Folks,

First off, Merry Christmas and wishing you everything you wish for you and your families in the New Year.

The Mozambique government game licenses/tags seem set to jump dramatically next year. Essentially the authorities seem to want to emulate Tanzania and Zambia.
The last communique we have from the Moz PH association indicated that despite meetings held and suggestions by the industry who mooted that these increases be phased in over several years, the gov seems determined to proceed.
We have taken the approach of quoting the new licence fees in our correspondence with clients and informing them of this. Should things stay as they are, the clients will smile at the saving.
We have asked for some further clarification from Moz PH Assoc, and we will inform of any developments.

Of concern is that in chatting to more than a few operations in Moz, there are several answers - "What price increases?" "it's just a rumour" and "Yes, we know"

I have also heard of this Moz government price increase

And it's BAD!

Not good news for me... I am hunting with Zambeze Delta in Coutada 11 and 12 in September. Is it bad enough to walk away from deposits and take advantage of central or western Africa which is on sale because of the euro?

makes me glad i got in 2 good hunts there before the government decided to do the (bad) Tanzania 2 step.

jd - been there twice myself, but do want to go back again in 2012. Will have to check with my PH to see the actual cost increases in what I was planning on doing there.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

I just booked a couple days ago with ZDS in Coutada 12 for next Oct. How bad does bad mean? 50%,100%,200% increase, any idea?

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:
Not good news for me... I am hunting with Zambeze Delta in Coutada 10 and 11 in September. Is it bad enough to walk away from deposits and take advantage of central or western Africa which is on sale because of the euro?

i guess it depends on the size of the deposit, Russell. gotta say Coutada 10 is a magical place that i think is truly reminescent of "old" Africa but a person can only take so much screwing before it becomes painful.

Who has Coutada 10 now that Bahati is gone? All I have heard is that it was tendered by a couple of guys from Portugal.

Larry Sellers
SCI Life Member

quote:

Originally posted by d.unger:
I just booked a couple days ago with ZDS in Coutada 12 for next Oct. How bad does bad mean? 50%,100%,200% increase, any idea?

From 100% to 1000% in the case of Crocodiles.

It's still got to get published in the Gazette, but I think it's a done deal.

IT's sad. The fact that they think they can compare their hunting industry with Tanzania and Zambia realy goes to show how short sighted a socialist government can be.

quote:

From 100% to 1000% in the case of Crocodiles.

Holy Shit! I am not hunting croc but if the rest of the prices follow suit this could be very ugly!!!

quote:

Originally posted by bwanamrm:

quote:

From 100% to 1000% in the case of Crocodiles.

Holy Shit! I am not hunting croc but if the rest of the prices follow suit this could be very ugly!!!

Dang, I'm hunting croc. Hope there isn't much to this. 1000% seems pretty out there.

Zim's looking better every year. Mark Haldane is a great guy who I have hunted with and I am sure he will have info at Dallas.But yes, this government has grossly overestimated it's pull. Still lots of problems in the secondary areas there. Idiots running that show now... too bad.

So, any idea of when prices are to be published in the Gazette? I had been thinking about hunting there next year but that may have to change.

Chaps,
I have the full proposed listing but here are a couple of examples of the proposed licence price increases:
Bushuck from $49 to $500
Croc $110 to $1725
Sable $280 to $1000
Kudu $300 to $1000
Hippo $350 to $1500
Lion $470 to $3500
Leopard $531 to $2000
Elephant $3750 to $9000

We will keep you informed of any developments,

cheers,

That is reasonable and the majority of the safari costs equate to the daily rates which ultimately are set by the operator.

It would be interesting to see what trophy fees some were charging for Lion last year?

NOt that it matters, but I think this is really going to crush their safari industry. The thing Moz had going for it was that it was good hunting in some areas that could compete pricing wise with Zim. With these types of increases, clients might as well go to Tanzania or Zambia. They were just getting on a roll and Moz was becoming a really solid choice, but they are going really screw themselves on this one - TIA Baby...

Larry,

A group from Europe does have control of Coutada 10 but Paul Ferreira/Askari Adventures is running the show. Interestingly in the press release they found it important to note that no other company was selling Coutada 10.

Mark

This is gonna be interesting to watch.

Some Moz outfitters who have been increasing the trophy fees by 500%+ are gonna hafta rethink there profit margins!

Good Golly... Mozambique was on my list of places to go. Not that I had any great aspirations of visiting the country, but because of the opportunity to get a buffalo and a sable for a reasonable price. The hunts also seemed like they were a lot of fun. Now, who knows.

I guess I'm glad I went two years ago when the economy was better and shot a few critters that were barely affordable for me. It will be a long while before I get back there - but I will go again!

Hunter Krenz

quote:

Originally posted by 500nitro:
Chaps,
I have the full proposed listing but here are a couple of examples of the proposed licence price increases:
Bushuck from $49 to $500
Croc $110 to $1725
Sable $280 to $1000
Kudu $300 to $1000
Hippo $350 to $1500
Lion $470 to $3500
Leopard $531 to $2000
Elephant $3750 to $9000

We will keep you informed of any developments,

cheers,

Assuming that information is correct, what looks unreasonable to me are the original prices . . . $531 for a leopard. The revised prices do not appear out of line at all to me. I have a hard time believing that someone that otherwise wants to hunt in Moz is going to bug out because, for example, the leopard trophy fee is $2000 versus $531 or $1000 for a sable versus $280. So long as daily rates are not jacked up, does not strike me as the death knell for the Moz safari industry.

Mike,

I believe those are the license fees, not the trophy fees.

My bad. And you pay the license fees up front regardless of whether you actually take the animal?

If that were the trophy fee I would agree with you, but as I read it that is not the trophy fee that is just the license fees. I would guess that the trophy fees will be 2-3x the license fee.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
And you pay the license fees up front regardless of whether you actually take the animal?

That is correct.

quote:

Originally posted by MJines:
My bad. And you pay the license fees up front regardless of whether you actually take the animal?

From what I have previously gathered, that is correct.

Adds up rather quick, making other destinations a bit more attractive...

I certainly missed the boat with my comment. Having hunted mostly in Zim the notion of license fees is largely foreign to me. To pay $9000 for the privilege of hunting an elephant irrespective of whether you are successful, that could actually have a negative conservation effect, encouraging someone to take an inferior animal just because their sunk costs in daily rates and license fees are already so much.

I would have loved to hunt Moz sometime in my life but unless i win the lotto I don't think I will plan on it. I think this will not be good for PH's in Moz in the future. I can't see them keeping up with booking the same amount of clients with the prices the way they are.

The whole idea of having to pay so called "license fees" upfront, whether you actually shoot the animal or not, is rediculous.

Why not have a system like Tanzania, where certain animals are tied to certain daily licences.

This sounds rediculous!

In Zambia you pay for what you shoot only. Trophy fees are profits that the operator adds onto the license fee and therefore it is up to them to decide on this margin, and if they get it wrong they will price themselves out of the market.

From what I have gathered is that in Mozambique there are a few prime areas but many secondary or depleted. Most of the sharks are found inshore.

Ladies and Gents,

These are PROPOSEd LICENSES FEES. IT has NOT been gazetted!

The way I see it they are going to push it down our throats in any case, but lets wait, maybe a miracle happens and they see the light.

To the various guys that read this wrong. It is LICENSE fees. Trophy fees need to come on top!

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Larry,

A group from Europe does have control of Coutada 10 but Paul Ferreira/Askari Adventures is running the show. Interestingly in the press release they found it important to note that no other company was selling Coutada 10.

Mark

You are correct Mark.
We have the sole right to Coutada 10 now.
The owner is a long time friend/client of us and we were asked to run and improve the place.
The new price suggestions are still in the same bracket as all the other well known areas around Africa.
You would still have a great time in Moz and the chances of you not getting your animal depends on what area you book.
We have over 6 000 resident Buffalo in our area alone and +- another 5 000 moving around so, if you are after Buff, book the right area and you will not waste money.

Charl from Infinito Safaris is our neighbor and he knows the area well.

Moz will never "out-price" the industry because then they will lose.

Just out of interest how are the areas allocated? Is it by public tender and what is the duration of the lease agreements?

Just a thought to remember Gents, those are for the Coutadas, IF the hunt is in a community area, or Tchuma Tchato area, THE LICENSE FEE IS HIGHER,

WHY because the community buys the license from Government, and then ADDDS their % and then sell it to the outfitters in their areas.

Just for one, Hippo on Cahorra Bassa, License fee for 2011 was USD 1000, and if that price hike comes through, we are solidly F@#$@#$%#$^$%^&

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The whole idea of having to pay so called "license fees" upfront, whether you actually shoot the animal or not, is rediculous.

Why not have a system like Tanzania, where certain animals are tied to certain daily licences.

This sounds rediculous!

Saeed:
In Tanzania the safari configuration package (10, 16 or 21) determines the species and numbers on license. Notwithstanding however many animals are on license, the hunter will only end up paying for what was eventually killed or wounded/lost which in reality amounts to "shooting on credit".

Correcting a misstatement that might have caused some confusion. ZDS has Coutadas' 11 and 12. I have corrected my original post and apologize for the error...

Would it be fair to say that the hunting industry in Mozambique is chaotic and disorganised?

The boys are going to the shows in a couple of days and not sure what they are selling and for how much?

quote:

Originally posted by Fritz Rabe:

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Larry,

A group from Europe does have control of Coutada 10 but Paul Ferreira/Askari Adventures is running the show. Interestingly in the press release they found it important to note that no other company was selling Coutada 10.

Mark

You are correct Mark.
We have the sole right to Coutada 10 now.
The owner is a long time friend/client of us and we were asked to run and improve the place.
The new price suggestions are still in the same bracket as all the other well known areas around Africa.
You would still have a great time in Moz and the chances of you not getting your animal depends on what area you book.
We have over 6 000 resident Buffalo in our area alone and +- another 5 000 moving around so, if you are after Buff, book the right area and you will not waste money.

Charl from Infinito Safaris is our neighbor and he knows the area well.

Moz will never "out-price" the industry because then they will lose.

Yet another concession you have no knowledge or experience of?

Andrew ??????