Tanzania seeks support from US to protect wildlife parks

TANZANIA (eTN) – After meeting Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr. Khamis Kagasheki, in Washington this week, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of the Interior, David Hayes, said American government will be helping Tanzania in fighting poaching incidences through logistical and technical support.

Hayes told the Tanzanian delegation led by Mr. Kagasheki at the Department’s Headquarters that his government is ready to work closely with Tanzania, because issues of natural resources are now facing global challenges, which need to be addressed immediately with various stakeholders.

“[The] US has a responsibility of fostering [a] cordial relationship with Tanzania so as to ensure sustainability of natural resources in the country,” said Secretary Hayes.

Minister Kagasheki had earlier said Tanzania has taken deliberate efforts to fight poaching in the country but still US support is highly needed in the war, because it is very challenging involving some stable financial muscles network globally.

He had requested support from the US in the form of technical assistance by providing some expertise on the suppliers of best intelligence surveillance devices and skills as well as coming up with new approaches and strategies to tackle the existing organized poaching crimes.

In a more positive and promising move, a decision was reached between the visiting Tanzanian delegation and the United States to prepare a memorandum of understanding between the two countries, which will be signed in December this year in Tanzania.

The memorandum of understanding will basically act as a baseline of cooperation between the two countries and will focus on how best the two countries can work together in ensuring the existence of sustainability of the conservation sector for the betterment of the current and future generations.

“I appeal to [the] United States that we have to conserve, we need to preserve, so as to protect our wildlife from extinction and that conservation should be the number one priority to Tanzania and the world,” said Kagasheki.

Tanzania is currently facing serious poaching problems as the demand for elephant tusks increase in Far East trophy markets. The growing demand for ivory in China and other Far Eastern countries has been identified to decimate African jumbos with negative impacts on tourism development on this continent counted to be the number one tourist destination in this century.

The First Pan-African Conference on “Sustainable Tourism Management in African National Parks and Protected Areas” organized by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that will be held in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha early next week is to address various challenges facing wildlife protection in Africa.

According to UNWTO, wildlife parks and protected areas in Africa constitute one of the elements of the continent’s natural heritage. Sustainable use of these parks and protected areas has made it possible for the beneficiary countries to increase their economic revenue and has positioned Africa on the world tourism map as a choice destination to engage in nature-based tourism.

Tanzanian Deputy Minister for Tourism, Mr. Lazaro Nyalandu, said the Pan African Conference on Tourism will be officiated by Tanzanian Vice President Dr. Gharib Billal, while 412 delegates from 40 African nations are expected to participate, including 12 cabinet ministers.

UNWTO Secretary General Dr. Taleb Rifai will lead a delegation of 6 senior officials from Madrid to participate in the conference.

During discussions, Tanzania will present 3 cases on wildlife conservation, to be tabled by senior experts from Tanzania national parks, the Ngorongoro conservation area, and all custodians of wildlife protection in Tanzania’s key tourist parks.