Global conservation entity praises Unesco move on selous protection

Dar es Salaam. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has pledged to work closely with the government and the UN cultural body UNESCO, in minimising ecological threats facing the Selous Game Reserve. The WWF International director general, Dr Marco Lambertini, told The Citizen over the weekend, that the Selous Game Reserve was a treasure trove of biological diversity that called for collective global protection. He was reacting to a recent decision by UNESCO to put the Selous Game Reserve on the list of endangered World Heritage sites because of widespread poaching.

“The Selous Game Reserve deserved to be declared an endangered World Heritage site to protect more elephants from being slaughtered,” Dr Lambertini said shortly after he had launched the conservation organisation’s Africa Vision 2020 that seeks to make Africa a model in demonstrating sustainable relationship between humans and nature. UNESCO said the animal population at the 50,000-square kilometre game reserve had dwindled significantly since it was listed as a heritage site in 1982, calling on the world community to support Tanzania in the fight against poaching.

“The property is renowned for its populations of elephant, black rhinoceros, cheetah, giraffe, hippopotamus and crocodile, amongst many other species,” said UNESCO’s annual World Heritage Committee gathering in Doha.

Asked how the WWF could help Tanzania in its anti-poaching crusade aimed at saving the elephant from further decimation, Dr Lambertini admitted that poaching of elephants was out of control not only in Tanzania but also in other countries.

“Poaching is a global problem. But we are supporting the government (of Tanzania) and we are working at international level in tackling this problem,” said the WWF International boss.

He said there was need of creating a system of taking action to prevent poaching which has connections with international criminal syndicates.

Dr Lambertini said poaching was doing harm to the economy with countries losing capital and it was also compromising to the tourism industry.

Speaking on the newly launched Africa Vision 2020, he said the Africa Vision 2020 was developed first and foremost to drive greater and more sustainable conservation impact aimed at reversing the trends of biodiversity loss in Africa and worldwide.

The WWF Tanzania Country director, Mr Bell’Aube Houinato, said for the past 50 years WWF has worked to provide innovative solutions to conserve species and their habitats and maintain key ecological services.

However, said Mr Houinato, Africa’s unique nature and natural resources were under greater pressure than ever before, adding:

“Life-sustaining ecosystems are rapidly degrading, thus compromising the future security, health and wellbeing of millions of Africans and creating new challenges to conservation efforts.”

The director of Environment in the Vice-President’s Office, Dr Julius Ningu, said the government has been impressed with WWF’s 50 years of working with Tanzania.

Dr Ningu said the government was working on the possibility of gazetting more areas of natural resources for conservation purposes.

However, he said, the government was also ensuring that natural resources benefited communities.