New cabinet told to curb poaching

President Jakaya Kikwete, Vice President Mohammed Gharib Bilal (fifth left), Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda (fourth right) and Chief Secretary Ombeni Sefue (fourth left) pose with ministers and deputy ministers after they were sworn in at State House yesterday.  photoS | EMMANUEL HERMAN 

By  Ludger Kasumuni,The Citizen Reporter

In Summary

• Tanzania made only five of these seizures, whilst 13 other shipments left Tanzania ports only to  be seized elsewhere.  Altogether, 43 tonnes of ivory were seized

Dar es Salaam. The Cabinet should take concrete action against elephant poaching, conservationists have appealed.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and an international organisation for tracking the negative impact on trade in endangered species of plants and animals (Traffic) say they are alarmed by the increase in poaching in Tanzania. “We are gravely concerned that poaching has increased to an alarming level. 


At the current rate, there may be very few elephants left in this country over a period of the next few years,” said WWF Tanzania director Bell’Aube Houinato in a statement to the media yesterday.

 The organisations said it was shocking that Selous Game Reserve had lost 66 per cent of its elephants to poaching in four years. It is believed that there are only 13,084 of them compared with 38,974 in 2009.

Quoting the Elephant Trade Information System (ETIS), the conservationists noted that Tanzania had been implicated in 18 large-scale ivory seizures.  “Tanzania made only five of these seizures, whilst 13 other shipments left Tanzania ports only to  be seized elsewhere.  Altogether, 43 tonnes of ivory were seized in these consignments, representing the deaths of some 4,000 elephants,” says WWF.

 President Jakaya Kikwete sacked four ministers last month for failing to effectively manage Operesheni TokomezaUjangili (Operation Wipe Out Poaching’).The anti-poaching campaign was suspended indefinitely due to claims of  torturing and killing of civilians. The four ministers were Mr Khamis Kagasheki (Natural Resources and Tourism), Dr David Mathayo (Livestock and Fisheries), Mr Emmanuel Nchimbi (Home Affairs) and Mr Shamsi Vuai Nahodha (Defence and National Service).