Global News - September 2007

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Tanzania pledges to protect animals

Fri 28 September 2007 14:30 UK — Africa

The government of Tanzania has pledged to continue working on cutting down the trafficking and illegal trading of wildlife and wildlife products.

Tanzanian public safety and security minister, Harith Bakari Mwapachu, said that officials in the country were actively searching for poachers and those who traded goods produced from wild animals.

"The police force is on the lookout for all crimes related to wildlife products," he told an Interpol Wildlife Group meeting in the northern region of Arusha.

"I wish to assure you that our wildlife is being protected from the few greedy individuals."

He explained that police had recently seized a number of wildlife contrabands - including 223 elephant tusks in Dar es Salaam.

However, Mr Mwapachu added that wildlife poaching was still a concern in the African region.

"As we are all aware, illegal trade in wildlife continues unabated worldwide, despite the existence of national and international laws on the trade. We are aware of what is happening in the field of wildlife conservation," he said.

"Poaching for bush meat and other products such as elephant ivory, rhino horns, skins, live animals and other animal products is serious and rampant in our region."

Finally, Mr Mwapachu warned that organised criminal gangs are moving into the illegal trade in animals and said that measures were being taken to combat the problem.

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