TANZANIA: China Gives Tanzania Sh2.6bn For Vehicles

The war against poaching got a major boost yesterday, with China donating 50 special vehicles worth Sh2.6 billion to be used for patroling in national parks and game reserves.

The donation presented by the Chinese Ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Lu Youqing, has come at a time when China, seen as the leading market for wildlife trophies, has joined the global campaign to deter poaching, especially of the endangered African Elephant and other species.

The minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, received the vehicles together with other equipment at the ministry’s headquarter in Dar es Salaam.

Yesterday’s support also came hot on the heels of a Chinese delegation, led by vice minister of State Forestry Administration, visiting Tanzania to enhance cooperation between the two countries and sharing experience in management of natural resources, including wildlife.

Anti-poaching campaigners have often accused China of abetting illegal trade in smuggled ivory and other rare trophies and have petitioned the country to stiffle its local market demand to help end the poaching crisis in many African countries.

A recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found out that Tanzania was the largest source of poached ivory in the world and China is its largest importer. The report established sophisticated syndicates and highly funded networks were behind the decimation of elephants, with hundreds of tonnes of ivory from the region seized on its way to China and other far-east countries.

In Tanzania, for example, the country’s famous Selous reserve has seen its elephant population plummet by 67 per cent between 2009 and 2013 — from 50,000 animals to just 13,000, according to a shocking report of the latest survey of the elephant population.

Yesterday during a brief presentation ceremony at the ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lu Youqing said Tanzania needed support from its development partners to protect its rich wildlife and fight the poachers.

The ambassador noted that for the past three years, China had extended support amounting to $30 million (about Sh66 billion) for wildlife protection in Tanzania.

The minister who has presided over an elaborate funding mechanism for the anti-poaching efforts took a break from CCM nomination campaigns to receive the equipment.

The donation came in form of 15 double cabin pick-ups, 30 all-terrain vehicles and five command vehicles. Other equipment included 100 mountaineering jackets, 130 tents, 50 patrol generator sets and 50 interphones.

Mr Nyalandu said the support will add impetus to the current government efforts to end poaching. He said the equipment will be allocated to various stations around the country.

He added that the vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS) that would provide signals to rapid response units to go to an area that needed urgent intervention.

“We should protect our resources and not let poachers take advantage of this election season as leaders are busy in constituencies in preparation for the October polls.”