Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Prof. Jumanne Maghembe
Winding up his ministry’s 2016/2017
budget estimates on Wednesday evening, he said government did nothing
wrong in clearing Green Miles Safaris Limited to continue hunting in the
country, saying it adhered to a court order.
On Tuesday, several Members of
Parliament (MPs) accused the ministry for clearing the company despite
violating legislation and regulations governing wildlife conservation by
hunting restricted wild animals in the Selous Game Reserve.
Prof Maghembe said before 2011, the
government had divided Natron hunting block into two - Natron North and
Natron South. Thereafter, the minister explained, the blocks were
sub-divided into four in which Green Miles Safaris Limited was allocated
with one.
He, however, said that another American
firm that was allocated with another hunting block protested and wanted
to retain a block that Green Miles Safaris owned.
The minister said while the battle
between the two companies was raging on, a DVD emerged with images
showing that the company was hunting restricted animals such as lions,
small black monkeys using silence guns and many other illegal hunting
malpractices.
The situation forced the ministry then
under former minister Lazaro Nyalandu to revoke the licence of Green
Miles Safari Limited, explained the minister. He, however, explained
that the company lodged a court case and on March 30, last year and the
ruling was in its favour of retaining Natron hunting block.
Prof Maghembe cleared himself, saying
that the minister has no powers to revoke a licence of a company or
individual who will be cleared by the court. “What we did is to adhere
to the court ruling,” he insisted, adding that the government is in the
process of lodging a court case against the culprits who were shown in
the DVD violating hunting procedures.
Following revelations that the company
has been acting against the set regulations, the government has also
announced a three-year ban on exportation of all live animals. He said
reports of escalating exploitation of protected wildlife, coupled with
the emerging prominence of highly organised and well-equipped illicit
actors in wildlife trafficking, has forced the government to arrive at
the decision, until proper procedures are put in place to ensure only
approved animals are exported.
The ministry has ordered the Wildlife
Department to come up with proper procedures to ensure that only
primates’ animals such as reptiles are cleared to be exported.
The minister laid emphasis on
government’s long-standing commitment to protect endangered animal
species from over-exploitation and to support natural resource
management development.
Debating the ministry’s budget
estimates, several MPs suggested that policy and legal challenges as
reasons behind the escalation of wildlife trafficking, calling on the
government to address the illicit trade in endangered wildlife.
“Honourable Chairman, we want to know
who brought this company (Green Miles) back through the back door. Why
is the government failing to be consistent in its decisions, especially
when it comes to matters of national interest?” queried Iringa Urban
legislator (Chadema) Peter Msigwa.
“Hunting is about conservation but it is
shocking that this specific company has failed to observe the required
standards of conservation. They hunt small black monkeys, use of guns
fitted with a silencer and many other illegal hunting malpractices,” he
added
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