Hunters association dismisses report on killings of elephants
What you need to know:
There have been reports that more than 100 elephants have been legally hunted during the past few months, but the hunters have come forward and dismissed the claim
Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has not killed a single elephant during this year’s hunting season, thanks to consumptive tourism players, hunters disclosed yesterday.
Their statement trashes reports that 100 elephants have been legally hunted during the past few months.
Tanzania was allotted to hunt 50 elephants during the season from July to October, 2017 by the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Nonetheless, the Tanzania Hunting Operators Association (Tahoa) and Tanzania Professional Hunters Association (TPHA) said in a statement yesterday that not a single elephant has be been hunted despite the allotment.
Moreover, the two associations argue that the number of elephants harvested between 2010 and 2013 has also decreased.
This, according to them, is down to new provisions on trophy weight and length introduced through the Wildlife Conservation (Tourist Hunting) Regulations, 2010.
“In 2010 the quota of jumbos was 200, but only 96 were killed. In 2011, the quota was 200, but we hunted only 45. In 2012, the quota was 200, but we hunted 43,” the statement reads.
“In 2013, the quota was 200, but 35 were hunted while in 2014, the quota was 100, but only seven were hunted,” reads the statement, which was signed by Tahoa’s chief executive officer, Ms Lathifa Skyes.
In 2015, the statements reads, the quota was 100, but hunters killed only three whereas in 2016, they hunted two only out of a quota of 100.
This conservative approach to hunting elephants was acknowledged by the European Union, which in August 2016, acknowledged the enormous efforts of the Tanzanian government and the hunting industry to control the illegal hunting of elephants.
This resulted in the EU making a positive finding in four of the six main ecosystems, which form the elephant range in Tanzania; Serengeti, Tarangire-Manyara, Katavi-Rukwa and Selous-Mikumi.
Tanzania adheres to the CITES and population trends of all animals reported in regular surveys. The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri) conducts and guides the Wildlife Division in overseeing the sector, the statement reads.
It further added: “The Wildlife Division has strictly been controlling the permissible tradable quota of 100 elephants.”
In 2014, Tahoa recommended the national quota to be reduced from 200 to 100 and again in August 2017, the organisation recommended a further 50 per cent reduction.
The recommendations were reached after analysing national survey statics, which showed that the elephant population was under pressure from ivory poaching.
