Company pays 1Bn hunting fee for not hunting
From Charles Nzo Mmbaga - Arusha

A company with three hunting blocks in Western Serengeti has deliberately been paying full trophy fees to the government but not killing a single animal for the past four years as a goodwill gesture aimed at helping the country realize a natural increase in wildlife numbers, the Daily News has exclusively learnt.

"We shall again this year (2006) extend the gesture", said the Grumeti Reserves Limited Managing Director, Mr. Rian Labuschagne whose company has so far paid the government over 918,900,000/= in four years in a row for the three hunting blocks, the concessions of which it owns.

A Wildlife Division official in the ministry of Tourism and Natural here over the weekend confirmed the 'unusual' gesture. He confirmed that by law a minimum of 40% needs to be paid as trophy fee but the company has been paying 100%.

Grumeti Reserves Ltd., a registered company in Tanzania is the legal concession holder in three blocks - the Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves and the Ikoma Hunting Block. It is owned by an American billionaire, Paul Tudor Jones, a prominent Wall Street trader who owns Tudor Holdings.

"We committed to paying full trophy fees for the years 2002, 2003 ,
2004 and 2005 for the three hunting blocks, despite our not hunting, to ensure that income accruing to Wildlife Division from us far exceeds the revenue that could have been generated from a pure hunting operation", said Mr. Labuschagne.

He told the Daily News that in this gesture would simultaneously encourage the natural increase in the numbers of animals, and thereby creating the product on which the entire tourism operation is based, namely the healthy wildlife resource.

He said already there is a massive increase of animals, including resident ones, in the Western Serengeti corridor where the hunting blocks are situated.

Mr. Brian Harris, General manager of The Grumeti Community & Wildlife Conservation Fund (Grumeti Fund), a Non-Profit Organisation Managed by Grumeti Reserves limited said the portion of this money is channeled through government to the Serengeti and Bunda Districts Council to support community projects in the districts.

Asked when they will start hunting, Mr. Harris said "we have given ourselves the undertaking not to hunt but still pay until the numbers had increased sufficiently to sustain any hunting".

Through this gesture, he said, the company ensures that the Wildlife Division and the two districts receive the full potential income from the hunting blocks.
"We see this as a way of assisting local management in capacity building and developing strong partnerships", saying a full trophy fees will again be paid for the year 2006.

The Grumeti Fund was established by Grumeti Reserves mainly to be involved in community projects and wildlife management within the area. ends

Charles Nzo Mmbaga

Let's see...they stock pile game while still paying trophy fees. Then as the numbers climb the animals move off to the concesssions with control (hunting) looking for more food, water, cover, mates, etc and are then removed by hunters on other concessions. So at least twice the trophy fees and the animals get shot on another concession anyway. A lot to be said for these people.

Peter- So what's the deal? Were these hunting blocks devoid of animal life or what?

My intial instinct is to be suspect of Grumeti's motives but if it helps the people and the wildlife, all the better! Might be great hunting when and if they open the area to hunters.

John

Grumeti Reserves (aka VIP safaris) is owned by Mr. Paul Tudor Jones and family. It is a "private reserve" on the Western and Northwestern border of the Serengeti. Previous operator abused the area and overshot the game. Rampant poaching took it's toll as well. Being next to Serengeti it always replenished itself, especially at certain times.

Now in its 3rd (or 4th?) year under new management, game numbers have increased and poaching greatly diminished. "unlimited" funds at work. They have constructed 2 (+ a 3rd under construction) properties for "photo" tourism. I think the hunting is purely "private" for owner, family and friends. 1 night at their property is like $2,000 all inclusive (including a lawn tennis court!).

Good for the wildlife but turning the people into "beggars" as they get given everything losing the incentive to work hard for themselves. JMO.

Bwanamich,
How active do you think their anti-poaching efforts are? Even in concessions that have such the battle is still ongoing. I was amazed a few months ago at the elephants, hippos, and buffalo we found poached in a concession that has one of the more active anti-poaching efforts in the country. In an area that has no hunting activity, the appeal of the place to poachers would have to be high.

Some more detail here:

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/31012005/Features/Part21.html

Paul Tudor Jones is an avid hunter, but ecologically sensitive. He'd be just about the perfect concession holder, but it might price safaris out of our reach.

Jones also owns an island off the East Coast (US) that he has transformed (in large part) into pre-Pilgrim wildlife habitat.

quote:

Originally posted by Spring:
Bwanamich,
How active do you think their anti-poaching efforts are? Even in concessions that have such the battle is still ongoing. I was amazed a few months ago at the elephants, hippos, and buffalo we found poached in a concession that has one of the more active anti-poaching efforts in the country. In an area that has no hunting activity, the appeal of the place to poachers would have to be high.

Vic,
Its all about maintaining a presence in the area - whether a hunting one or a photographic one is irrelevant. Their area of operation is relatively small so easily patrollable and with large open grasslands and thin scrub. The entire Eastern side is bordering the Serengeti so less chance of poachers coming in from that side making it even less complicated to control. There will always be poaching to some degree, but with "unlimited funds" at their disposal, they can offer alternative protein and income sources such as supplying beef, fish quota to every neighbouring village as well as lot's of cash in return for not poaching! More importantly was stopping the unabated poaching by various local authorities - which they seem to have done.