the government revenue from the hunting industry increased from USD 2,422,500.00 to USD 7,377,430.00. The government earned a total of USD 9.3 Million from tourist hunting in the year 2002. Increased revenue and keystone species such as Elephant are the results of efficient implementation of good plans and policies in conservation and sustainable use of wildlife resources.

4.0 Response to the issues raised in the article

4.1 Hunting against the law by OBC

OBC is one of the 40 hunting companies operating in Tanzania. The Company belongs to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Different from other hunting companies, OBC does not conduct tourist hunting business. The Kingdom of UAE has been the client hunting in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area since 1992.

In conducting hunting in Loliondo Game Controlled Area, the Company adhere to the law and regulations governing the tourist hunting industry, namely:

4.1.1 Payment of concession fee amounting to USD 7,500.00 per hunting block per year.

4.1.2 Requesting for a hunting quota from the Director of Wildlife, before issuance of hunting permit.

4.1.3 Payment of game fees as stipulated by the Government.

4.1.4 Hunting only those animals shown in the hunting permit.

4.1.5 Contributing to the development of the hunting block, local communities’ development projects and anti-poaching activities.

The following is what OBC has done so far:

· Contribution towards the development of the Ngorongoro District of USD 46,000.00

· Construction of Waso Primary and Secondary Schools, six bore holes and cattle dips and has purchased two buses to enhance/local transportation. Furthermore, OBC contributed TSh. 30.0M to six villages in the hunting area, for providing secondary school education to 21 children.

· Purchased a generator and water pump worth TSh. 11.0M for provision of water to six villages. It has also constructed all weather roads and an airstrip within Loliondo area.

4.1.6. Different from the rest of the hunting companies OBC hunting period is very short. Normally the hunting season lasts for six months, but OBC hunts for a maximum of four months. Few animals are shot from the hunting permit.

4.2 Animals hunted in migratory routes.

The Government of Tanzania has permitted hunting in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area and not in the migratory route between Masai Mara and Serengeti National Park. The Loliondo Game Controlled Area is a plain bordering the Serengeti National Park to the east.

4.3 The right for Tanzania to use wildlife in the Loliondo Game Controlled Area

The wildlife found in Tanzania is the property of the Government of Tanzania. The notion that these animals belong to Kenya is not correct. The wild animals in Loliondo Game Controlled Area do not have dual citizenship . Since some animal species move back and forth between Tanzania and Kenya it is better understood that these animals would be recognised to belong to either party during the time they are in that particular country. Animals in Masai Mara, Serengeti, Loliondo and Ngorongoro belong to one ecosystem namely, Serengeti ecosystem. However, Tanzania being a sovereign State with her own policies has the right by law to implement them. The same applies to Kenya, which has the right to implement its no-hunting policy basing on the administration of her laws. Tanzania has therefore, not done anything wrong to undertake hunting on her territory.

4.4 Hunting is threatening Kenyan tourism

Migratory animals move into Kenya during the rainy season. After the rainy season they move back to Tanzania. Animals that are hunted in Liliondo Game Controlled Area during this time of the year are very few. In the year 2000, only 150 animals were hunted, and in the year 2001 only 139 animals were hunted. It is therefore, not true that 80% of the animals in the border area were hunted. Based on this argument, it is also not true that hunting conducted by OBC is threatening the Kenyan tourism industry. Tanzania does not allow hunting of elephants 10 kilometres from the Tanzania/Kenya international boundary. (CITES meeting held at the Secretariat Offices in Geneva in 1993). This is an example of the measures taken to control what was erroneously referred to by the East African Paper as “haphazard hunting of animals of Kenya”.

Furthermore, it is not true that the Wildlife Division does not know the number of animals that are killed. Control of Hunting is done by the Wildlife Division, District Council and other Law Enforcement agencies. The OBC does not capture and export live animals since it does not possess valid licence to do so.

4.5 OBC airplances export assorted number of live animals from Loliondo to UAE

Capture and export of live animals and birds is conducted in accordance with the Wildlife Conservation Act No. 12 of 1974 and resolutions of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The live animal trade is also conducted in accordance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations, with regard to the size of the boxes/containers allowed to transport specific animal species in order to avoid injuries or death of the same. The principle behind the live animal trade is sustainability. CITES may prohibit exportation of animals whose trade is not sustainable. On these grounds it is obvious that CITES and therefore, its 150 members recognise that the Tanzanian live animal trade is sustainable.

Live animal traders who exports animals, birds and other live specimens are obliged to adhere to the following procedure:

i) Must hold valid licence to trade on live animals.

ii) Must hold a capture permit and thereafter an ownership permit./certificate. The number of animals possessed and the number of animals listed on the ownership permit must be consistent with the number of animals that were listed in the capture permit and actually captured and certified.

iii) Must obtain an export permit for animals listed on the ownership permit/certificate.

iv) The Officer at the point of exit must certify that the animals exported are those listed on the certificate of export. The number of animals to be exported must tally with the number listed on the certificate of export.

Verification of exported animals is conducted in collaboration with the police and customs officials.

v) The plane that will carry live animals is inspected by the Dar es Salaam and Kilimanjaro Handling Companies’ Officials.

vi) For animals listed under CITES, appropriate export and import certificates are used to export the said specimens. If there is any anomaly in exporting CITES species, the importing country notifies CITES Secretariat, which in turn notifies the exporting country, and the animals in question are immediately returned to the country of export.

4.6 Other specific isues

4.6.1 Hunters are given blank permits

Companies are issued hunting quotas before they commence hunting activities. Each hunter is given a permit, which shows the animals that he/she is allowed to hunt depending on the quota issued and the type of safari. There are four types of safari hunting as follows: 7, 14, 16 and 21 days safari. Each hunting safari indicates species and numbers of animals to be hunted. When an animal is killed or wounded the officer in-charge overseeing hunting activities signs to certify that the respective animal has been killed. If the animal has been wounded, the animal is tracked down and killed to ensure that no other animal is killed to replace the wounded animal at large. This procedure is a measure of monitoring of animals killed by hunters.

4.6.2 Good Neighbourhood Meetings between Tanzania and Kenya

There are three platforms on which Tanzania and Kenya meet to discuss conservation issues as follows:

a) The Environment and Tourism Committee of the EAC.

b) The Lusaka Agreement. In the Lusaka Agreement Meeting conservation and anti-poaching matters amongst member countries are discussed. The HQ of the Lusaka Agreement is in Nairobi.

c) Neighbourhood meeting. Experts in the contiguous conservation areas meet to discuss areas of cooperation between them, for example, in joint anti-poaching operations. Based on the regulations that govern the hunting industry animals are not threatened by extinction since the animals that are hunted are old males for the purpose of obtaining good trophies. Trophies are attractions in this hunting business. It is on this basis that tourist hunting is not discussed in the said meetings, because is not an issue for both countries.

4.6.3 OBC airplanes flies directly to and from Loliondo without passing through KIA

The Tanzania Air Traffic Law requires that all airplanes land at KIA before they depart to protected areas. When the airplanes are at KIA and DIA the respective authorities conduct their duties according. The same applies when airplanes fly to UAE. They are required to land at KIA in order to go through immigration and customs checks. The allegation that OBC airplane does not land in KIA is therefore false. Furthermore, Tanzania Air Traffic Control regulates all airplanes includingly, OBC airplane at entry points.

4.6.4 OBC sprays salt in some parts of the Loliondo Game Controlled Area in order to attract animals from Serengeti National Park.

These allegations are baseless since the Tourist Hunting Regulations (2000) prohibit distribution of water and salt at the hunting site in order to attract animals for hunting. Besides the Game Scouts who supervise hunting had never reported this episode. Furthermore, there are no reports that OBC is responsible for wild fires that gutters the south of the Serengeti National Park.

4.6.5 Cancellation of OBC block permit in 1999 since it was involved in the exportation of live animals.

This allegation is not true. The truth is that hunting blocks are allocated to hunting companies after every five years. The allocation that was done in 1995 expired in 1999. The next allocation was done in year 2000 and the companies will use the allocated blocks until 2004.

4.6.6 The UAE Royal Family contributions to the Wildlife Division

This is true. The Wildlife Division had received support from the UAE including: vehicles, transceivers and field gear in 1996. This was part of the fulfilment of the obligation by all hunting companies to contribute towards conservation and anti-poaching activities.

Conclusion:

Records in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism show that there is no other District in Tanzania with hunting area, other than Ngorongoro District, that receives enormous funds from hunting business for community development. OBC contributes up to TSh. 354,967,000.00 annually for community development in Loliondo.

The Government of Tanzania has no reasons to stop the hunting activities in Loliondo Game Controlled Area. The government sees that local communities and the Ngorongoro District Council benefit from the hunting industry.