http://allafrica.com/stories/201301021064.html


Zambia: Govt Ready to Lose K400 Million to Conserve Wildlife
By GIDEON THOLE, 2 January 2013



TOURISM and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo has said Government is ready to lose K400 million from the one year ban of wildlife hunting business for the sake of conserving nature and bringing sanity to the commercial hunting sector.

Ms Masebo said the amount of money Government was earning annually was far little when compared to the amount of destruction being caused by corruption and indiscriminate killings of wild life.

This was being done by a few individuals who were reaping from the wild hunting sector.

The Minister was speaking during a live Zambia National Broadcasting Services (ZNBC) phone in programme, 'Open Line' on Monday night.

She said over the past few decades, Government and people living in the areas around national parks were not benefiting from all forms of commercial hunting which was dominated by foreigners and Zambians of foreign origins.

"There is a lot of cheating and corruption surrounding the wildlife hunting business which the Government has just banned. It is a lucrative sector which has seen a few individuals reap from supper profits from wildlife products.

"The Government is getting little in terms of revenue and the areas where this business is being conducted has for many years remained under-developed without any form of empowerment to the local people" Ms Masebo said.

She said that during the period of the ban, Government would embark on a consultative process which unlike in the past would take into consideration input of the chiefs and the local people.

The Government, she said, would leave it to stakeholders to decide whether to permanently ban commercial wildlife hunting.

Stakeholders would decide if the Government should instead promote photographic safari business, which was a key source of revenue for countries like Kenya, Botswana and South Africa.

A representative of resident hunters Davies Mwila pleaded with the Government to consider striking a balance between conducting hunting business and photographic safari.

"Hunting is a sport and a business which provides livelihood for hundreds of people from different sectors which should not be banned but allowed to co-exist with photographic safari business," Captain Mwila said.

A local business executive and conservationist Ishmael Kankhara said the population of unique exotic wild life species in national parks was depleting at an alarming rate.

"A few individuals are profiteering from the indiscriminate slaughtering of buffaloes and lions and the only solution we have before us is to ban all forms of hunting business in national parks," he said.

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/in...nting-ban&Itemid=200


Masebo hailed on safari hunting ban


By STEVEN MVULA
THE cancellation of safari hunting concessions from the period 2013 to 2018 by Government has been welcomed by a cross-section of Zambians.
A renowned Lusaka businessman Ishmail Kankhara told the Daily Mail yesterday that the minister’s move is right.


“I’m not a hunter but I’m passionate about our country’s wildlife and that is why I felt I should speak out. I’m really over the moon [happy] over this ban,” Mr Kankhara said with a beam.
Mr Kankhara, who has a fleet of buses in Lusaka, said Government must in fact completely ban hunting and instead encourage photographic safari.
“Ms Masebo needs the support of all Zambians that wish to preserve these animals for future generations. Our animals are depleted,” he said.
On Sunday, the Minister of Tourism and Arts Sylvia Masebo announced the cancellation and nullification of the whole tender for the granting of the advertised 19 licences, citing corruption.
Ms Masebo also dropped Zambia Wild Life Authority (ZAWA) director-general Edwin Matokwani and four other top officials on allegations of corruption.
Mr Kankhara said when he was growing up in Eastern Province, seeing a rhino was not an issue but now the animal is almost extinct.
He said Ms Masebo has made a bold step that will secure Zambia’s wildlife.
Mr Kankhara said if Government bans hunting completely, donors will have confidence and pump in money in the wildlife sector.
He said most safari hunters do it for sport at the expense of Zambia’s wildlife.
Mr Kankhara argued that photographic hunting will actually bring in more revenue for the country as opposed to safari hunting.
“When we preserve our animals, we will be able to create more jobs and our grandchildren will live to see real animals,” Mr Kankhara said.
And another conservationist, James Chungu, commended Ms Masebo for the move she took on ZAWA and hunting concessions.
Mr Chungu, who runs Lusenga Trust, said he is encouraged by the action taken by the minister and urged her to keep a close eye on ZAWA and ensure that all existing national parks have the necessary funding to safeguard wildlife.
Mr Chungu said the top ZAWA officials who were dropped were given enough guidance on how to proceed in their selection of prospective safari hunters but allegedly did not take Government seriously.
“These ZAWA officials who were fired have themselves to blame for failing to follow laid down procedures,” Mr Chungu said.
Mr Chungu said the minister’s decision will help re-focus the wildlife sector in line with the PF manifesto which emphasises that local people benefit.
On Sunday, Ms Masebo said: “When one critically analyses the suggested results of tender evaluation process, you will note that it has significant potential to promote money-laundering and as a responsible Government, we shall guard against any activities that could sabotage our economy”.

And the rot spreads.

Of course they will make up the money begging and pleading poverty at the gates of Nordic States and the UN.

Fun and games for the Zambians. Our thoughts are with you and we know what it's like. Gd luck guys!

Guys

Just so that I understand the impact of this unfortunate development no sport hunting in Zambia for 2013....Please confirm.

Can someone clarify this a bit. Does this relate to the closing of hunting for citizen hunters as discussed earlier or is this a closure of ALL hunting (ie overseas or foreign client hunters) for the next 5 years in Zambia?

Is that true? Horrible news

What about private land vs. concessions?

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/in...nting-ban&Itemid=200

http://www.zambianwatchdog.com/?p=46381&cpage=1

http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/in...nting-ban&Itemid=200

Looks like it is true.

So DSC could just be a farewell to hunting in Zambia. No warning, no debate, just screw you and it looks once again as though it is aimed at the whites. It seems to bear out an ongoing African tendency, build something, get it to work, to make a profit and some SOB figures out a way to take it, or close it down. Phuken wankers, from Cairo to Cape Town.

AMAZING. Here I was all ready to fly cross country to the SCI Convention to book a hunt in Zambia!!!

What a crying shame! I feel terrible for all the Zambian operators sitting here in Dallas who found out today that they have had the carpet pulled out from under there feet!!! Hard to believe!

Shocking to say the least

Shades of Kenya 1977?

Wow....just like that... sad...all gone...poof...

One article above says it is a 1 year ban and another says the ban is 2013-2018. Either way it would be terrible. I hope this is not what it appears.

I am afraid this is going to spread across africa! I wouldnt be suprised if in 10 years hunting was over in all of africa.

Some more info and interesting details

http://www.lionaid.org/news/20...ophy-hunting-ban.htm

Anyone care to predict in what order the dominoes will fall?

Very sad.

Where's Andrew Baldry to give us the scoop!?!?

i just loved all the "man on the street" interviews. the local black folk who professed a love for "their" wildlife and expressed a desire to protect it for future generations. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WILL KILL AND EAT/SELL ANTHING THEY CAN GET THEIR MOUTHS/HANDS ON. not a politically correct statement but anyone who has ever been there knows what i am talking about. NYAMA IS THE NAME OF THE GAME- EITHER FOR SALE OR TO EAT!

quote:

Originally posted by mmassey338:
Anyone care to predict in what order the dominoes will fall?

Keep an eye open on TZ - 2013 could be the deciding year.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
i just loved all the "man on the street" interviews. the local black folk who professed a love for "their" wildlife and expressed a desire to protect it for future generations. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WILL KILL AND EAT/SELL ANTHING THEY CAN GET THEIR MOUTHS/HANDS ON. not a politically correct statement but anyone who has ever been there knows what i am talking about. NYAMA IS THE NAME OF THE GAME- EITHER FOR SALE OR TO EAT!

So so spot on! No rose tinted specs on you mate.

quote:

Originally posted by mmassey338:
Anyone care to predict in what order the dominoes will fall?

mmassy, sustainable utilization of wildlife is written into Namibia's constitution, plus a great chucnk of land where hunts take place lies in private hands (just like in South Africa) so I predict these 2 countries will not close in the forseeable future.

Sad day for Zambians though...

Here in Zambia no such ban has been imposed yet only the cancelation of a corrupt tender

As usual, when these things happen the timing could not be worse for both the operators and prospective clients.

What a shame! I hope that the Zambian government gets its act together quickly and clarifies exactly what is going on instead of leaving it to the local media to thoroughly screw everything up.

Would be nice to hear Andrew's take on things, but I imagine he is VERY busy dealing with this.

Terrible,I feel for the Zambian operators and PH's. But just so typical of Africa,nothing surprises me anymore,will be just like Kenya,if the ban does go through,then the wildlife will get plundered and eaten.FACT.

Wonder where all these photographic tourists will come from? Seems like with Botswana banking on them in lieu of hunters and Zambia opting to eschew hunting in favor of photos - in addition to the normal photo destinations in other countries - there probably won't be enough cameras to go around. When the economic boon doesn't materialize, there's always poaching to fall back on!

I have a hunt booked for this june, and this is what I got.
We received the below message today regarding this matter:





I wish to update you on the current position regarding the hunting industry in Zambia for 2013.

After all the speculation and stories going around regarding tenders and hunting in Zambia, please be informed of the following:



The Honorable Minister of Tourism, Ms Sylvia Masebo, has NOT banned hunting in the Republic of Zambia.



Kindly be advised that there is no hunting ban in Zambia - WE ARE ASSURED THERE WILL BE HUNTING IN 2013.+



Best Regards



Gavin Robinson



Chairman

Professional Hunters Association of Zambia (PHAZ)



Looks like we are still going.

Joe Savikataaq Jr

Hopefully Zambia is still open.I downed it when I read this.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Savikataaq Jr:
I have a hunt booked for this june, and this is what I got.
We received the below message today regarding this matter:





I wish to update you on the current position regarding the hunting industry in Zambia for 2013.

After all the speculation and stories going around regarding tenders and hunting in Zambia, please be informed of the following:



The Honorable Minister of Tourism, Ms Sylvia Masebo, has NOT banned hunting in the Republic of Zambia.



Kindly be advised that there is no hunting ban in Zambia - WE ARE ASSURED THERE WILL BE HUNTING IN 2013.+



Best Regards



Gavin Robinson



Chairman

Professional Hunters Association of Zambia (PHAZ)



Looks like we are still going.

Joe Savikataaq Jr

I had the good fortune of sharing a hunting camp with Gavin Robinson in Zambia last year and I certainly have no reason to doubt him. That is good news.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Savikataaq Jr:
I have a hunt booked for this june, and this is what I got.
We received the below message today regarding this matter:





I wish to update you on the current position regarding the hunting industry in Zambia for 2013.

After all the speculation and stories going around regarding tenders and hunting in Zambia, please be informed of the following:



The Honorable Minister of Tourism, Ms Sylvia Masebo, has NOT banned hunting in the Republic of Zambia.



Kindly be advised that there is no hunting ban in Zambia - WE ARE ASSURED THERE WILL BE HUNTING IN 2013.+



Best Regards



Gavin Robinson



Chairman

Professional Hunters Association of Zambia (PHAZ)



Looks like we are still going.

Joe Savikataaq Jr

I heard something similar from a Zambian PH at DSC earlier today. If I'm not mistaken, he said that he received a short email, without much detail, but the jest was that there would be hunting in Zambia for 2013. I hope he is correct. I can't currently afford to hunt Zambia, but the trend is disturbing to say the least if this were to go through.

What a wonderfull country i just cannot believe hunting will be banned, simply not possible !

It would seem that the tender process was corrupt. Everything is on hold until this mess is cleared up. There is no hunting ban as such. However the safari operators do not know where they stand regarding the issue of concessions.

Received today

The Hunting Report e-mail extra bulletin

Zambia Cancels Hunting Allocations Due to Allegations of Corruption; Fate of 2013 Season To Be Decided But Hunting Has NOT Been Closed

Allegations of corruption in the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) and among safari operators has led to the cancelation of reallocations of Zambian hunting blocks and put the 2013 season in limbo. Earlier this week ZAWA presented the list of companies receiving hunting block allocations to Minister of Tourism Sylvia Masebo. Upon reviewing the list, Masebo ordered the cancelation of the tenders, accusing ZAWA of issuing allocations to a family business cartel and not following proper procedures. Only two days later, Masebo announced on a Zambian national radio show that she is ready to ban the safari hunting business for at least one year. Several newspapers have subsequently reported that Masebo has closed hunting for 2013 and may close it permanently.

As Minister of Tourism, Masebo does not have the power to shut down all hunting. Only the President of Zambia has the power to do that. In a statement released yesterday afternoon by the Professional Hunters Association of Zambia (PHAZ), The Hunting Report learned at the Dallas Safari Club Convention that there is no ban on hunting for 2013, and that a meeting with government officials, PHAZ and other stakeholders will take place in the next week to resolve the issue of reallocations. We will inform you of the results as soon as that meeting takes place. It is possible that the government will allow allocations to simply roll over for one more year until a new ZAWA management team is installed and can review the tender applications again.

Also, hunters should know that only 19 concessions are involved in this reallocation period. A number of other areas and private ranches are unaffected and can continue hunting as usual. You can see the list of concessions up for reallocation on The Hunting Report website under Website Uploads. Until a decision is made on the allocations, operators cannot offer hunts in those areas, but they certainly can conduct business in other areas and private ranches.

Stay tuned for further developments. - Editor Barbara Crown.

Isn't it bloody amazing how Afs have such an incredible talent for stuffing things up so efficiently & this is yet another example of that talent.

There's 52 weeks or 365 days in a year & they choose to pull this stunt just a few days before the convention season kicks off so that even if they do eventually decide to continue hunting, this season's sales will still be enormously damaged & the Zambian hunting industry are going to be standing behind their booths not knowing what to tell hunters & the hunters being decidedly charry about booking a hunt with them.

Someone said a few months ago that the Africans couldn't organise a one car funeral procession & it's oh so true!