Use technology to safeguard wildlife

Tanzania 2011
President Jakaya Kikwete yesterday expressed dismay over the slow pace by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism in curbing massive poaching of wildlife in national parks and game reserves.
“Gangsters (poachers) are killing wild animals…the gravity of criminal acts in our game reserves is quite alarming,” he said during a visit to the natural resources and tourist ministry in Dar es Salaam.
He said incidents of wildlife killing and poaching in national parks and game reserves by gangs or illegal hunters were on the increase, but the responsible ministry has not launched effective measures to redress the situation.
“To be frank, I am not impressed by your response to the killings of the precious resource,” he noted.
The President’s observation came after the Natural Resources minister; Ezekiel Maige said that the ministry had tried to enhance security in the country’s national parks and game reserves to protect wildlife.
He said that poaching has been greatly reduced in many national parks and game reserves after the ministry installed strategic and comprehensive security systems in the areas.
But the president criticised the ministry’s game security control measures saying that protection efforts don’t match the speed of poachers.
“You claim to have launched strategies to enhance security in the game reserves but a lot of animals are being killed daily,” he said.
In short, he said, the natural resources ministry was not capable of protecting wildlife.
Kikwete asked the ministry to be open and seek support of other state organs to save the wildlife from decimation.
He promised to support the ministry to embark on a major and long-term crackdown against poachers in the national parks and game reserves.
“I am ready to direct the military to intervene in the protection of wildlife in controlled national parks and game reserves,” said the president. “We have to be serious about this ….we have to stop massive poaching, otherwise we will spoil our reputation in wildlife conservation,” he noted.
Instead of sticking to old and traditional security methods, President Kikwete challenged the natural resource ministry to employ advanced and satellite technologies in checking underground movements of poachers in national parks and game reserves.
He said the ministry should consult international experts to set up satellite monitoring systems to locate illegal hunters in national parks and game reserves, thus enabling game wardens to easily nab the culprits.
“I believe that with the application of satellite systems, you will do wonders in a span of only six months,” he stressed.
The President proposed extensive review of wildlife conservation Act 2009 to stiffen penalties against poachers.
“Currently, penalties ….12 months or three years in jail, as provided in the law are not enough, when compared to the benefits these gangs get from the resources,” he said.
Please review the Act and increase the penalties to at least five years in jail.
“The current Act is so lenient, you cannot halt poaching in our parks and reserves,” he added.