Tanzania reiterates call for trade ban on wildlife trophies

Arusha residents carry placards during a march to highlight the 

problem of rhino and elephant poaching in the country 

as part of a global campaign. PHOTO | MUSSA JUMA 

Arusha. Tanzania yesterday reiterated its call to the international community to ban trade on ivory and rhino products in order to counter the escalating poaching of the critically endangered animals.

The leading markets of the animal trophies, notably China, Japan, the Koreas, Vietnam,Thailand and other Asian countries were requested to immediately stop buying elephant tusks and rhino horns.

“Without putting an end to international trade in these products, the war against poaching will be futile”, the minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Lazaro Nyalandu said at the climax of the Elephant and Rhino March held here.

The event was aimed to create awareness on the wanton killing of the critically endangered jumbos and rhinos which are among the iconic animals in the multi-million dollar tourism industry but whose survival is threatened.

It is estimated that about 10,000 elephants are killed every year by poachers in Tanzania which currently has less than 70,000 jumbos. Presently, the country has  only 123 remaining rhinos from about 10,000 in 1970. Statistics from conservation activists indicate that one elephant is killed by poachers every 15 minutes in Africa and one black rhino eliminated every nine hours in the continent.

Another report had it that more than 35,000 elephants are killed every year in Africa so their tusks can be curved into ivory trinkets. At the same time, more than 1,000 rhinos are slaughtered each year for its horn.

Unlike the ivory which is used to make covers for handlers of daggers  and other items, the rhino horns are in high demand mainly in the Asian market as a sex stimulant, though not scientifically proved.

The minister told a crowd at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium that Tanzania will collaborate with the East African Community (EAC) partner states as well as Mozambique to fight the poachers.

“We will also use all the state organs to unmask those responsible for carnage of our national heritage”, he said, adding that establishment of a semi-autonomous Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TWA) would boost the fight. Intensified protection of the jumbos has seen increased number of the animals in the Serengeti ecosystem, he said, adding that no killing of the elephants has been reported in the Selous Game Reserve in the last three months. The minister’s plea to the world to stop trade in ivory and rhino horns products were echoed by the chairperson of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (Tato) Mr. Wilbard Chamburo. The official asked the government to act firmly on greedy people, he said, were behind the wildlife carnage as well as intensify patrol against gunmen in game sanctuaries “in order to protect our jumbos and rhinos”.

The outspoken Chamburo said Tanzania and other African countries must put international pressure on the leading markets for the rhino horns and elephant tusks to stop buying the trophies.

The Citizen