Elephant Management and Poaching in African Countries

[Mel]

Some statistics on poached elephants in Kenya can be found here

[Flutterby]

Tx Mel.

[Sprocky]

2013-12-02 16:58

Johannesburg - An international conservation group says that as many as 20% of Africa's elephants could be killed in the next 10 years if illegal poaching continues at the current rate.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species said an estimated 22 000 elephants were illegally killed across Africa in 2012, slightly lower than the 25 000 elephants poached in 2011.

The poaching data was released on Monday at the opening of the African Elephant Summit in Gaborone, Botswana's capital. The elephant conference is being convened by the Botswana government and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The elephant summit is seeking agreement on policies to end the illegal ivory trade and secure viable elephant populations across Africa, including strengthening national laws to tackle wildlife crime and enhancing cooperation between countries.

- AP

[Sprocky]

2013-12-04 17:02

Johannesburg - Key states where the illegal ivory trade flourishes have pledged to take urgent measures to try to halt the illicit trade and secure elephant populations across Africa, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, said on Wednesday.

The agreement was reached at the African Elephant Summit convened by the government of Botswana and the IUCN held in Gaborone over the past few days.

The measures were agreed upon by key African elephant range states including Gabon, Kenya, Niger and Zambia and ivory transit states Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia, and ivory destination states, including China and Thailand, said the IUCN in a statement.

"Our window of opportunity to tackle the growing illegal ivory trade is closing and if we do not stem the tide, future generations will condemn our unwillingness to act," Botswana President Ian Khama told the summit.

"Now is the time for Africa and Asia to join forces to protect this universally valued and much needed species," he said.

One of the 14 measures the delegates committed to involves classifying wildlife trafficking as a "serious crime." According to the IUCN, this will unlock international law enforcement cooperation provided under the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime, including mutual legal assistance, asset seizure and forfeiture, extradition and other tools to hold criminals accountable for wildlife crime.

Other measures agreed upon include engaging communities living with elephants in their conservation, strengthening national laws to secure maximum wildlife crime sentences, mobilizing financial and technical resources to combat wildlife crime and reducing demand for illegal ivory.

"We are very pleased with the result of the summit, especially as it involves some of the most important countries along the illegal ivory value chain," said IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefevre. "We hope that these outcomes will go beyond the summit's focus on African elephants and boost broader efforts to combat illegal wildlife trade in other species which have been threatened by it, such as rhinos and pangolins."

According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trade in at least 16 years, with around 25 000 elephants killed on the continent, and it says 2012 showed no signs of abating.

According to preliminary data, even higher levels of illicit trade may be reached in 2013, it said. Eighteen large scale seizures of more than 40 tons of ivory had been recorded so far this year, which represented the greatest quantity of ivory seized over the last 25 years.

A report presented at the summit by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or Cites, suggested that as many as 20% of Africa's elephants could be killed in the next 10 years if illegal poaching continues at the current rate.

Poverty and corruption, as well as increasing demand from Asia are the principle drivers of poaching and the illegal ivory trade, according to the IUCN.

- AP

[Lisbeth]

UNABATED ELEPHANT SLAUGHTER PUSHES SELOUS NUMBERS DOWN TO 13000

BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | JAN 01, 2014

‘To be honest, some of us here thought you had gone plain mad when you suggested a few weeks ago that Tokomeza was deliberately mismanaged to bring it to a halt.

Now I think I owe you an apology because the latest figures show just how true that must have been. Kagesheki sacrificed also confirms what you have been saying, that there are very very powerful people involved in the elephant slaughter which no where in the world is now so bad like in Tanzania. Our country is turning a blind eye to poaching to please the Chinese friends of our leaders but this got to stop and got to stop now or we will have no elephant left.

Here is the report I promised which gives evidence how bad it has become’ wrote a source overnight when passing on Dr. Rolf Baldus’ update on the latest survey data. Dr. Baldus was from 1987 to 1993 the coordinator of the Selous Conservation Programme and between 1998 and 2006 an advisor to the Tanzanian government on wildlife and community based conservation. Presently Dr. Baldus serves as Advisor to the President of the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation, in other words an expert with not just good standing but also enough local insight to be a trusted source. Dr. Baldus writes in the report availed and parts of it are shown below:

Start quote:
The elephant population in one of Africa's most important elephant ranges, the 50,000-square-kilometer Selous Game Reserve in Southern Tanzania, is down to an estimated 13,000 animals. This figure is the result of an aerial survey conducted this past October. Apart from Tanzanian experts, a number of NGOs and international specialists were involved in the survey, and we can assume that this is an objective result. In 2005 the figure from similar counts stood at 65,000 to 70,000 elephants, and the population was increasing.

The lowest figure ever recorded before was less than 30,000 elephants in 1991.

Thereafter a Tanzanian-German project, called the "Selous Conservation Programme," rehabilitated the Selous infrastructure and management, and poaching was reduced from approximately 5,000 animals killed per year to fewer than 100. One reason behind the success was a so-called "retention scheme," allowing the reserve's administration to keep half of all income for management.

The income in the Selous was, and still is, mainly from hunting. The Selous Conservation Programme ended in 2003 and some years later the government terminated the retention scheme despite an existing agreement with the German Government. The result of this decision is seen today.

Such counts are notoriously difficult to interpret. Aerial surveys of the Selous in recent years already indicated declines, but figures were never published, and there were doubts about the quality of the counts. More important than an absolute number is the trend shown by consecutive counts.

In any case there was considerable poaching, and it must be assumed now that the population is at an historic low due to that and to inefficient management in recent years.

Whatever the true figure is, there is an urgent need for a vigorous anti-poaching campaign and, once again, a rehabilitation of the reserve's structures and management.

Germany will come to the rescue of the Selous once again. Major projects are in the pipeline and preparations ongoing. The ecosystem is still intact, and provided that proper management can be introduced again, the recovery of the elephant population is only a matter of time. This was proven once, and the former project can be used as a blueprint. However, if nothing is done against the existing corruption, which is one of the major drivers of poaching in the country, there will be no success. The names of those involved with the poachers are known. What is lacking is the political stamina to take action. Informed sources in Tanzania connect the poaching of elephants in the country with the increasing presence of Chinese nationals. A recent report authored by the Tanzania Elephant Protection Society said rising economic relations between China and Tanzania fuel elephant killings, and call for proper government intervention. Several uncovered hauls of ivory seem to verify the Chinese connection. On November 2nd, for example, about 706 pieces of ivory, weighing more than 1.8 tons and representing more than 200 tuskers killed, were found in Dar es Salaam at the residence of Chinese nationals.

On direct orders by the President of Tanzania a countrywide anti-poaching operation was started in October. The so-called "Operation Tokomeza" (wipe out) was terminated, however, after human rights violations, including homicide, rape and humiliation mainly inflicted by the army, became public. Victims were seminomadic pastoralists who illegally but habitually use national parks and reserves for grazing. On December 20th four cabinet ministers, including Natural Resources and Tourism Minister, Ambassador Khamis Kagasheki, had to resign. The systematic violation of human rights was substantiated by a report, prepared under the chairmanship of James Lembeli, MP. Lembeli is the former PR chief of the

"Tanzanian National Parks" organization and is known for his pro-conservation stand. It must be assumed that the allegations are genuine. Kagasheki assumed the political responsibility for misdoings of the army, for which he was not responsible.

In any case, this development is extremely threatening for conservation in Tanzania, as there are strong political and business forces in Parliament and elsewhere that are either involved in local poaching or protect it. Operation Tokomeza was criticized at an early stage, alleging its focus on pastoralists was misguided as it spared the VIPs and political heavyweights actually masterminding the poaching. It cannot be ruled out that the ill-fated operation was purposely misdirected by some important god-fathers of poaching. Minister Kagasheki, who had acquired an extremely good reputation for determination and professionalism since he took office, might have been caught in a trap purposely prepared for him and those who want to combat the rampant poaching. Tanzania has more than a quarter of its land under protective status, including

hunting reserves. Conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources increasingly conflicts with exploration and infrastructural projects. A small portion of the Selous, for example, was de-gazetted in order to allow uranium mining. Presently a major dam is being prepared at Stiegler's Gorge on the Rufiji River. This project will completely change the heartland of the reserve, which is a recognized World Heritage Site.

Regrettably, the planned aerial survey of the neighboring Niassa National Reserve and the Quirimbas National Park in Mozambique was canceled as a result of delays in securing the necessary aviation gasoline. According to reliable sources, elephant poaching in these protected areas is "out of control".

This is the starkest news yet on the extent of poaching in Tanzania and suggests not only years of deliberate inaction but a cover up of the available data in a systematic and deliberate fashion. ‘This report puts a question mark over the commitment of our government but also of our top political leaders right to the president. They surely knew, they surely were in the picture and for sure they are now exposed as accomplices to this industrial scale butchering of elephant. Tanzania needs change, this leadership has failed our country and it has failed me. I am a member of CCM [Chama Cha Mapinduzi – the Kiswahili name of the ruling party] and remember how our political father Mwalimu Nyerere made it a policy to protect our environment and our wildlife. I read your publications and for long thought you just have an anti Tanzania agenda for reasons I never understood. I am sorry to say that now it seems you were right all along when you wrote about the Serengeti highway and all those other plans you keep mentioning. Maybe there is a grand strategy to wipe wildlife out from the Selous and then turn it into a mining belt. What can one believe now when it comes from government?’ wrote another source, wording slightly altered.

It is expected that once again howls of self righteous outrage will be uttered from government mouthpieces upon publication of this article but the sad fact remains, and Dr. Baldus’ report provides enough circumstantial as well as real evidence, that the government in Tanzania has failed its mandate to protect the nation’s wildlife heritage and unless a 180 degree turnaround in policy and enforcement can be seen within days, it can only be concluded that key figures are financially benefitting and have indeed deliberately perverted operation Tokomeza to bring it to a crashing halt while their foot soldiers continue to wipe out the remaining elephant in the Selous and other parts of Tanzania. It is clear that inspite of major seizures of blood ivory at the ports of Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, and shipments confiscated abroad, enroute to China, when looking at the sheer magnitude of poaching, going by the drop in elephant numbers from between 65- to 70 thousand to a mere 13.000 in only 8 years, most of the blood ivory got away and reached its destination in China, Vietnam and other countries where their governments too are complicit in halting the illegal trade to please their nouvelle riche.

A very sad start to the new year 2014, which it has now become clear, will be the watershed year for either coming to the rescue of Africa’s remaining large elephant populations or else to condemn them to extinction by the hand of mankind driven mad by their greed for ivory. Watch this space.


http://www.eturbonews.com/41283/very-sa ... -slaughter

[Richprins]

One can Google "economic relations with China" regarding virtually any Sub-Saharan African state, and the results will be more or less the same. It is not a coincidence, and the Chinese are not stupid. African governmental corruption and short-sightedness is the real curse, and many take advantage of it.

[Lisbeth]

Yes, RP! It is clearly said in the above article, without turn of phrase. In Tanzania there are most likely more National Parks than in any other country, so they have to concentrate their greed there not having many other alternatives (I do not know the level of industrial and other developments in Tanzania )

Looked it up on Google

La Tanzania è uno dei Paesi più poveri del mondo. Il reddito annuo pro capite nel 2012 è di circa 629$ (nominali) [3]. Il 60% della popolazione è privo dell'elettricità e il 40% dell'acqua potabile. Il 60% della popolazione sopravvive con meno di 2 $ al giorno. Negli ultimi anni si è tuttavia registrata una crescita contenuta ma costante permessa dalla stabilità politica.
L'economia dipende in gran parte dall'agricoltura, che pesa per circa 60% del PIL, costituisce l'85% delle esportazioni e impiega l'80% della forza lavoro. Le condizioni geografiche e climatiche limitano i campi coltivati al 4% del territorio. L'industria pesa circa il 10% del PIL ed è prevalentemente limitata alla trasformazione dei prodotti agricoli . La Banca Mondiale, il Fondo Monetario Internazionale e bilateral donors hanno fornito fondi per risollevare la deteriorata infrastruttura economica della Tanzania. Le grandi risorse naturali come giacimenti d'oro e i parchi nazionali non sono sfruttate appieno e generano poco reddito. La crescita degli anni 1991-99 ha generato un aumento della produzione industriale e un sostanziale incremento dell'output di minerali trainato dall'oro. Recenti riforme del sistema bancario hanno favorito la crescita degli investimenti. Il bilancio dello stato è gravato da un onerosissimo debito pubblico, che limita la possibilità di attuare riforme strutturali. Un settore molto sviluppato è quello del turismo.

Seems that I was right though

[Toko]

German government decided to support Tanzania even more than they already did over the last years.
They will provide a surveillance aircraft, a Cessna Enforcer, equipped with the latest technology and the Frankfurt Zoological Society will cover the running costs of the aircraft. There will be also a large-scale census of the elephant population in the Selous to get reliable data.

Hope that these and other Euro millions are to be directly channeled to anti-poaching and helping with the conservation

[Lisbeth]

Hope that these and other Euro millions are to be directly channeled to anti-poaching and helping with the conservation

They will have someone in logo who controls.............I hope!!!!!

[Lisbeth]

Tanzania President pledges to resume anti-poaching campaign

BY PROF. DR. WOLFGANG H. THOME, ETN AFRICA CORRESPONDENT | JAN 03, 2014

In his New Year message to Tanzanians, President Kikwete promised to resume the controversial anti-poaching operation, “Tokomeza.” which was halted in November after it became known that officials on the ground had subverted the objectives of anti-poaching and took aim at pastoralists and cattle herders, confiscated their livestock, and reportedly killed and tortured people instead of hunting for the commercial poaching gangs.

Conservationists decried the halt of the operation but agreed that a fresh focus and leadership was needed to put anti-poaching back on track in Tanzania and halt the massive slaughter of elephant, which in recent years has reduced the number of elephant in the Selous Game Reserve alone from nearly 70,000 in 2005 to only 13,000 in 2013, a loss of 57,000 elephant in the space of just 8 years in just one game reserve.

More critical observers are skeptical though on the president’s promises as he had in the past promised to deploy army units to aid game wardens and rangers, bringing about false hope as nothing of substance then happened.

Meanwhile was information received from Dar es Salaam that another major consignment of blood ivory was confiscated at the port of Dar es Salaam but it appears that in an act of totally misguided secrecy were journalists then denied entry to the port by port officials, who were then promptly blamed to be accomplices of poachers trying to hide the truth from the public, accusations which are now, according to one source, being looked into.

Unlike the port of Mombasa, where sniffer dog patrols are used around the clock and where scanners have been introduced to detect not just such contraband but also smuggled weapons, ammunition and explosives which could be uses by terrorists, the ports in Tanzania do not have such equipment making it much easier to evade detection and relying either on informants or sheer luck.

The sacking of former natural resources and tourism minister Kagesheki, too, has played into the hands of commercial poaching gangs, their financiers and middlemen, leaving the ministry’s key staff unsettled to say the least. One local conservation source added the voice to these recent developments when writing: “If Kikwete is serious, and before he was not, we may yet safe our elephant. The figures now coming out from the Selous are a damning indictment of his administration and he is in the history books already as the one president of our country presiding over the worst slaughter of wildlife. Everyone is watching to see what now follows his promises but in this country of ours you can never be sure what is just hot air and what will be done.”

http://www.eturbonews.com/41336/tanzani ... g-campaign