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Moz Gov releases elephant population stats
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posted 27 May 2015 10:56
Note "The Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Minister Lazaro Nyalundu, announced that Tanzania will release the results of their national elephant census on June 1 in Arusha."

**NEWS FROM WCS**

Government of Mozambique Releases Elephant Population Numbers
* Dramatic, forty-eight percent decline is due to criminal gangs decimating elephants for their ivory
* Mozambique is under serious threat from illegal wildlife trafficking and environmental crime
* Mozambique’s new Minister for Land, Environment and Rural Development says tackling ivory poaching and rhino horn trafficking is a major priority for his new Ministry
* Intelligence led enforcement, implementation of the new law, coordination with the new environmental police, partnerships, securing existing ivory stocks are being implemented
* Surveys were led by the Government of Mozambique in partnership with WCS, and were funded by Paul G Allen, as part of the Great Elephant Census®, WCS and USAID

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE (26/05/2015) – A major decline in elephant numbers in Mozambique was announced by the Minister of Land, Environment and Rural Development, Minister Celso Correia, at a signing ceremony for trans-boundary conservation cooperation between Mozambique and in Maputo last night.

The Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Minister Lazaro Nyalundu, announced that Tanzania will release the results of their national elephant census on June 1 in Arusha.

The Mozambique survey revealed that criminal gangs are decimating elephant populations and forests prompting new government measures to stop the devastation.

The survey showed a dramatic estimated 48 percent decline in elephant numbers in Mozambique in the last five years, from just over 20,000 to the current estimate of 10,300. This decline is due to rampant elephant poaching in the country’s most important elephant populations.

The surveys were led by the Government of Mozambique in partnership with WCS, and were funded by Paul G Allen, as part of the Great Elephant Census®, WCS, and USAID.

Organised criminal gangs are decimating Mozambique’s biodiversity and undermining governance in remote border areas. This is destroying one of the key development options for local communities and regional government in these remote, wild areas where wildlife thrive.

Ninety-five percent of the total loss occurred in northern Mozambique where the elephant population declined from an estimated 15,400 to an estimated 6,100. Niassa National Reserve was hardest hit, and the population has fallen from an estimated 12,000 in 2012 to an estimated 4,440 – 43% of all elephants seen in Niassa Reserve on this survey were dead. In Quirimbas National Park the current elephant population is small, just over 600 animals, but there is significant poaching, with 45% of all elephants seen on the survey dead.

The Tete area, and Limpopo National Park and surrounds – Mozambique’s second and third largest elephant populations – have seen a 20 percent decline in each site. In Tete 1,600 elephants remain; and in Limpopo National Park and the areas to the south, 1,100 elephants remain. But poaching is occurring in both of these populations with 290 carcasses in Tete, and 230 in Limpopo National Park and the area to the south.

In addition, the surveys detected significant illegal logging operations within protected areas – in the eastern part of Niassa National Reserve near the Unity bridge, in Quirimbas National Park, as well as in Tchuma Tchato and surrounding areas in Tete.

In Gorongosa National Park and Marromeu Special Reserve small elephant populations – 535 in Gorongosa and 600 in Marromeu – are increasing slowly in size.

In response to this widespread criminal activity, the Government of Mozambique’s Minister for Land, Environment and Rural Development (Minister Celso Correia) declared that tackling ivory poaching and rhino horn trafficking is a major priority for his new ministry, and, together with other ministries, is taking the following measures to combat this rampant criminal activity:

• Focusing on implementing the law and bringing poachers and traffickers to justice:
- On June 20, 2014, then Mozambique President Armando Guebuza signed into existence a new Biodiversity law, which criminalises poaching, imposes deterrent sentences, and allows asset seizure,
- Mozambique’s Attorney-General’s office is also taking wildlife crime seriously, and the Attorney-General herself recently appointed one of her deputies to focus on improving the prosecution of wildlife crime cases.

• Deploying the new Mozambican environmental police unit to work with scouts from the National Agency for Conservation Areas (ANAC) to implement the law and stop poaching and illegal logging

• Developing intelligence-led law enforcement capability, and improving training, equipping and leadership of protected-area scouts, including establishing specialist units that are properly equipped and armed

• Strengthening partnerships with international organizations, including: WCS in Niassa Reserve, the Peace Parks Foundation in Limpopo National Park, and the Carr Foundation in Gorongosa National Park. In addition, donor partners have responded and are helping including: USAID who recently committed to support Niassa Reserve and Gorongosa National Park; the World Bank supporting the MozBio program to strengthen the national conservation areas network; Germany’s KfW; the French Development Agency, and others

• Working with CITES to conduct a national inventory of ivory stocks, securing the stocks and implement a transparent audit system

• Mozambique signed an MoU with Tanzania on 25 May 2015, and with South Africa in 2014, to strengthen cross-border collaboration to tackle poaching and trafficking

Some positive results are already being seen. In the first quarter of 2015, in Niassa Reserve, two elephant poachers were arrested, five illegal firearms collected (two AK47’s and three hunting rifles, with 336 rounds of ammunition), and 18 tusks recovered. In April 2015, a policeman who had been renting his AK47 to a poacher in Niassa Reserve was imprisoned for five years. In April/May 2015, the new environmental police unit arrested six army officers who were poaching elephants between Niassa Reserve and Quirimbas National Park with four AK47’s. In response to illegal logging activities detected during the elephant survey, joint ANAC and WCS teams destroyed three logging camps and impounded 1,200 cubic meters (42,377 cubic feet) of wood in Niassa Reserve.

Cristián Samper, WCS President and CEO said: “These survey results are sobering; criminals have taken a staggering toll on Mozambique’s wildlife and natural resources. But I am hopeful that the Government of Mozambique, working with partners in the NGO and development community, as well as neighboring nations, will bring criminals to justice so elephants can thrive once again here.”

Alastair Nelson, WCS Mozambique Country Director said: “We still have a long way to go to stop rampant elephant poaching, illegal hardwood logging, and rhino horn trafficking. We will continue to partner with the government of Mozambique to work together to stop poaching and wildlife trafficking across the country. In Niassa Reserve we will do whatever we can to bring more outside support to respond to this tragedy. Niassa is one of the few remaining wildernesses on our planet that can, and must, hold tens of thousands of elephant one day again.”

Dr. Carlos Lopes Pereira, ANAC Head of Law Enforcement and WCS Mozambique Technical Director said: “To reverse this situation, we have to act now, in five years it will be too late.”

The British High Commissioner to Mozambique, Joanna Kuenssberg said "This survey shows just how grave the situation is and why further efforts to enforce the law and support the local communities are so urgent to ensure the elephant's survival in Mozambique. Botswana, Gabon and others are showing the way with the Elephant Protection Initiative, which could be part of the solution. Only through effective international collaboration across the board can the alarming trend of destruction be reversed. The UK will continue to support these efforts in Mozambique and across the region."

###
WCS Mozambique
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. In Mozambique WCS partners closely with government to strengthen law enforcement and protected area management across the national protected areas network. WCS co-manages Niassa National Reserve with ANAC, the National Administration of Conservation Areas, and uses lessons learned to strengthen the national system. Visit: www.wcs.org<http://www.wcs.org>; http://www.facebook.com/niassareserve Follow: @WCSMozambique

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
MISSION: WCS saves wildlife and wild places worldwide through science, conservation action, education, and inspiring people to value nature. VISION: WCS envisions a world where wildlife thrives in healthy lands and seas, valued by societies that embrace and benefit from the diversity and integrity of life on earth. To achieve our mission, WCS, based at the Bronx Zoo, harnesses the power of its Global Conservation Program in more than 60 nations and in all the world’s oceans and its five wildlife parks in New York City, visited by 4 million people annually. WCS combines its expertise in the field, zoos, and aquarium to achieve its conservation mission. Visit: www.wcs.org<http://www.wcs.org>; http://www.facebook.com/TheWCS; http://www.youtube.com/user/WCSMedia Follow: @thewcs.

Stephen Sautner
Executive Director of Communications
Wildlife Conservation Society
Bronx Zoo
Bronx, NY 10460
P: 718-220-3682
ssautner@wcs.org<mailto:ssautner@wcs.org>
Skype: scsautner
newsroom.wcs.org<http://newsroom.wcs.org>
Follow: @TheWCS


"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa

hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
 
Posts: 3036 | Location: Tanzania - The Land of Plenty | Registered: 19 September 2003Reply With Quote
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posted 27 May 2015 10:58Hide Post
Reports such as this ain't doing us any favors! A massive public awareness campaign is necessary with positive news and trends from hunting managed concessions or else we are slowly doomed.


"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa

hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
 
Posts: 3036 | Location: Tanzania - The Land of Plenty | Registered: 19 September 2003Reply With Quote
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posted 27 May 2015 12:08Hide Post
quote:
Reports such as this ain't doing us any favors! A massive public awareness campaign is necessary with positive news and trends from hunting managed concessions or else we are slowly doomed.


Mich is right. We can use this to our advantage.

Please can anyone who has contact with Operators in Mozambique, who hunt Elephant, send me their contact details. I will pull all the data together for the concessions where Hunting and Anti Poaching are correctly managed and we can turn it into a PR effort.

Once we have the stats together all we need is for you to share the hell out of it. Exactly like the Anti Hunters do.

Please send mails to ian@huntersdo.org
Thanks
Ian


Specialist Outfitters and Big Game Hounds


An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last. - Winston Churchill
 
Posts: 794 | Location: Namibia Caprivi Strip | Registered: 13 November 2012Reply With Quote
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posted 27 May 2015 13:48Hide Post
The drastic decline in elephant population has happened because of the total lack of involvement by the respective governments to stop the poaching!

I have been going to Tanzania for several years, and right from year one, we have seen the horrible effect that poaching creates on elephant.

What has the Tanzania government done to stop it??


One Big Fat ZERO!


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Posts: 70406 | Location: Dubai, UAE | Registered: 08 January 1998Reply With Quote
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posted 27 May 2015 14:57Hide Post
Saeed, you are right of course.
Sadly though, our anti "friends" use our own words and such examples to discredit one of our ethos: Regulated sport hunting, as a conservation management tool, helps to reduce poaching.

We know this is true in "the bigger picture" context........but unless we flood the public with such awareness, we end up on our back feet in the propaganda war.


"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa

hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
 
Posts: 3036 | Location: Tanzania - The Land of Plenty | Registered: 19 September 2003Reply With Quote
one of us
posted 27 May 2015 15:00Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Hunting the Box H:
quote:
Reports such as this ain't doing us any favors! A massive public awareness campaign is necessary with positive news and trends from hunting managed concessions or else we are slowly doomed.


Mich is right. We can use this to our advantage.

Please can anyone who has contact with Operators in Mozambique, who hunt Elephant, send me their contact details. I will pull all the data together for the concessions where Hunting and Anti Poaching are correctly managed and we can turn it into a PR effort.

Once we have the stats together all we need is for you to share the hell out of it. Exactly like the Anti Hunters do.

Please send mails to ian@huntersdo.org
Thanks
Ian


HITB,
google The Chinco Project. Very relevant to our message that not all wildlife areas are suitable for photo safaris but still need revenue sources to be protected!


"...Them, they were Giants!"
J.A. Hunter describing the early explorers and settlers of East Africa

hunting is not about the killing but about the chase of the hunt.... Ortega Y Gasset
 
Posts: 3036 | Location: Tanzania - The Land of Plenty | Registered: 19 September 2003Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of ledvm
posted 27 May 2015 15:58Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Saeed:
The drastic decline in elephant population has happened because of the total lack of involvement by the respective governments to stop the poaching!

I have been going to Tanzania for several years, and right from year one, we have seen the horrible effect that poaching creates on elephant.

What has the Tanzania government done to stop it??


One Big Fat ZERO!


The same can be said of almost every country in Africa that has elephant. I was just in Zim and watched Norman English examine a poached rhino bull carcass (will post a full report on that in rhino section). With the few remaining of those true wild black rhino left...you would think that the Zim government would have military patrols around the BVC...but what do they contribute...0!

Norman told me over the campfire about going to the Selous in 2000...just 15 years ago...and surveying the remaining black rhino there...probably 15-25 left then. My friend Nigel Theisen told me that he and Paddy Curtis would see tracks at water holes in the Selous until about 2006 and then they stopped. The TZ government did f**k-all to stop that either...a world treasure just about extinct.

I whole-heartedly agree that regulated hunting does more than anything else to curtail poaching...heck, I was in Zim hunting ele. But...with out national government support...the animals are up against it...not to mention that many times the governments are complicit when the crimes are independently investigated.


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A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House

No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.
 
Posts: 39163 | Location: Gainesville, TX | Registered: 24 December 2006Reply With Quote
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Picture of 505ED
posted 27 May 2015 16:16Hide Post
This is one reason I get down when everyone starts lambasting Namibia, and South Africa farms to hunt on.. Soon it might be the only place to hunt...

I have a good friend with 9 rhinos on his place, just last week they shot 2...he saved them, said he was glad they could not shoot worth a shit...cleaned the wounds, and as of right now they are OK..He chased the crew back into Botswana..now those beautiful animals are not on the 12,000 ac open farm..they are in a 90 ac boma behind the ranch house...shame...

Ed


DRSS Member
 
Posts: 2289 | Location: Texas | Registered: 02 July 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted 28 May 2015 02:24Hide Post
Follow the money. Asking the government to control poaching when some very high up government officials' may be up to their eyeballs in the poaching industry.
 
Posts: 173 | Registered: 05 October 2004Reply With Quote
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