Iringa hunters told to adhere to regulations

2007-09-25 09:37:55
By PST Correspondent Iringa


Hunters in Iringa Region have been asked to either adhere to hunting regulations as stipulated by the government or lay down their guns.

The remarks were given by the Iringa District Commissioner, Ellasto Mbwilo, over the weekend when he was responding to a question posed by this reporter following a growing conflict involving Iringa district based hunters.

This reporter had wanted to know the government`s stand on the conflict which has involved the hunters in the region to a point of threatening the lives of some hunters and?government officials.?

The DC gave the hunters two options, either to follow hunting regulations or call it quit in hunting business. ``They have no third choice,`` the DC told PST.

Mbwilo further told PST that he has also given a sixty day ultimatum to members of the Hunters Association of Tanzania (HAT) Iringa branch to re-organise themselves as they have been inactive for more than five years.

The conflict, according to the DC, emanated after MBOMIPA Association, one of the hunters (name withheld) to hunt game meat on behalf of 21 villages.

Clarifying on how the said hunter was picked up, the Iringa District Game Officer (DGO), Hawa Mwachega, told PST that, the hunter was chosen by MBOMIPA Association general meeting held at Nzihi MTC on July 30, this year.

``Villagers wanted a reputable hunter, a hunter who can conserve in order to hunt, and besides, the chosen hunter is part of MBOMIPA Association, he has been supporting various conservation activities in the area including paying game scouts as opposed to other unscrupulous hunters who corrupt Game Scout so that they gain by abusing the hunting regulations,`` she informed PST.

She said most hunters in Iringa Region take the profession for game meat, conserving is not their priority.

``That is why some of them corrupt game scouts so that they can do whatever they want for example, killing female animals, hunting at night using spot lights, overshooting animals more than those permitted in the license, using other peoples arms and inviting foreigners in the area,`` she added.