Just came back from Zimbabwe and found that several PH's do not support ZATSO. It is not required.

All associations are now volantary. Government banned forcing people to belong to any specific organisation. However, bear in mind the following :-

If the operator is not a member of ZATSO/ZISOA (amalgamating to form SOAZ) then you have no comebacks if your trophies do not arrive, or you outfitter takes you hunting on occupied land - not technically legal in terms of zim law but allowed, but definately illegal under US law. You also have no recourse to a Zim layer if you need to sue. Goes without saying that just about all the operations who are not members of the two above named organisations are not members because they are not allowed to be!

Also most professional hunters loath ZATSO, so listening to the PH is not going to help. ZATSO is the operators cartel which in the last four years has tightened ranks to try and hold PH salaries down.

ZPHGA is the PH union and has tried - with only moderate success to get operators to play - and pay - fair.

In times of over-supply of good PH's it is an operators market!

Also, you don't say who you hunted with (operator rather than PH). Perhaps they have a few previous convictions? I could look them up!

Ganyana,

I will be sure to forward what you just said on to Andy and let him reply to you if he wishes.

Our outfitter/PH is a person whom I have trusted and will continue to trust. We found no evidence of any past violations and he is fully licensed and able to hunt according to the Zimbabwe government. Our hunt was excellent and not on any occupied or banned list lands.

If you have to worry about using a lawyer or the courts to secure any trophies or settle disputes, you should probably not use that PH or outfitter.

Are you saying that foreign hunters only have rights in Zimbabwe if they use an Outfitter or PH that has a membership in ZATSO?

It was intersting in talking to hunters going to and coming from Zimbabwe. Seems some have found that some outfitters and PH's take non american clients to hunt on occupied lands or concessions held by those on the banned list and then take the americans to other concessions.

Some talked about how some outfitters and PH's are taking advantage of the situation and in fact are screwing over Zimbabwe PH's and outfitters that have ethics.

There was a lot of talk about the arrests of a game capture owner and a Zimbabwe offical, that were found to be selling off game to other countries.

As someone in Zimbabwe can you confirm any of this?

We loved Zimbabwe and will return and will return to hunt with the same people.

Hi TN

1) If you hunt with an operator who is not registered with one or other associations you have no recourse to getting your trophies if he turns out to be a crook. Ask some of the lads at SCI who hunted with a lad, Wayne a five years back. Still waiting for their trophies and with no prospect of getting them. They were wailing bitterly but that's life. Wayne is a personal friend but even throws a stone crooked and everybody locally knows it, so he is not a member of an approved association.

NB There a several good operators who are not members of the association, usually due to clashes in the past, but generally if an operator is any good and has nothing to hide, he pays his subs to the people who make sure his licence gets renewed, quotas issued etc which is either ZATSO or ZISOA

It has been a great tragedy that so much game has been illegally exported to other countries. 65 lion for canned hunts in south Africa last year, several hundred head of Sable etc in addition to the 23 illegal lion hunts that took place on parks land. All the hand of one man Aledgedly- E.K. who was the chairman of the parks and wildlife advisory committee- and apparently the Director of oporations at parks, Vitalis Chadenga, who is alledged to have signed the export permits.

Having left town yesterday I am not sure of the current status of the investigation.