A DEATH IN ALL OUR FAMILY'S.
WILL YOU STILL BE IN BUSINESS IN ANY OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRY?THE END IS GETTING CLOSER...
A message & reality check from a pioneer hunting family in Tanzania. A family that gave so much to the cause. This is a sad day for us all.
"I confirm that I surrendered all my hunting blocks of all my companies today.
My family has been the longest operating company in Tanzania- for more than 40 years.
We have been the biggest operator in Tanzania and all of Africa.
We have held the largest part of the Selous, with prime blocks, the same since 1978 which I finished surrendering all today.
We have gone from 126 safaris per year to a handful because of the closure of US elephant and lion trophy imports.
We cannot book enough 21 day safaris to make a profit or stay in business without lion and elephant imports into the US. Our losses are escalating so I have to stop.
When U.S. elephant and lion hunting imports were threatened we stepped up our anti-poaching to 2.4 million dollars in three years.
We by ourselves funded 100 Selous Game Scouts for many years. You saw our books and took copies of our ledger sheets for US authorities.
You saw the newspaper clippings of the vehicles and plane our foundation delivered.
You even attended the public ceremonies with the Minister remember the work done!!.
I know that Warden of the Selous wrote to the U.S. how important our presence was to control poaching in the Selous.
At the same time I have donated many full safaris to Shikar for auction to fund the $ 500,000 for lion studies and aging, work that was ignored by USFWS, perhaps because of Craig Packer, I do not know!!!
The efforts of Tanzania, of my companies and foundation have been completely ignored by USFWS, so we have already been operating at a loss for too long it is time to stop and I cannot guarantee that the biodiversity of the hunting areas will not be lost now!.
Our involvement in anti-poaching has become almost zero this year because our income losses. I think that the decisions by USFWS will eventually exterminate all Tanzania wildlife outside National Parks because of their determination to stop the importation of trophies into the US.
Everything will end very quickly and wildlife will disappear in these areas that represent almost 1/3 of Tanzania territory.
I have already returned 10 blocks the past years and with no hunters in the field it is going to be very difficult to save our last elephants.
Our poor elephants, our poor animals, SHAME on….!!!!
The real truth is that everyone does not care and nobody can realize the irreversible damage caused by such decisions. It is certainly the END OF THE GAME if your governments do not realize and help Tanzania.
Anyway, It is already too late for me, and soon it will be too late for other outfitters."
Kind regards
Eric Pasanisi
Big Elenpahnt hunted in Tanzania with PH Francois Lyonnet at Pasanisi 72.75 pounds (33 kilograms)
David, I know you so I'm pretty sure I can be a bit direct with you and you will be understanding... But I direct this to several others on this thread as well.
That's a good 10 hour day, much closer than in the Selous In fact in most or all of the Selous, I'm not sure it is doable without a plane. Then on the way home, I stayed until the last possible day, so had to get back and did so without any hotel stays... 60 hours and 6 flights from the time I got out of bed at camp until I got home to my own bed. 
THE END IS GETTING CLOSER...
A message & reality check from a pioneer hunting family in Tanzania. A family that gave so much to the cause. This is a sad day for us all.
"I confirm that I surrendered all my hunting blocks of all my companies today.
My family has been the longest operating company in Tanzania- for more than 40 years.
We have been the biggest operator in Tanzania and all of Africa.
We have held the largest part of the Selous, with prime blocks, the same since 1978 which I finished surrendering all today.
We have gone from 126 safaris per year to a handful because of the closure of US elephant and lion trophy imports.
We cannot book enough 21 day safaris to make a profit or stay in business without lion and elephant imports into the US. Our losses are escalating so I have to stop.
When U.S. elephant and lion hunting imports were threatened we stepped up our anti-poaching to 2.4 million dollars in three years.
We by ourselves funded 100 Selous Game Scouts for many years. You saw our books and took copies of our ledger sheets for US authorities.
You saw the newspaper clippings of the vehicles and plane our foundation delivered.
You even attended the public ceremonies with the Minister remember the work done!!.
I know that Warden of the Selous wrote to the U.S. how important our presence was to control poaching in the Selous.
At the same time I have donated many full safaris to Shikar for auction to fund the $ 500,000 for lion studies and aging, work that was ignored by USFWS, perhaps because of Craig Packer, I do not know!!!
The efforts of Tanzania, of my companies and foundation have been completely ignored by USFWS, so we have already been operating at a loss for too long it is time to stop and I cannot guarantee that the biodiversity of the hunting areas will not be lost now!.
Our involvement in anti-poaching has become almost zero this year because our income losses. I think that the decisions by USFWS will eventually exterminate all Tanzania wildlife outside National Parks because of their determination to stop the importation of trophies into the US.
Everything will end very quickly and wildlife will disappear in these areas that represent almost 1/3 of Tanzania territory.
I have already returned 10 blocks the past years and with no hunters in the field it is going to be very difficult to save our last elephants.
Our poor elephants, our poor animals, SHAME on….!!!!
The real truth is that everyone does not care and nobody can realize the irreversible damage caused by such decisions. It is certainly the END OF THE GAME if your governments do not realize and help Tanzania.
Anyway, It is already too late for me, and soon it will be too late for other outfitters."
Kind regards
Eric Pasanisi
Big Elenpahnt hunted in Tanzania with PH Francois Lyonnet at Pasanisi 72.75 pounds (33 kilograms)
I knew it was expensive and time consuming, but never knew of the details involved. Even when I first considered hunting Africa some 28 years ago, Tanzania was the most expensive place in Africa to hunt then based on my magazines and when I first started going to DSC. The type of hunting you described I know I will never see do to the expense. And at my age, I am not sure I would want have a go at what you described even if money was not an issue. 25 years ago though, I would have probably jumped right in though! You are correct though that I do not/did not understand the realities of hunting in a place like you described. Maybe in the next life!!!David, I know you so I'm pretty sure I can be a bit direct with you and you will be understanding... But I direct this to several others on this thread as well.
I fear you are missing some of realities of hunting in a place like this. Yes the government fees are high.... Probably worse is the un-reliability and how they may at the drop of a hat change the fees and/or tack on huge surcharges last minute... After the seasons booking are made. However I had heard that the Outfitters had been able to get the ear of those officials and bring some reality back into it. I do not see this as a large contributor to this downfall.
To further address your questions, there have been some seriously good deals offered as Outfitters have gotten more creative in their marketing. Especially for Buffalo and leopard as they strive to stay in business with lions and elephants on the menu. I think lion was the straw that broke the backs... Elephant surely hurt but elephant had been poached so relentlessly that there were really not good hunt-able populations left in many areas. In fact I believe Tanzania herself was trying to conserve the big bulls best she could with resources available... For example, I believe they would not allow a foreign hunter to receive a permit to hunt an elephant unless he had an import permit to take the trophies home. Thus conserving those valuable bulls for more high priced hunts to clients who can import them... Unlike Zimbabwe which has so many elephants they need hunting of them irregardless of what they sell for. And one more thing on elephant, I spoke to several Outfitters who operate there and they actually did not want to hunt elephants as they wished to rebuild populations... We must respect those outfitters for spending what they did and still do on anti poaching to protect animals they do not immediately benefit from.
I digress though, back to the PG hunts. Have you looked at the cost of getting there? And have you looked at the trophy fees for PG? They are really very reasonable once you have your licence and are there! However please try to realize the logistics required to support you hunting out that far from any civilization. And look into the travel expense to get there.
I have looked into it. On a per head basis, a 21 day hunt in Tanzania is really one of the better buys in Africa! The problem is it costs a large amount all at once. And many of us choose to go more places and do smaller hunts more often.... Hunting Tanzania is not in the Bill of Rights. In fact in the United States of America, we are guaranteed the right to "the pursuit of happiness". We are not guaranteed to attain it.
So I've never made it there, but let me give you some real life examples of my trip to Mozambique to hunt with Simon @Traditional Mozambique Safaris. I think it gave me some insight as to what it takes to get to those remote areas..... Fly to Joberg, overnight... Same as you might do to go hunt with an outfit like @Pawprint Safaris ,as you have done. But then you need a visa for Moz. In my case that required not one but two trips to the Conciliate. Ok, back to the airport... Flight was cancelled, another overnight while behind the scenes Simon is working to find another flight. Next morning we are on our way but a different route... And at the cost of another commercial flight. On a desperate schedule to reach our charter flight that is scheduled. Simon had negotiated a great deal on that and it got me an extra day of hunting on each end of the trip... But it still cost $3200 and I was in danger of having to pay the pilot for an overnight if we were late.. It all works out, barely! The Charter pilot is at the air terminal as we land and ushers me through as quick as possible... Run to the other end of town (ok, not a big town) to clear guns through the Police.. We are finally airborne in the Cessna 206. Land and Simon's guys are there to meet us in two Land Cruisers... We need to drive several hours yet, stopping along the way for various supplies. We finally arrive at camp.. .Then hunting and fixing tires out in the bush... Ice maker is broken so the assistant PH has to make regular runs to town for fresh produce, etc and ice.. oh and beer
It is just not the same as hunting in South Africa. It is so much more and this is why it is such a tragedy to be looking at possibly losing these areas forever. But I don't think it is fair to think that it could be saved by different pricing schemes. There is just more to it.
HEAR,HEAR.
Seriously,
Well written YOU seem to understand the problem facing not only the hunter, but the problems facing the safari operators and his employees.David, I know you so I'm pretty sure I can be a bit direct with you and you will be understanding... But I direct this to several others on this thread as well.
I fear you are missing some of realities of hunting in a place like this. Yes the government fees are high.... Probably worse is the un-reliability and how they may at the drop of a hat change the fees and/or tack on huge surcharges last minute... After the seasons booking are made. However I had heard that the Outfitters had been able to get the ear of those officials and bring some reality back into it. I do not see this as a large contributor to this downfall.
To further address your questions, there have been some seriously good deals offered as Outfitters have gotten more creative in their marketing. Especially for Buffalo and leopard as they strive to stay in business with lions and elephants on the menu. I think lion was the straw that broke the backs... Elephant surely hurt but elephant had been poached so relentlessly that there were really not good hunt-able populations left in many areas. In fact I believe Tanzania herself was trying to conserve the big bulls best she could with resources available... For example, I believe they would not allow a foreign hunter to receive a permit to hunt an elephant unless he had an import permit to take the trophies home. Thus conserving those valuable bulls for more high priced hunts to clients who can import them... Unlike Zimbabwe which has so many elephants they need hunting of them irregardless of what they sell for. And one more thing on elephant, I spoke to several Outfitters who operate there and they actually did not want to hunt elephants as they wished to rebuild populations... We must respect those outfitters for spending what they did and still do on anti poaching to protect animals they do not immediately benefit from.
I digress though, back to the PG hunts. Have you looked at the cost of getting there? And have you looked at the trophy fees for PG? They are really very reasonable once you have your licence and are there! However please try to realize the logistics required to support you hunting out that far from any civilization. And look into the travel expense to get there.
I have looked into it. On a per head basis, a 21 day hunt in Tanzania is really one of the better buys in Africa! The problem is it costs a large amount all at once. And many of us choose to go more places and do smaller hunts more often.... Hunting Tanzania is not in the Bill of Rights. In fact in the United States of America, we are guaranteed the right to "the pursuit of happiness". We are not guaranteed to attain it.
So I've never made it there, but let me give you some real life examples of my trip to Mozambique to hunt with Simon @Traditional Mozambique Safaris. I think it gave me some insight as to what it takes to get to those remote areas..... Fly to Joberg, overnight... Same as you might do to go hunt with an outfit like @Pawprint Safaris ,as you have done. But then you need a visa for Moz. In my case that required not one but two trips to the Conciliate. Ok, back to the airport... Flight was cancelled, another overnight while behind the scenes Simon is working to find another flight. Next morning we are on our way but a different route... And at the cost of another commercial flight. On a desperate schedule to reach our charter flight that is scheduled. Simon had negotiated a great deal on that and it got me an extra day of hunting on each end of the trip... But it still cost $3200 and I was in danger of having to pay the pilot for an overnight if we were late.. It all works out, barely! The Charter pilot is at the air terminal as we land and ushers me through as quick as possible... Run to the other end of town (ok, not a big town) to clear guns through the Police.. We are finally airborne in the Cessna 206. Land and Simon's guys are there to meet us in two Land Cruisers... We need to drive several hours yet, stopping along the way for various supplies. We finally arrive at camp.. .Then hunting and fixing tires out in the bush... Ice maker is broken so the assistant PH has to make regular runs to town for fresh produce, etc and ice.. oh and beer
It is just not the same as hunting in South Africa. It is so much more and this is why it is such a tragedy to be looking at possibly losing these areas forever. But I don't think it is fair to think that it could be saved by different pricing schemes. There is just more to it.
There are some great deals to be had in some wild places...
True, but Tanzania isn't one of them. When looking for Moz buff hunts, 8350 would be considered a good price, but i have yet to find a hunt in Africa for buff, wild or not as wild, that would end at 8350 euro. Moz has its own gouging going on with increased prices for licenses and trophy fees. Not to mention the little crap that ticks people off like hiring a game scout to tag a long( like in Zim), transfers etc. No price is all inclusive as there are always other things that come up. My point is that Tanzania has been on one side of a spectrum for the African hunting industry. Tanzania caters to the ultra rich or those with much more expendable money than I or the averages like me. They pretty much have not made any accommodations to average working class Americans as plains game hunts have been absolutely ridiculous for prices as well( which is what most people start off with in Africa). South Africa on the other hand has seen a market with working class Americans and has gone with it. South Africa caters to everybody but by far has the most affordable hunts and so working class hunters go where the deals are. South Africa has everything from low fence, no fence and high fence. They also work with people more to make the hunt user friendly and they go out of their way to give a person the best hunting trophy and experience with out adding on multiple fees.
