Malawi to mount fight against wildlife crime – Mutharika
Malawi President Prof. Peter Mutharika has committed to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging negative economic, environmental and social impacts.
Speaking on Thursday when he presided over the World Wildlife Day commemoration held at Parliament Building in Lilongwe, Mutharika said his government is aware that the world is heading towards a wildlife crisis.
“It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime,” Mutharika said in his message while marking the World Wildlife Day.
World Wildlife Day, observed annually, with this year’s theme ” It’s time to get serious about wildlife crime,” was proclaimed in December 2013 by the UN General Assembly for March 3, the day of the adoption of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), an international agreement between governments of 176 member states.
Mutharika noted that reports show that wildlife crime is the largest direct threat to many of the world’s threatened species, such as elephants, rhinos, tigers, among others.
“In Malawi alone, experts say the elephant population has drastically declined from 4,000 in the 1980s to 2,000 as we speak, while Kasungu National Park is on the verge of having its elephant population of 2,000 in the 1980s completely wiped out. It is, therefore, not surprising, that the forecast is that if the current trends continues, Africa should expect to have no elephants in the wild by the year 2025,” he said.
Mutharika said this is amidst reports that other African nations have completely lost their elephant populations.
He said, “I want to assure Malawians, that my Government will ensure that this does not happen to Malawi. I strongly support this year’s theme: “Time to get serious with wildlife crime”, a theme befitting Malawi as it is becoming evidently clear that wildlife crime is escalating in the country, as such, there is urgent need for action to address these criminal acts.”
Mutharika said wildlife crime is not just a conservation issue; rather it is a security, economic, as well as community livelihood issue.
The Malawi leader added that government has singled out tourism as one of economic growth sectors and that it should, therefore, be clear in everyone’s mind that wildlife crime poses a very big threat to tourism development in this country.
Brighton Kumchedwa, Director of Parks & Wildlife said while they have achieved results in combating illegal ivory trade, government still has work to do.
“Whilst some tremendous results in the last year, wildlife conservation is heading towards a crisis that requires collaboration, grit and determination. The fight has only just begun.” said Kumchedwa.
The government postponed its plan to torch ivory stockpile worth $7.5 million . Government spokesperson, Kondwani Nakhumwa said government has been advised that another 2.6 tonnes of ivory is still in the system as exhibits are awaiting conclusion in courts.
Meanwhile, Nankhumwa disclosed that Presidet Mutharika directed the Minister of Finance to release the funds for game rangers’ field allowance arrears.
He said game rangers living in national parks, game reserves and all protected areas have now received about 75 per cent of their field allowance arrears.
“The major challenge in the ministry is poaching, each and every day we are losing animals in our protected areas due to poaching,” lamented Nankhumwa.
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Dont burn the ivory but rather find the markets in japan or china and use the money obtained to buy maize and medicine for malawians.
nyanga zimenezo mungofuna mugulurise muthyolere ndalama thumba koma azisogoleri kumbukilani kuti tinakusakhani ndife
So when then are we going to get serious on infanticide and mathanyula crimes committed through the legalisation or decriminalisation of abortion and sodomy respectively?
Good development such non renewable resources needs concerted efforts to conserve. Those that can recall will agree on the dwindling of wildlife resources in their villages. In the early 90s, a hare, a buck, an impala, bushpigs etc were not rare sights.
Comment: Kuocha Minyanga ya njobvu yokwana usd 7.5? Masewela amenewo. Komanso apm ati isaotchedwe? Akufuna agulitse athyolere muthumba. 3 billion alinayo anapanga declare ikuchepa? Pakhale komiti yoyendetsa zogulisa minyangayo kuti ndalamazo zigulire mankhwala mu Zipatala za boma. Anthu angopasidwa asprin kapena panadol mankhwala ndi zipangizo mulibe nu zipatala za boma. Tikanena zofunda muzipatala mulibe. Kaya ndi abambo akawagoneka ku chipatala kuwafundisa chitenje cha akazi awo. Chrorine adasiya kale kale kukolopela mu zipinda za zipatala. Ku Zimbuzi sungaloweko ndi kulowako komwe. Galamukani a apm muyetse kupita kuzipatala popanda appointment mukaone. Mukapanga appointment kuti mukukayendela chipatala a health amakonza bwino kwambiri kukupakani phula mu maso kuti muziti zili bwino. Shaa what a pity.
Comment Game Ranger in all protected areas need to be mortivated not with peanuts are recieving of MK10000 for 15 nights and other asigned duties let me clear that means one should go for 15 nights and u recieved MK10000 so dont burn IVORY sale them inorder and send the money DNPW and also try to promote hardworker who are producing best results rather than promoting DEPARTMENT POATCHERS or THIEVES or ur RELATIVES sorry dont kill the DNPW like this
Let the law take place God will help us
Let the law take place
a DPP, tayatsani anonymous fire like you usually do while you smuggle the ivory.
nde mmati mutenthe musanaone ngati pali malamulo????? zongovera kwa mwa anzanu? wina akagulitsabetu. so ngati zina zili mmilandu mmalalikilanji kuti mutenthe.
Why a poor country like Malawi want to distroy 4billion of which there is need for us to buy maize, I thought we had a problem in our budget,is MW supposed to be on map with this unprofitable idear.
Why a poor country like Malawi want to distroy 4billion of which there is need for us to buy maize,where are we going to get the money for that I thought we had a problem in our budget,is MW supposed to be on map with this unprofitable idear.
Protect the Elephants please, they are majestic, instead lets wipe out monkeys, nuisance and good parasites monkeys are.
Why heaping ivory at Parliament building? Osangootchera kutchireko bwanji?
They will all disappear the same way the whole presidential jet did. The money will straight go into someone’s pocket here. Just watching!
This is a very welcome development since it’s high time poaching has taken deep root in the system whereby specialised animals like elephants,tigers,lions and even hyenas are in danger of extinction.But government should not just sit iddle with its arms akimbo as if it’s nobodys’business, but a plan of action must be put in place so as to physically curb the problem once and for all,not just singing the unsung and tuneless song tittled’Government Is Comitted’.Government should see to it that people living around protected areas like national parks and game reserves must be given small loans to run small businesses so as to keep them busy, but if not,this is song of curbing wild life crimes will be tuneless until all animals including snakes and lizards in our homes will be poached to extinction,,,,,,SHAME!!!!!!
There is alot to be done if we want to curb animal porching. How can we curb the illigal killing of animals if the game rangers are not paid their allowances for a year? High profile people are paid their allowance before they do the job while people with risky jobs are not until a year. If Malawi does not sort the issues of Electricity blackouts, the high cost of Electricity tarrifs, and also Electrical appliances cost of purchase, our wildlife is in shumble becoz more trees are being cut for charcoal.
Go to Tongole in Nkhota Kota. The owner is a racist and woes rich guest from abroad to hunt in Malawi. They hunt endangered animals such as elephants, lions and leopards. He chases away malawians from lodge. At one point even an MP was chased away and I was there. Mr president such individuals need to face the law. Please take some of these comments serious.
I was hoping to hear the president directing rangers to shoot armed poachers on sight, or even increasing funding to parks.
I am sorry but as a symbol of seriousness the president should have burnt whatever ivory he had available. the worlds media was watching, the world was waiting and he dropped the ball on yet another opportunity for Malawi to shine in the world instead of being a dim often flickering light. immediately we think the reason for this is naturally that he has been corrupted and actually going to personally make money out of this and given the history of our leaders it’s probably true.
If necessary, I’ll mobilize signatures and sponsor a legal battle, to ensure that we don’t do things to please people and institutions who are in comfort and telling us to burn our wealth. Try it and watch me. Ndikukatenfa injunction.
Kod Namkhumwa akuvala uniform ya game ngati ndani! That’s stupidity of the highest order and mokery on the part of wildlife staff. Osamaangopeleka uniform ma boot liked inu Nankhumwayutu ppaja ndi WA MIDNITE6 amafuna kutenga bona mwaupandu! And by wearing that uniform shows that he is impersonating a wildlife officer and mulandu wakwana remember Sudi Sulaimana anakokedwa Ku khoti chifukwa chopezeka ndi uniform ya asilikali
Mount a fight against criminals first and not hyenas
are we realisting that we burn seven point five million united states dollars yet we do not have money to buy medicine in hospitals? y not sell them,how also do we expect a hungry armless game ranger to fight stomarch full and equiped porcher!
Kkkkkkk forest guard tigayileni dhiilu -yo musawotche yose
Very sad news!
mwayambaso kugwiritsa ntchito magalimoto a boma kunyamulira zimasapota za dpp ok