Countries express support to Tanzania's anti-poaching drive

Countries across the world, including China, Germany, Norway, Japan and the European Union, on Saturday pledged to support Tanzania in the fight against poaching and illicit trade of wildlife. The countries expressed their support at a two-day conference on stopping wildlife crime and advancing wildlife conservation held in Dar es Salaam. The Chinese ambassador to Tanzania Lu Youqing said Tanzania needs support because the east African country has been working hard in enhancing wildlife protection, including elephants. The Chinese envoy said Tanzania should strengthen and enforce wildlife laws in order to mete out heavy punishment for poachers. "In China we have toughened laws on wildlife trafficking and this is working very positively in dealing with the offenders," Lu told the conference which ended on Saturday. He said China will work hand in hand with the international community towards the protection and conservation of wildlife. The German ambassador to Tanzania Hans Koeppel paid tribute to the government of Tanzania for its plans to employ over 900 game rangers and the establishment of an independent wildlife authority. However, he said there was need for Tanzanian authorities to review their wildlife policies to allow local communities to fully participate in wildlife conservation. "Game rangers and guns alone will not end poaching. There is need to involve communities," said the German envoy. The Japanese ambassador to Tanzania Kazuyoshi Matsunaga said Tanzania needed full backing in its anti-poaching crusade because poaching and illegal trafficking of wildlife was a threat to international security. Lazaro Nyalandu, Tanzania's minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, thanked the international community for showing their commitment towards helping Tanzania to end poaching which is alarmingly rampant. The conference was held against the backdrop of reports of killings of elephants in Tanzania's game reserves and national parks. On Friday, Nyalandu said the government of Tanzania will employ 435 of the new game scouts this month and another 500 by July this year. According to the Tanzania Elephant Protection Society, around 30 elephants are killed for their ivory every day, that is around 11,000 each year.