PRESS STATEMENT BY ZIMBABWE PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY

[swilton]

Source: Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority

PRESS STATEMENT BY ZIMBABWE PARKS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY ON MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTARTION OF HUNTING IN THE COUNTRY




Following the illegal killing of an iconic lion, Cecil, outside the Hwange National Park on Antoinette farm in Gwayi River Conservancy on the 1st of July 2015, it has become necessary that the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority further tightens hunting regulations in all areas outside the Parks Estate.

The Authority working with other law enforcement agencies has launched a crackdown to weed out any undesirable elements. To date our law enforcement agencies are following up on all found or reported cases and they have since arrested another culprit, Headman Sibanda, on allegations of breaching hunting regulations. He is currently assisting Police with investigations.

Further to that crackdown the following measures are going to be implemented immediately;

1. Hunting of lions, leopards and elephant in areas outside of Hwange National Parks has been suspended with immediate effect. All such hunts will only be conducted if confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, and only if accompanied by parks staff whose costs will be met by the landowner.



2. Bow hunting has been suspended with immediate effect and no such hunting will be conducted unLESS it has been confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.



3. Members of the hunting fraternity are being reminded that it is illegal for quotas to be transferred from one hunting area to another. Any case of quota transfer is regarded as poaching. The Authority will not hesitate to arrest, prosecute, and ban for life any persons including professional hunters, clients and land owners who are caught on the wrong side of the law.



All players in the hunting industry are being reminded to familiarize themselves with the relevant statutes governing the wildlife industry. Further, the Authority would like to appeal to all members of the public that they should report any SUSPECTED illegal WILDLIFE activities to the nearest offices of Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Zimbabwe Republic Police and other Government law enforcement agencies.





E. Chidziya

DIRECTOR-GENERAL


Read more: http://www.zimparks.org/index.php/mc/216-press-statement-by-zimbabwe-parks-and-wildlife-management-authority-on-measures-to-improve-the-administartion-of-hunting-in-the-country

[msanthrope]

1. Good on them. nt

[DeepModem Mom]

2. K&R.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. Good

Losing their main attraction has really hurt the park. This isn'the the first lion that has been lured out and killed.

[swilton]

4. This business seems to be like an international crime syndicate

Here's a story that indicates Bwana Palmer has a bedfellow.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/pennsylvania-man-charged-killing-lion-zimbabwe-article-1.2312231

And not to be flippant about some of the most serious issues facing the planet and the US (health care, income inequality, environmental degradation) but this issue seems to be directly connected to our privatized health care system.

[roguevalley]

10. I agree. This is wonderful news from Africa.

[turbinetree]

5. They are just a tennie wennie bit late............................

along with other aspects of how humans have decimated the animals and there populations on this planet-------------basically for ...................g*********d

rest in what peace you knew------------ Cecil, Shamu, ect.................

[tex-wyo-dem]

11. I completely agree with you…

But I will take this as a step forward and that Cecil did not die in vain. My hope is that Cecil will raise the awareness and anger worldwide and ultimately result in outlawing all trophy hunting and improved conservation efforts.

Sometimes it takes a terrible act like what was committed by Walter "tiny penis" Palmer for ultimate justice to become reality.

[turbinetree]

20. Thank you...........................

there ego and there vanity of what they think is sport is neither, especially when a animal has been basically humanized and then POACHED, tracked, and POACHED again shows the at the moment insensitivity of this ego and vanity of this person, his / there so called guides, and the complicity of the government for greed------------------there was no conceptual thinking of what the act does or what it effects are.

This person has legal issues that will bankrupt him because of this ego and vanity and his status as being a POACHER

[Journeyman]

6. Probably won't stop the poaching and illegal hunts, but seems it will make it easier to prosecute...

[complain jane]

7. So how much extra does it cost

for the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority's signature? Is this legitimate progress or just a money grab?

[Politicalboi]

9. My thinking exactly

How much more money does the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority require to kill innocent animals. And no mention of Jehrico getting killed yesterday.

[truebrit71]

12. Jericho wasn't killed yesterday....

... that report turned out to be false... thankfully

[swilton]

17. Exactly,

read between the lines...that puts a lot of power in state authorities....The state authorities must also be held accountable.

Having said that, this is a north south issue. I have yet to see one indigenous name coming from the Oxford University's Wildlife Conservation Unit. Conversely, the locals seemed to be involved in promoting the safaris by acting as guides. In Botswana, the locals used to stage live (in ceremonial regalia) kills for the benefit of tourists. I believe that trophy hunting worldwide should end. Period. But if any country wants this to succeed they have to get the locals more involved.

[redwitch]

18. My first thought on reading this.

It will cost more but will still go on.

[Igel]

8. (1) and (2) follow from Cecil's death.

(3), though ... It might be unrelated, but strikes me as a hint that perhaps the permit that Palmer thought was valid was all or part of a quota that had been transferred.



A number of news stories are reporting "Headman Sibanda" as the guy's name. "Headman" is a person the local chief appoints to assist in carrying out his duties so it's a title. Since he's unlikely to have been a guide, you have to wonder if perhaps his role wasn't illegally transferring or claiming to have transferred what was necessary for issuing the permit.

[Fred Sanders]

13. American laws for domestic killing safaris for domestic wildlife trophy hunters should be similarily regulated.

How Fox is distorting this for their audience of idiots:

[okasha]

15. Turn up your sarcasm detector a bit.

That cartoon is mocking all the hunters and gun nuts like Ted Nugent. Even Fox can't defend Palmer and his ilk.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Thanks for sharing this appropriate image. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

14. Hope the government will totally enforce this measure, with real seriousness, no exceptions.

Hope the country can be closed to these sadists permanently. Hope other countries will follow this example before it gets even much later. This is nearly the last chance to save these unique, wonderful creatures. They have absolutely no where to hide from human monsters without their help.

[marble falls]

19. Step 1. No more armed hunts. Only camera hunts.

[happyslug]

21. The Camera hunts do NOT pay as much...

And that is the main problem, Revenue.

http://www.sunsafaris.com/zimbabwe-lodge-price-guide.html?gclid=CjwKEAjwovytBRCdxtyKqfL5nUISJACaugG1LgD1P3G3LYx2BHfrmVv3LfkTSvXSjilWsxwWPcgUlRoCz4jw_wcB

http://www.huntinginzimbabwe.com/?page_id=7

http://www.huntinginzimbabwe.com/hunting-in-south-africa/

Please remember, the prices being quoted is for the hunt alone.

Overnight accommodations run $1100 a night for a hunter, $400 for a non-hunting companion:

http://www.africanskyhunting.co.za/pricelist-zim.html

None of the above prices include air fare, taxidermy fees or even a guarantee you get want you are paying for. The later price list does NOT include lions, probally because of a lack of an ability to get the permits.

To give you a better idea, here is a price list that list many of the costs NOT mentioned in the above price lists, including Medical fees, "pre-baiting fees", Field preparation of game, and taxes):

http://www.cmsafaris.com/zimrates.htm

Other cites:

http://www.hhksafaris.com/

http://www.diana-hunting.com/zimbabwe/zimbabwe/

No, I am NOT planning to go hunting in Southern Africa, but just pointing out the prices these hunters are willing to pay, and these prices are just the beginning of their fees. These prices are a come on, to get people to ask for more details, then they hit them with the actual fees. Thus the killer of Cecil saying the Hunt cost him $55,000, when the "fee" for a lion was only "$1200".

[happyslug]

22. This is mostly PR, not anything actually new, the key is the phase:

if confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, and only if accompanied by parks staff whose costs will be met by the landowner.

Bow hunting has been suspended with immediate effect and no such hunting will be conducted unLESS it has been confirmed and authorized in writing by the Director-General of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority.

Since any hunt already has to have such authorization, this means nothing. It is like a Governor of a State, after a horrible traffic accident, saying no one will be permitted to drive on the roads without a license (Or after a terrible hunting accident, saying no one will be able to hunt without a license, requiring people to do what they already do). The only thing that MAY be new is requirement that someone from the park service be on every hunt, this is to be paid for by the land owner where the hunt is occurring. That MAY be an additional cost, but such park employees may already being do so (I know in Texas for example, many ranch foreman were also considered Game Wardens, even through the only pay they received was from the landowner, thus the requirement that a Park personal be present may be fulfill if personal on the property are already considered park personal).

The real key is the details, and that I am missing.

[Sunlei]

23. so basicly, another permit is required and the price to kill a prime quality lion is now 75k?

the wealthy 'hunters' can afford that easily.