News / National
Zimbabwe to stamp out illegal hunting
28 Mar 2012 at 05:45hrs | Views
THE Government is gearing to stamp out the illegal engagement of freelance professional hunters and safari operators by local authorities to control problem wild animals.
Speaking during the pass-out parade of 12 game scouts at Hwange Main Camp last Friday, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Francis Nhema said the training of professional scouts from communities would help communities to better appreciate wildlife and learn to co-exist with animals.
Minister Nhema said the Government would spearhead a training programme for game scouts, who would be equipped with skills to legally deal with human and wildlife conflicts throughout the country.
The 12 recruits from local communities underwent a rigorous four-week training programme under the Government's Campfire programme.
Cases of crops being destroyed by wild animals like elephants and people killing or being killed by the animals have always made headlines.
"Increasing pressure from problem animals has forced some local authorities to resort to the use of freelance professional hunters and safari hunters to conduct problem animal control on their behalf. Government is taking measures to stamp out this malpractice. Illegal hunting has taken the place of legitimate problem animal control," said Minister Nhema.
Minister Nhema said although the training of the scouts would help in managing conflict, it would not be an easy task as wild animals posed a serious threat to people's lives through crop damage and predation of domestic animals.
"This is a particularly huge challenge for Hwange District given that it is home to the largest of the 11 national parks in Zimbabwe. The Hwange National Park and its environs holds up to 50 000 elephants that are both a major asset and a problem," said Minister Nhema.
He said with the training of the game scouts, Hwange was better equipped to react, not just to problem animal reports, but also to poaching which has become a vice in most wildlife areas.
"This pass-out parade comes at a time when we have just concluded a Government of Zimbabwe and Food and Agriculture Organisation-funded human and wildlife conflict mitigation project in which Hwange District was one of the pilot districts. This project covered training of trainers and awareness campaigns, including the use of toolkit on human and wildlife conflict mitigation in three pilot sites, Chiredzi, Hwange and Mbire districts," said Minister Nhema.
He congratulated the Hwange Rural District Council for taking the initiative to institutionalise the project by providing game scouts from the community for professional training by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
Minister Nhema congratulated the newly trained game scouts and reminded them that their first duty was to help people better manage their wildlife so that the district prospers from its abundant wildlife resources.
"You will achieve this by working with the people, not against them. You will succeed by being dedicated and loyal in your duties at all times and by accurately recording incidents and collecting information necessary for the compilation of informative reports," he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, the chairperson of the Hwange RDC, Councillor Jabulani Mangena said the pass-out was significant in that it marked the graduation of the first group of community-based resource monitors who would be involved in monitoring wildlife as it affected human habitat in Hwange District.
The game scout training programme came a day after the implementation of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in Namibia by Zimbabwe and four of its neighbours, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Angola.
With the signing of the KAZA treaty, the potential for wildlife management and economic development is set to increase in the five countries.
KAZA acknowledges that management of wildlife increasingly requires a coordinated approach by all stakeholders to realise its potential for economic benefits and to mitigate problems of human and wildlife conflict as well as any adverse impacts on biodiversity.
Among the people who attended the event were traditional leaders, representatives of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Prison Service, the police and NGOs.
Speaking during the pass-out parade of 12 game scouts at Hwange Main Camp last Friday, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Francis Nhema said the training of professional scouts from communities would help communities to better appreciate wildlife and learn to co-exist with animals.
Minister Nhema said the Government would spearhead a training programme for game scouts, who would be equipped with skills to legally deal with human and wildlife conflicts throughout the country.
The 12 recruits from local communities underwent a rigorous four-week training programme under the Government's Campfire programme.
Cases of crops being destroyed by wild animals like elephants and people killing or being killed by the animals have always made headlines.
"Increasing pressure from problem animals has forced some local authorities to resort to the use of freelance professional hunters and safari hunters to conduct problem animal control on their behalf. Government is taking measures to stamp out this malpractice. Illegal hunting has taken the place of legitimate problem animal control," said Minister Nhema.
Minister Nhema said although the training of the scouts would help in managing conflict, it would not be an easy task as wild animals posed a serious threat to people's lives through crop damage and predation of domestic animals.
"This is a particularly huge challenge for Hwange District given that it is home to the largest of the 11 national parks in Zimbabwe. The Hwange National Park and its environs holds up to 50 000 elephants that are both a major asset and a problem," said Minister Nhema.
He said with the training of the game scouts, Hwange was better equipped to react, not just to problem animal reports, but also to poaching which has become a vice in most wildlife areas.
"This pass-out parade comes at a time when we have just concluded a Government of Zimbabwe and Food and Agriculture Organisation-funded human and wildlife conflict mitigation project in which Hwange District was one of the pilot districts. This project covered training of trainers and awareness campaigns, including the use of toolkit on human and wildlife conflict mitigation in three pilot sites, Chiredzi, Hwange and Mbire districts," said Minister Nhema.
He congratulated the Hwange Rural District Council for taking the initiative to institutionalise the project by providing game scouts from the community for professional training by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.
Minister Nhema congratulated the newly trained game scouts and reminded them that their first duty was to help people better manage their wildlife so that the district prospers from its abundant wildlife resources.
"You will achieve this by working with the people, not against them. You will succeed by being dedicated and loyal in your duties at all times and by accurately recording incidents and collecting information necessary for the compilation of informative reports," he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, the chairperson of the Hwange RDC, Councillor Jabulani Mangena said the pass-out was significant in that it marked the graduation of the first group of community-based resource monitors who would be involved in monitoring wildlife as it affected human habitat in Hwange District.
The game scout training programme came a day after the implementation of the Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) in Namibia by Zimbabwe and four of its neighbours, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana and Angola.
With the signing of the KAZA treaty, the potential for wildlife management and economic development is set to increase in the five countries.
KAZA acknowledges that management of wildlife increasingly requires a coordinated approach by all stakeholders to realise its potential for economic benefits and to mitigate problems of human and wildlife conflict as well as any adverse impacts on biodiversity.
Among the people who attended the event were traditional leaders, representatives of the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, the Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Prison Service, the police and NGOs.
Source - chronicle
