Govt vows to curb wildlife trafficking
RICHARD MWANGULUBE, Arusha
Daily News; Tuesday,September 25, 2007 @00:03

THE government vowed yesterday to intensify the war against trafficking and illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife products amid reports of a surge in demand for government trophies.

Public Safety and Security Minister Harith Bakari Mwapachu, said here yesterday that local security organs were on alert and would leave no stone unturned in their mission to curb the illegal business. “The police force is on the look out of all crimes related to wildlife.

I wish to assure you that our wildlife is protected from few greedy individuals,†said the minister when opening Interpol Wildlife Working Group meeting here yesterday. The Minister said the police seized a number of wildlife contrabands including 223 elephant tusks in Dar es Salaam on July 24 this year.

He said the meeting, which has brought together delegates from more than 20 countries, was taking place when the world was experiencing escalation of illegal trafficking and trade in wildfire. “As we are all aware, illegal trade in wildlife continues unabated worldwide despite the existence of national and international laws on the trade. We are aware of what is happening in the field of wildlife conservation.

Poaching for bush meat and other products such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, skins, live animals and other animal products is serious and rampant in our region,†he explained.

He noted that there is increasing evidence of the involvement of organized criminal cartels in the wildlife crime with some of the criminals also engaged in multiple crimes such as illicit drugs, money laundering and firearms.

The minister conceded that the criminal networks are well organized and the sophistication and scope of organized syndicates outweigh the capacity and resources of many enforcement agencies in the region.