I have been considering a safari to Zimbabwe next year for Buff. and possibly Ele. Just found out that the Canadian Gov't. will not issue an export permit for firearms to Zim., even for temporary hunting.
I consider myself to be somewhat of a rifleman and I think most of you will understand my reluctance to hunt with anything but my own guns.
Would appreciate any input from fellow Canadians who have hunted Zimbabwe recently or who have done research into this problem.

Thanks, Hugh

Hugh, I gotta say I'm puzzled. IIRC, when I got my export permits 2 years ago to go to Namibia, they didn't even ask my destination. The export permit was to take the rifles out of Canada, and to bring them back in. Nothing else was asked.

Hugh in 07 I did not bother with the export permits in 08 I got them.I was never asked to show any Doc,s on either trips.I would take my PAL. card and copy of my registration for each firearm.I would also travel via Frankfurt with my baggage checked straight through to Zim.

I have been hunting in several countries over the past 15 years and didn't know you needed an export permit and never have had any questions asked of me coming or going. Just bring your registration number and you FAC
Jim

I have been asked for export permit in 07 on returning to Canada. In 09 I was asked for it as part of the South African SAPS and on returning to Canada.
Its not needed when going to US but is needed when going to any other country, but mostly it is just a PIA.

I will be hunting in Zim next month and renting a rifle.If it was just a question of an export permit and having the rifle seized,I would take the chance.Unfortunately our goverment has imposed legal sanctions on Zim as of September 2008 and breaking this law will result in a heavy fine and a jail sentence,according to the Canadian Governments import/export bureau.It looks like you either rent a rifle,chose another destination or risk going to jail.There is a special application for exemption but was told by the person in charge, in Ottawa, that those that have applied,where refused.This is BAD news.

Hugh:
A year to two ago British Air would not fly firearms into Zim. To get around this many fellow hunters booked their flight to end in South Africa and purchased a separate ticket from SA to Zim on Air Zim or SAA. If there is no problem importing your animals to Canada from Zim, this may be worth considering.
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
Hugh:
A year to two ago British Air would not fly firearms into Zim. To get around this many fellow hunters booked their flight to end in South Africa and purchased a separate ticket from SA to Zim on Air Zim or SAA. If there is no problem importing your animals to Canada from Zim, this may be worth considering.
Cal

The ban isn't a BA ban. The entire EU has had an arms embargo to Zimbabwe for many years the UK just enforce it more rigourously than some other member states though.

As Cal says, the way to avoid it is to have two separate sets of tickets. One will take you to JNB and the other from JNB to HRE.

Wow is this shitty, Steve, do you know anything about this?

quote:

Originally posted by cmfic1:
Wow is this shitty, Steve, do you know anything about this?

It's nothing new. The embargo has been in place for many years.

As I said, it only affects passengers travelling from or through any of the EU states and the way to avoid it is to have two separate sets of tickets. One to JNB and the other from JNB to HRE.

It should be noted that some airlines/airports enforce it more stringently than others but nevertheless, it should apply to ALL EU member nations.

Hughman,

Go onto the CGN forum site (Canadian Gun Nutz for all you yanks ) and look up a member called BigUglyMan. He just posted a report of a Zimbabwe hunt from which he has just returned. I'm sure if you email him he might be able to help you out.

John

Hughman,
PM sent

jwm;

Thanks for your input. I have already been in touch with BUM.

Hugh

I have never ever been asked for an export permit .. coming or going ... Nor do I volunteer to show it to them ... but I always ask folks who come and go to Africa with guns ... as near as I can remember .. none of them have been asked either ... maybe next time ...

I just submitted the following question to DFAIT (Dept of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada)

Good morning Paul

Is your dept still issuing Temp Export Licenses for hunters to take firearms to Zimbabwe for hunting? Thank you.


Best regards
John Hipwell
Hunt Africa
www.huntafrica.ca
Tel: 204 748 2454
Fax: 204 748 1805

This is the reply I received:

Dear Mr Hipwell,

We have received your enquiry on the permit requirements for the temporary export of a rifle and associated items to Zimbabwe.

Noted below are two web addresses for information regarding the Special Economics Measures Act (SEMA) and the prohibitions currently in force on exports to Zimbabwe or to any person in Zimbabwe. With regard to your proposed applications, it should be noted that there is currently in place a ban on the export of arms and related material to Zimbabwe or to any person in Zimbabwe. This ban includes the export of hunting rifles to Zimbabwe on a temporary basis. It is the practice of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in these circumstances to proceed first with the processing of the permit application submitted under the Special Economic Measures (Zimbabwe) Permit Authorization Order, and thereafter to review your permit application submitted under the Export and Import Permits Act (EIPA)

The following are internet links that you can paste into your browser to access more detailed information on SEMA and Zimbabwe.
http://www.international.gc.ca...ng&menu_id=25&menu=R
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/rp-...sor-dors248-eng.html
If you would like to apply for a permit under the Special Economic Measures (Zimbabwe) Permit Authorization Order, please contact the Economic Law Section (JLHB) of DFAIT at sanctions@international.gc.ca or by mail at:
Economic Law Division (JLHB)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Dr.
Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2
The Export Controls Division does not provide interpretations of statutes or regulations to the public. If you require assistance in interpreting a statute or regulations, or specific elements thereof, we recommend that you seek independent legal counsel.
Further information on the export permit process under the EIPA is available on the Export Controls Division website at http://www.exportcontrols.gc.ca. Additional internet links are provided below for your reference.
I trust this answers your question.
Sincerely,


Paul Galveias
Senior Export Control Officer / Agent principal de contrôles à l'exportation
Export Controls Division/Direction des contrôles à l'exportation
Export and Import Controls Bureau/Direction générale des contrôles à l'exportation et à l'importation
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 1J1
Tel (613)944-0470; FAX (613) 996-9933
paul.galveias@international.gc.ca


Further to the above:
In June of 2009 I was issued a Temp Export licence for five rifles, three telescopic sights and ammunition in five calibers, my final destination was listed as Hwange, Zimbabwe. ( I only take 2 rifles but on this occasion I needed the option on deciding what to take as my spare rifle at the last minute.)

From my personal observations there is a big disconnect between DEFAIT, Canadian Border Services, Airline Policy, Foreign Customs and the SAP. Each authority is usually only interested in enforcing their own policy/regulations. I must advise clients to cover all their bases and not ignore one requirement simply because others have found that it is not enforced.

So in answer to the original question on Temp Export Licences to Zim for firearms: First you need to apply for Special Economic Measures (Zimbabwe) Permit Authorization Order, and if issued then apply for your export license.

You can certainly travel to SA with (or without!) a temp Export License and then move into Zim with no export license and in all probability no one will ever know! Would that be a smart thing to do? That is your decision? I certainly will take no chance in losing an expensive DR, having been their once already, but that is another story.

Thanks John.This is new to me-that you where granted a permit under the special economic measures act when the person responsible told me, this past spring,that those few who had applied were refused-not to mention,him saying that it was a difficult and lengthy process.Did things change in a years time? I gave them another call today to see if I still stand a chance.

To be clear, I didn't apply under the special economic measures act last June. I only learnt of that today, I just applied to DFAIT for a Temp Export Licence in my normal way. Good luck.

you aren't exporting arms, you are exporting sporting arms -- used to be, and in the US are, different things

quote:

you aren't exporting arms, you are exporting sporting arms -- used to be, and in the US are, different things

Correct, our Canadian Temp Export Licence application is very detailed and ties in with our Firearms Registration Cert (Each firearm is registered here, or should be!) and obviously terms like "sporting use only" "Hunting" and even the "letter of Invitation" and Air line ticket are all submitted with the application. One would think that this can hardly be confused with an attempt to ship AK47 to terrorist! But then again they (Terrorist) might not apply for an export license, forgive the sarcasm in but I deal with this on a daily basis. As always, only the law abiding follow the rules and have to suffer the inconvenience.

quote:

Originally posted by John Hipwell:
To be clear, I didn't apply under the special economic measures act last June. I only learnt of that today, I just applied to DFAIT for a Temp Export Licence in my normal way. Good luck.

I tried that and it didn't work.I submitted my application and was then contacted and had everything explained to me.I was contacted later again and told that I had to apply under the special economics measures before it was possible for my application to be considered.I was then told that if I didn't apply for the other,my application would be rejected.Are you sure you hunted Zim in 2009 and not 2008?

Shootaway
I just double checked, Licence was dated 2009, I am thinking that my Licence may have been issued in error! Ignorance is bliss, not that this will help you any.

In 2002, I booked my hunt in Matetsi 6 while still in Zim on my first African hunt. That year, the US named certain peoples who shall not receive USD....Madame Wife of the Commanding General of Zim owned Kazangula....where I was staying....yep, I ignored it, had a great hun tand got to be great friends with my freelance PH, one John Greeff, and imported my already mounted by a Zim taxidermist trophies with no problem....took two rifles with me....probably not a good idea to repeat what I did!

Tom,

you are an American, and live in America. I have made two trips, one to Zimbabwe. No government agencies here give a rip as far as I know. Canada is different, they have much higher moral values...

Rich

Canada is different, they have much higher moral values...

Why Rich is there just a hint of sarcasm creeping in? Our (Canadian) problems are not due to our politicians having higher moral values, I have trouble putting the word politician in the same sentence as “higher moral values”, but due to our Government having soft pacifist values.