Don't know if this was already posted, but here it is whatever the case:

Link: http://www.zimparks.org/index....t-authority-on-measu


PRESS STATEMENT BY ZIMBABWE PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY ON MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTARTION OF HUNTING IN THE COUNTRY



Following the illegal killing of an iconic lion, Cecil, outside the Hwange National Park on Antoinette farm in Gwayi River Conservancy on the 1st of July 2015, it has become necessary that the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority further tightens hunting regulations in all areas outside the Parks Estate.

The Authority working with other law enforcement agencies has launched a crackdown to weed out any undesirable elements. To date our law enforcement agencies are following up on all found or reported cases and they have since arrested another culprit, Headman Sibanda, on allegations of breaching hunting regulations. He is currently assisting Police with investigations.

Further to that crackdown the following measures are going to be implemented immediately;

1. Hunting of lions, leopards and elephant in areas outside of Hwange National Parks has been suspended with immediate effect. All such hunts will only be conducted if confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, and only if accompanied by parks staff whose costs will be met by the landowner.



2. Bow hunting has been suspended with immediate effect and no such hunting will be conducted unLESS it has been confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.



3. Members of the hunting fraternity are being reminded that it is illegal for quotas to be transferred from one hunting area to another. Any case of quota transfer is regarded as poaching. The Authority will not hesitate to arrest, prosecute, and ban for life any persons including professional hunters, clients and land owners who are caught on the wrong side of the law.



All players in the hunting industry are being reminded to familiarize themselves with the relevant statutes governing the wildlife industry. Further, the Authority would like to appeal to all members of the public that they should report any SUSPECTED illegal WILDLIFE activities to the nearest offices of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Zimbabwe Republic Police and other Government law enforcement agencies.





E. Chidziya

DIRECTOR-GENERAL

Item 3 is interesting as I thought I read that quota swapping was legal.

Sounds like ele hunts booked in the Forestry areas, like Ngamo and Sikumi, may be up in the air. The prime time for those hunts is either about on us or coming up soon.

It says they can proceed as long as the Director General signs off and a Parks scout is in attendance.
I guess it will be upto Forestry to get this signature, and i dare say the ele hunting is quite lucrative for them, so i would presume it can still go ahead with a little more paper shuffling.
It does leave people hanging in the wind though for sure!!!!
Buzz put one of these hunts up a little while ago in Ngamo/Sakumi and it was snapped up quickly.It was for October so will see what happens.

Will this extend /apply to Nixon and Malapati outside Gonarezou as well?????

Whatever happens, its just got a lot more challenging to hunt in Zim for all of us.



cheers

Nick

quote:

Originally posted by 7MMNut:
Item 3 is interesting as I thought I read that quota swapping was legal.

It has been the practice of well connected safari operators to do this for quite some time - apparently the authorities turn a blind eye to it.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by 7MMNut:
Item 3 is interesting as I thought I read that quota swapping was legal.

It has been the practice of well connected safari operators to do this for quite some time - apparently the authorities turn a blind eye to it.

Speculation on my part, but seeing how it was mentioned in this release, I can't help but think this was a part of this whole deal. But when the lion turned out to be collared, it all went to crap.

If this were in fact an illegal hunt conducted without Parks blessing, why would the PH report the wounded lion to Parks the next day as is the normal practice, throwing his client under the bus as well? Parks, at least at the local level, is complicit, mark my words.

quote:

if confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

Call me jaded, but this part of number one sounds suspiciously like a new income stream may be developing.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by 7MMNut:
Item 3 is interesting as I thought I read that quota swapping was legal.

It has been the practice of well connected safari operators to do this for quite some time - apparently the authorities turn a blind eye to it.

Greased palms cause blindness.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. It's about time national parks took a closer look at themselves. They were the very one's who allowed the quota transfer to happen.. Several so called esteemed members of SOAZ/zphga were in the thick of this scandal over the last few years..

But then again why are we surprised. We have said it time and time again... Conservation ethics fall away, overtaken by greed and financial gain on both sides..just look at the elephant calve scandal to China. It was not a result of a proper management/ culling exercise, where the calves came from, they were captured by helicopter after separating them from breeding herds.

But if you are well connected and have the right political connections.. You are untouchable .

How can you suspend and then still allow the hunts to continue? It should read, the rules and regulations have been tightened on hunts taking part outside the parks estate, the following new amendments will be enforced. And you then list them.. Bottom line is these clowns really do not know what they are doing, and it takes a public outcry to get their attention.

The world is up in arms over Cecil. What about the 6000 odd elephant lost in the Zambezi valley areas, the 10 000 odd elephant from the sebungwe areas in the past 7-10 years??? Only confirmed by an American who dug deep into his pockets and funded the "great elephant census" last year, and this year. Bang!! We now have facts and current data and figures, parks authorities accross Africa can no longer manipulate figures and tell the world what they want to hear....