http://allafrica.com/stories/2...00240.html?viewall=1



Tanzania: Jumbo Hunting Quota Halved
BY BILHAM KIMATI, 29 JUNE 2014




GOVERNMENT has announced a reduction by 50 per cent of the hunting quota of elephants effective July this year to pave way for population growth of the jumbos.

Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Lazaro Nyalandu said that since the country and the region at large faces the serious challenge of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products, it has become necessary to exercise control on professional hunting.

During round-table discussion in Dar es Salaam yesterday with the American Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Mark Childress, Nyalandu said, "We have gathered here today to share views as we have a problem.

We are fighting a battle against enemies who are well equipped and coordinated. We are determined to win the battle," Nyalandu said.

He was explicit on the difference between trophy hunting and poaching insisting that the 50 per cent reduction is meant to allow an increase in number of the elephants.

However, the minister did not specify for how long the quota hunting reduction would persist before allowed in full swing.

Clarifying on the coordinated nature of operation by poachers, the minister said findings have revealed that they are divided in five different groups but operate as one.

"The first group is equipped with mobile phones who cannot easily be tracked down are dressed in Maasai attire. They move around scouting in the bush locating elephants.

They pass information to sharp shooters who arrive at the scene like eagles," he explained.

Delegates to the meeting comprising high ranking officials from the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and those from the American Embassy in addition to other invited guests were informed that group three comprised of dehorning 'experts' who after hacking off the tusks inform group four who are transporters to deliver the consignment to exports fully engaged in communication with distant markets.

"We appreciate the support by the United States of America, who have always extended a helping hand to support our efforts and we sit together to share information, experience and strategies to end poaching," he said.

Ambassador Childress assured Tanzania of continued support to conserve the wildlife adding; "We have a crisis (poaching) in Selous and the American government is prepared to support your initiative.

We will provide every necessary support to make sure that if the mechanism worked in other countries should work in Tanzania as well," Ambassador Childress said.

Early this month, anti-poaching drive in Tanzania received a mammoth backing from America after receiving the first surveillance helicopter Robinson R44 type which was handed over to minister Nyalandu.

Nyalandu said two more helicopters would be purchased one a Bell 206 and the other Robertson 44 for intensified surveillance in Game reserves, National Parks and other Conservation Areas.

Statistics indicate that poaching reached the alarming level such that the elephant population in the famous Selous Game Reserve, the largest in the world and Ruaha National Park dropped from 74,416 in 2009 to 33,084 in 2013 as a result of poaching activities.

More than 20,000 elephants have been killed over the last decade and 80 per cent of the animal killing happened in East Africa.

In attendance were legislator, Mr James Lembeli (CCM - Kahama) also Chair to the Parliamentary Committee, land, Natural Resources and Environment who thanked the US government for the timely support which he believed would make a big difference in the fight of poaching.

Shadow minister, Rev Peter Msigwa (Chadema- Iringa) commended the US for the support and said the ministry has shown seriousness in addressing the challenge of poaching, efforts that deserved full support irrespective of ideological differences.

Are the hunters being blamed for the damage the poachers do?? Tanz and other countries as well.

Do we think this will also help get the ban from US G&F lifted?

quote:

Originally posted by kudu4u:
Are the hunters being blamed for the damage the poachers do?? Tanz and other countries as well.

That is what it looks li!

Bloody unbelievable!

I have been going to Tanzania for the past 11 years, and have never, ever seen a single shootable bull!

Another knee-jerk reaction to satisfy the bunny huggers!

No mention of original quota - so what does the 50% equate to?

To the best of my knowledge there was never a defined quota; there was never a defined quota per hunting block and the shootable elephant was determined by either minimum weight or minimum length.!

The Game Department should have provided a tally of elephants taken on license over the last 5 years in order to compare with the numbers poached.

I wonder if all the available $$$ might persuade the Bots guys to reassess their position?

Hmm? Too bad the Tanzanian authorities didn't reduce the poachers quota by 50%.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

I have been going to Tanzania for the past 11 years, and have never, ever seen a single shootable bull!

Another knee-jerk reaction to satisfy the bunny huggers!

I have only seen one shootable ele in my two trips to tz , but luckily it now sits safely away form poachers. I don't know how many were taken in 2007 but mine are stamped 96/07 and 97/07. On that trip we did also find a small ele that had died from a poachers snare, but the poachers never got the ivory as they were still intact.

I count my luckily stars that I got the opportunity to harvest such a majestic animal

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:
...
Statistics indicate that poaching reached the alarming level such that the elephant population in the famous Selous Game Reserve, the largest in the world and Ruaha National Park dropped from 74,416 in 2009 to 33,084 in 2013 as a result of poaching activities....

So, they lost 41,332 elephants to poaching in 4 years, or 10,333 a year.

Cutting hunting quotas by 50% is like a drop in the bucket to resolve the real problem.

Talk about going after low hanging fruit!!!

http://www.eturbonews.com/4746...hunting-permits-half



Tanzania cuts elephant hunting permits by half




BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | JUN 30, 2014

Information emerged from Dar es Salaam over the weekend, that the Tanzanian government, through the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, has cut their annual hunting quota for elephant by 50 percent in order to help restore numbers of the largely-decimated herds.

Over the past several years, Tanzania has lost tens of thousands of elephant to poaching gangs with little intervention from a government which was either not aware or looked the other way, even when the extent of the problem was described by conservationists. It was only relentless pressure from abroad which made the country slowly own up to the crisis and started taking countermeasures on the effectiveness of which the jury is still out.

“It is too little too late,” commented a source when passing the information before continuing, “We have not heard about the list of 300 which was compiled by Amb. Kagesheki when he was minister. We have not seen any prominent names taken to court. But in fairness, cutting hunting permits is a good start, though the final outcome should be to ban hunting altogether and turn all the hunting blocks into conservancies for the purpose of tourism.

“Countries which still support hunting will be the ones hunted in the court of public opinion and in the social media, and we should remember how damaging the anti-Serengeti highway campaign was for us. The minister should also tell the public what the reduction means in real numbers, how many elephant hunting permits were given last year, and how many will be given this year. And we also like to know if it is not the ban to import trophies from Tanzania into the United States which has reduced demand so that those permits are not taken up anyway any longer.”

The announcements by the minister were reportedly made at a meeting with the American Ambassador to Tanzania during which Amb. Childress pledged more material support for anti-poaching and pro-conservation measures.

AFRICA

My understanding is the quota never came close to being reached in any year, so this is really a meaningless gesture. But, let's hope USF&W thinks it's meaningful.

quote:

The minister should also tell the public what the reduction means in real numbers, how many elephant hunting permits were given last year, and how many will be given this year.

Again, a very vague if not misleading statement.

He has to stop beating about the bush and reveal the figures that defined the original quota and what the annual off-take was.

Issuing a permit means absolutely nothing in terms of dead elephants; in TZ any game species on the permit is on a credit system, payable only if taken, wounded/lost.

So, if the Department issued 200, 300 or 500 elephant permits during the course of a hunting season it would not necessarily have any bearing on the actual numbers killed!

Lavaca is absolutely correct in saying "the quota never came close to being reached in any year"

They should post the number of elephants hunted, and the number of carcasses seen by hunters of elephants poached too!

The elephant hunting quota for TZ is set by CITES - like all other ele quota. I believe TZ had a CITES quota of 300 last time I checked.

So the Min orders that half of that quota be made available for hunting which translates to about 150 licenses a year. On average, around 70 ele are hunted a year in the last 5 years or so but i suspect that number has dropped in the last 2 seasons (in 2012 the min size went up to 18kgs and then down again to 15kgs in 2013/2014 i believe).

Not sure how many permits are issued a season but with the US ban, I doubt they will issue more than 150 for the season.

a non issue really.

quote:

a non issue really.

+1

2014 CITES quotas-

1500 African elephants

Zimbabwe 500
Tanzania 200
South Africa 150
Namibia 70
Mozambique 100
Cameroon 80
Botswana 400


If poaching is running 10,333 per year-
and
IF the maximum quotas are taken in ALL countries-

Then-
hunting would account for 12.7 % of all "losses"

(usually only about 50% are taken-- so truly only about 6.4%)

Even less than 50% for TZ - more likely around the 10% mark.