Curb poaching or lose permit: Nhema

Herald Reporter-August 20, 2007

GOVERNMENT will withdraw operating permits of conservancy and game ranch owners who fail to protect wildlife from poaching or fail to develop land allocated to them.

The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Cde Francis Nhema, told a meeting held by Parks and Wildlife Management Authority officials at the weekend that the Government would not stand by and watch while some people illegally harvest animals at some conservancies and game ranches.

"We are now taking a tougher decision. Though we promote the incorporation of indigenous people in the wildlife farming sector, we do not condone reports of massive poaching on a number of our conservancies."

"There are a number of options we could take but considering how serious the matter is, we have no option but to do what we feel is best for the sector, which is to withdraw permits of all operators who are failing to protect wildlife," Cde Nhema said.

He said areas of concern included those around the Hwange National Park where some private property owners were so slack that wildlife was now flocking into the national park for water.

Cde Nhema said the Government formulated the Wildlife-based land reform policy over a year ago after realising there was urgent need to address issues cropping up in the sector and also ensure order was instilled.

Cde Nhema said although the policy also seeks to achieve greater equity in the ownership and management of conservancies and game ranches, Government will not hesitate to cancel permits of property owners who after being in the business for years still do not understand what they are expected to do.

He said the policy, which is currently still at the implementation stage agitates for the improvement of the protection of the country’s 600 bird species and forests.

"We need to be honest and be professional as well otherwise in two years time there will be no resources to talk about."

Cde Nhema urged Governors and other local authorities of various provinces to seriously consider working out logistics that would see to the provision of alternative areas to settle people who have encroached in wildlife areas.

This was after Parks officials had indicated there is not much that could be done to control poaching as long as there were people settled in national parks or crowded at some conservancies.

"We have a lot of people settled in wildlife areas but not involved in the management of our animals because there are not passionate about the business.

"These are some of the people who are busy cropping in the middle of conservancies and whenever they can, poach animals for both commercial and subsistence purposes," Parks’ officials explained.