(Dar es Salaam)

Tanzania: Vietnam Visa Denial Prevents Inspection of Trophy Contraband
Sebastian Mrindoko
4 January 2011


DIFFICULTIES in obtaining entry permits to Vietnam made officials in the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources fail to inspect the trophy contraband alleged to have originated from Tanzania.

The Director of Wildlife, Mr Erasmus Tarimo told the 'Daily News' in an interview last week that the inspection was formerly scheduled for last year but due to visa denial, the process was postponed as other arrangement procedures were in progress.

"The government is determined to undertake Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) tests of the smuggled elephant tusks seized in Vietnam in 2009," said Mr Tarimo.

"The DNA tests will state the origin of the ivory and afterwards other procedures including the implementation of international laws on smuggled animal trophies will be implemented," he said.

Six tonnes of elephant tusks hidden in hundreds of boxes of plastic waste inside a container were seized in Vietnam by the Vietnamese customs. Upon seizure of the consignment the Vietnam authorities announced plans to put the tusks, valued at $29.41m (approx.40bn/-), up for auction.

However, Mr Tarimo said all the illegal animal trophies seized are valueless as it had been declared by international law that it was meant for the animals' protection. He said the aim of investigating and establishing the origin of the elephant tusks is to trace the culprits and prosecute them.

Also by doing so, the illegal business will be discouraged thus safeguarding the country's animal resources. A DNA study from earlier seizures of Tanzanian ivory in Asia showed that a large part of the consignment originated from the Selous Game Reserve where 40 per cent of the country's jumbos are located.


Tanzania's elephant population is said to have declined by more than 30,000 elephants between 2006 and 2009, primarily because of poaching to supply the ivory black-market in Asia.

Mr Tarimo denied reports that all the elephant tusks sold to Asian countries were illegal. For example, he said the Chinese government was keen in identifying every single piece of animal trophy crossing their border.

"There is special computer technology to scan all the animal tusks entered into China and a special card is issued to every business person who buys them and should demonstrate all the items which will be made out of them," he said.

He said also that in China it takes an average of two days to file and prosecute an individual involved in the smuggling of animal trophies.