Wildlife Authority hosts quota setting workshops

Business Reporter
July 18, 2008



THE Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is holding wildlife quota setting workshops countrywide to determine the animal population to be hunted for the 2009 season.
In an interview, ZPWMA's public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe said the all stakeholder workshops began this week on Monday in Chiredzi and will end on 19 August in Chinhoyi.
"We (ZPWMA) started participatory quota setting workshops on Monday and will end on 19 August. The workshops will include all stakeholders involved in the wildlife industry including safari operators, Rural District Councils and members of the community.
"ZPWMA undertake quota setting every year as to allow for participation by other stakeholders, this is what is known as participatory approach. It is important as it enables those involved to have ownership of their wildlife," Rtd Maj Mbewe said.
Safari operators and RDCs are expected to bring with them offer letters with sizes of properties, trophy size for the past seven years for wildlife species such as elephant, buffalo, crocodile, cheetah, leopard, lion and hippopotamus as well as divulging the general information on poaching and wildlife management.
In wildlife, a quota represents the number of animals that can be safely removed or harvested from a certain population each hunting season or year without depleting the population of whatever species one will be looking at.
"Setting quotas ensures that wildlife populations maintain themselves and continue to survive biologically into the future. The continued survival of wildlife ensures financial benefits for the nation.
"This is why ZPWMA in collaboration with other major stakeholders in the hunting industry review quotas annually. The quota allocated may be changed at the end of each year depending on the information made available in terms of animal populations," Rtd Maj Mbewe said.
He said the quota setting workshops were essential to safari operators, RDCs and the communities as they assured them of the number of wildlife to be hunted in a particular season.
"Most safari operators attend international hunting safari fairs, so they need their quotas in time for them to start marketing their hunts. It also gives communities a rough idea of what income to expect through the CAMPFIRE (Communal Area Management Programme For Indigenous Resource) initiative.
"RDCs will need to know the quota in order to finalise their hunting contracts with their professional hunters." Rtd Maj Mbewe said.
He urged all stakeholders to contribute towards wildlife conservation through ensuring adequate water for the wildlife species, veldfire prevention and protection through hiring of scouts or rangers.
Before the economic downturn in 1997, hunting formed an integral part of the tourism industry and contributed 60 percent to total tourism receipts.