US tells Zim to tweak wildlife conservation

[James.Grage]

US tells Zim to tweak wildlife conservation
Posted on January 22, 2016 by ZimSitRep_M — No Comments ↓
via US tells Zim to tweak wildlife conservation – The Zimbabwe Independent January 22, 2016

THE United States will resume imports of elephant and lion trophies from Zimbabwe once government steps up its conservation management efforts in communities, a United States official has said as the cash-strapped government continues to lose millions in revenue.

Wongai Zhangazha

Widespread poaching and invasions of conservancies has not only destabilised the ecosystem but also affected the livelihoods of thousands of families generating revenue under the Campfire programme, which in early 1990s generated US$1,5 million for 400 000 people.

US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, speaking at a telephonic press briefing from the Washington DC Foreign Press Centre on wildlife trafficking in Africa, ahead of her trip to the continent this week, said her country did not allow the importation of trophies from Zimbabwe because it did not believe sufficient measures are being put in place to conserve wildlife.

“We do not allow the importation of trophies right now from Zimbabwe because the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does not believe that sufficient measures are being put in place in that country to support the conservation efforts in local communities,” she said on Wednesday.

Jewell said in some countries where the occasional and highly limited trophy hunting worked well, it was done in a way where the revenue from the hunt, “which is in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars, goes back into that local community, because we know that for local communities it’s not easy to live with some of these species. And facilitating that through economic development and revenue to them is very, very important.”

“So that is the position that we’ve taken. Zimbabwe has not got a programme that to our satisfaction addresses those issues, where a country like Namibia does. So it’s, I think, very important that countries work with us and work with local communities to make sure that the resources get to the people where they are intended,” said Jewell.

Adding to Jewell’s comments, Associate Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service Robert Dreher said his country has the responsibility to ensure the preservation and the sustainable conservation of endangered species.

“Now, the question was asked about what our engagement has been with the government of Zimbabwe. We have worked very closely with the government of Zimbabwe for almost two years now to clarify their management structure, to assist them in developing conservation plans for elephants. Elephant is currently the species that we are not permitting import of trophies from Zimbabwe. And we have hope that we can work with the government of Zimbabwe to the point where they have a very demonstrable conservation programme in place that would permit us to allow imports,” Dreher said.

“The lion has just been listed, and the issue of showing that there is a conservation benefit for lions in the wild would apply to any country from which American hunters try to import trophy lions. So we’ll be looking to work with all of the range countries in Africa that – where there is hunting of lions to help make that conservation programme real.”

 

[James.Grage]

Ban on hunting to affect tourism

Posted on January 18, 2016 by ZimSitRep_M —

via Ban on hunting to affect tourism – NewsDay Zimbabwe January 18, 2016

A RECENT United States ban on lion hunting will have a negative effect on the local hunting industry which generated $45 million in 2014.

BY TATIRA ZWINOIRA

Recently, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USWFS) listed two lion subspecies under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The two species are found in India and western and central Africa and Eastern and Southern Africa. The US government has to approve the listing for the ban to be effected.

Zimbabwe Council of Tourism (ZCT) president Francis Ngwenya said the ban would have an impact on the country’s tourism industry.

“The ZCT is disappointed by the ban on hunting products recently announced in the United States of America, as this will have a negative impact on Zimbabwe. It is the ZCT’s belief that controlled hunting is an important part of the wildlife management programme in this country,” Ngwenya said.

“It is our fear that the ban will impact on the hunting industry, with consequent negative impacts on employment, income generation and wild life conservation.”

The United States is the biggest market for the local hunting industry ahead of Canada. If hunting products are banned it is expected other countries will follow suit.

Lion hunting in Zimbabwe is the biggest attraction and contributor to the hunting industry.

Zimbabwe Tour Operators Association chairperson Wengayi Nhau said tour operators that sell hunting packages will be the most affected.

“The ban could have catastrophic repercussions for tour operators that offer hunting packages as the clientele is the United States market. So if they stop the importation of hunting products, United States hunters will not come here,” Nhau said.

“So there will be no motivation to hunt in the first place as hunters will not be able to take back what they have hunted.
Hunting tour operators will lose out on money which will set a bad precedent for the industry.”

He said these operators will be forced to look for new sources of revenue.

The ban on hunting products came after an American hunter shot and killed ‘Cecil the Lion’ who was a popular attraction in Zimbabwe to tourists due to his plentiful mane.

It also comes barely two years after the USWFS suspended imports of sport-hunted African elephant trophies from Zimbabwe and Tanzania over alleged questionable management practices.

Wildlife conservation is governed by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority which is an autonomous body that has to raise its own revenues to fund operations with hunting revenues contributing a huge chunk.

Areas to be affected by the ban within the hunting industry apart from products sold as a result of hunting will include employment, income generation and wildlife conservation. Zimbabwe’s wildlife conservation relies mainly on income generated from the hunting industry.

Meanwhile, ZCT will next month hold the 2016 Tourism Convention in Victoria Falls between February 10 to 12.

The hunting industry will be one of the many topics under travel and tourism at the Tourism Convention 2016 which seeks to encourage active involvement with people, government, and organisations within the tourism and travel sector from the local, regional and international sectors.

Other issues to be discussed at the convention include Minister of Tourism Walter Mzembi’s goal of achieving a $5 billion tourism economy.

Winnie Muchanyuka, Board of Airlines Representatives chairperson said upgrades and infrastructure development must be looked into to offer world class standards.

Her organisation consists of all the country heads of different airlines.

“Pertinent infrastructure development must be looked into to ensure upgrades are done at world class standards,” she said.

 

[James.Grage]

Zimbabwe: U.S Restricts African Lion Trophies

By Kudzai Kuwaza

Restrictions imposed on imports of lion trophies from Africa to the United States will compound local safari operators' woes, reeling from a 30% revenue loss last year, businessdigest has learnt.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service imposed new restrictions on African lions harvested after January 22 2016 particularly lions from southern and eastern Africa.

Lions from southern and eastern African countries are considered "threatened with extinction". Hunters from these areas cannot import a trophy into the US without first getting a US import permit, in addition to a Cites export permit.

Before issuing permits for importation of trophies of lions in southern and eastern Africa, the US will have to make a determination that the hunting of the lion and the importation of the trophy into the US will "enhance the survival" of lions in the wild. Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe chairman Emmanuel Fundira told businessdigest this week that the restrictions imposed on African lions from eastern and southern Africa were tantamount to a ban, adding this would discourage hunters from coming to Zimbabwe.

"The amount of restrictions is tantamount to a ban because of the cumbersome requirements which have alarmed our clients," he said.

Fundira said this was another blow for the industry and a "dark cloud in the sky" following the ban of imported ivory by the US agency in April last year.

He said government needs to urgently engage the agency to avoid the issue being blown into a full blown crisis for the sector. Safari operations last year suffered a 30% reduction in revenue owing to among other things, the continued ban on ivory hunting and the killing of the famous lion, Cecil.

 

[CAustin]

The comments by USFW almost sound encouraging! But there is a catch 22 here. If the US doesn't allow the hunting industry in Zim the chance to generate revenue they will never be able to protect animals. If they don't protect animals they can't have the opportunity to generate revenue.

The comments make it sound like USFW is trying to help Zim meet whatever requirements there are.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

We can hope. Might be time to start saving up for an elephant hunt in Zim when/if things break our way. Could be some bargains. Or it could be that there is so much pent up demand that prices are sky high.