How Sh4.5bn initiative helped net 2,617 suspected poachers

Arusha. A total of 2,617 suspected poachers were arrested between 2013 and 2015, thanks to a decision by six companies to invest Sh4.5 billion in wildlife conservation.

The suspects were arrested from game reserves, forest reserves and Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), which directly benefit from the Friedkin Conservation Fund (FCF).

The FCF project manager, Ms Nana Gross Woodley told The Citizen’s sister paper, Mwananchi yesterday that the companies have jointly injected a total of Sh4.5 billion into the initiative.

She said the arrests were made thanks to involvement of the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (Tawa).

“They were arrested in six specific areas – measuring a total of 2.8 million acres – where the six companies operate their professional and tourism hunting as well conservation photography activities,” she said.

According to Ms Woodley, the FCF has been spending between Sh1.4 billion and Sh1.7 billion each year between 2013 and 2015 on the war against poaching. In cooperation with the Tawa and other government organs, various initiatives undertaken during the past few years brought poaching cases down from 1226 in 2013 to 721 in 2015.

Tawa director general James Wakibara said recently that the poaching cases have been going down steadily in recent years.