Is China’s growing influence in Tanzania fuelling an upsurge in elephant poaching?

Mag3

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May 31, 2008
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It is time we, as wananchi of this great nation, said with one voice, "enough is enough". Before 2009, Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania had about 40,000 elephants but now after only 5 years, we would be lucky to have 4,000 (10%). Tanzania is now facing the threat of elephant extinction and by the way things are going it wont be long before that happens unless we act.

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The night of February 14th, 2009 when the Communist Party Leader of China Hu Jiantao set foot in Tanzania on an official visit, is a day to be remembered. President Hu, on a tour described as a journey of friendship and cooperation, was greeted by Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete and thereafter treated to a local performance at the airport.

A report by Damian Robin, Epoch Times on March 30, 2010 of save the elephants campaign claims that during this presidential visit, two hundred kilos of ivory was bought by Chinese diplomats and taken out of Tanzania. Sellers of ivory did not say if Hu knew of the trade, but said that a prominent diplomat from the Chinese Embassy frequently bought large amounts of ivory from them.

According to a report on U.K. television the growing Chinese influence in Tanzania following the visit appears to have fuelled an upsurge in elephant poaching, gunrunning, and corruption. People in villages and cities, wildlife managers, rangers, government officials, and illegal ivory sellers in Tanzania who spoke to one reporter, all said China was the main buyer of banned ivory.

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Though trade in ivory was stopped in 1989, some countries, if proven to have good conservation measures, were allowed to do a small amount of business in ivory. Zambia and Tanzania did not qualify and so were prohibited from any trade in ivory. While Kenya burnt their stockpiles of ivory, Tanzania made an international plea to be allowed to sell theirs…the plea was denied!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 
Definitely this can explain the mutually but parasitic friendship btn tz n Chinese people. This also tells us the bond btn CCM and Chineese Communist party, and again why the general secretry of CCM, Kinana was involved in shipping ivory to china. All in all this has been the best income source of my late CCM, although recently they advanced through the same chanel, mtwara gas and Bwagamoyo port
Believe me or not, my sweety government of CCM knows well about this DEAL
 
I don't understand why we keep on blaming the Chinese. They are not the ones who go into our game reserves and shoot the elephants. It is us Tanzanians who are killing the elephants.

By the way, have we forgotten that Ivory trade started long time ago? Remember the arab involvement in slavery and Ivory trade?
In fact, a good number of the so called rich business men of arab and indian origins (of course even some blacks) in our towns, their wealth started from this illegal business of poaching. Some government big shots are also involved. In my humble opinion, I think blaming the Chinese is simply blaming the wrong culprits.
 
what we need to do is to stop any relationship with these CHINESE , they have proven themselves dangerous to our resources .
 
what we need to do is to stop any relationship with these CHINESE , they have proven themselves dangerous to our resources .

Come on!
Should we break diplomatic relationship with our neighbour, Kenya just because the kenyans are selling more Tanzanite and Gold than what we sell in the international market? Why don't we concentrate on curbing gems smuggling across the border? Can't we apprehend the smuggling goons from our side of the border?
Back to our topic, how would those chinese enter into the Selous without a local guide!?!? With all those risks of the, jungle- the posibility of being killed by wild cats (lions, leopards etc), crocks, and cobras, would a Chinese really come from Beijing and manage to hunt the elephants without a help from selfish and greedy locals?
 
I don't understand why we keep on blaming the Chinese. They are not the ones who go into our game reserves and shoot the elephants. It is us Tanzanians who are killing the elephants.
You maybe right Nanren but one, the fact remains that much of the illegal ivory ends up in China and as long as the demand exists, the slaughter of elephants will continue. Two, the upsurge in elephant poaching in Africa in the last ten years has been synonymous with the Chinese growing influence. Three, it is an undeniable fact that some members of the Chinese diplomatic Cops have at one time or another been named as suspects in this illegal trade.
By the way, have we forgotten that Ivory trade started long time ago? Remember the arab involvement in slavery and Ivory trade? In fact, a good number of the so called rich business men of arab and indian origins (of course even some blacks) in our towns, their wealth started from this illegal business of poaching.
Yes that is true but after the ban on ivory trade in 1989, many countries put in place some very strict measures to curb illegal trade in ivory. Early last year while conservation groups renewed calls for a total end to the legal trade in ivory ahead of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, China, on the other hand, was of the opinion that allowing legal but limited ivory trade may offer a better solution in protecting the African elephants!
Some government big shots are also involved. In my humble opinion, I think blaming the Chinese is simply blaming the wrong culprits.
This is also very true Nanren, we have a rotten government, but this does not absolve the Chinese culprits...remember that all over Africa it is mostly the Chinese workers who use their wages to buy illegal ivory and sell it in their home country for huge profits. But even then China still claims that the ivory used is acquired through legal auctions and in no way encourages or worsens the problem of elephant poaching in Africa...definitely China is not being very helpful here!

There is every reason for us to first close the Chinese connection!
 
Wachina hawana makosa, tatizo kubwa ni kwamba SIASA yetu ni chafu na inaongozwa na Walafi wa Rushwa, ambayo niyapekee Duniani.
 
Absolutely YES.

Worse still (G-D forbid) will be when the coming general elections next year. China openly wants and will aggressively work harder to ensure that CCM remains in power be it by vote rigging, violence or even a civil war. Don't ask me why!

Time for us (the umma) to speak and act is NOW.
 
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Deputy minister for Natural Resources and Tourism Lazaro Nyalandu speaks with Game wardens during a visit to Selous Game Reserve (SGR) in Rufiji District Coast Region on Monday. Massive poaching in the SGR, a UNESCO World Heritage site led to a significant drop in the elephant population. PHOTO | ELIAS MSUYA

Rufiji.Massive poaching in the Selous Game Reserve (SGR), a UNESCO World Heritage site, has resulted in the population of elephants dropping to 13,000 this year from 110,000 in 1976, The Citizen has learnt.

The SGR chief conservator, Mr Benson Kibonde, told journalists on Monday that poaching was the main reason behind the decreased population of the jumbos.

“In 1976 the reserve had 110,000 elephants but the number went down to 30,000 in 1989,” said Mr Kibonde, adding that this pathetic situation led to the launch of an anti-poaching operation called Operation Uhai.

He said Operation Uhai proved to be successful as the elephant population improved to 70,000.

“But the tidal wave of poaching increased again resulted in the population of elephants plummeting to 13, 500,” said Mr Kibonde.

Bofya hapa:
Massive jumbo poaching threatens Selous prestige - National - thecitizen.co.tz
 
The so called China- Tanzania Dev Cooperation, Is nothing but a trick to fulfil Increased demand for industrial Raw Materials in Heavily Industrialized China , Owing the environment conservations law they enacted, This pushed them To Africa as An alternative, and a F.U.C.K.IN. Country with F.U.C.K.E.D up leaders like Tz Is the 0ne!

WELCOME CHINESE!
 
You maybe right Nanren but one, the fact remains that much of the illegal ivory ends up in China and as long as the demand exists, the slaughter of elephants will continue. Two, the upsurge in elephant poaching in Africa in the last ten years has been synonymous with the Chinese growing influence. Three, it is an undeniable fact that some members of the Chinese diplomatic Cops have at one time or another been named as suspects in this illegal trade.

Yes that is true but after the ban on ivory trade in 1989, many countries put in place some very strict measures to curb illegal trade in ivory. Early last year while conservation groups renewed calls for a total end to the legal trade in ivory ahead of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, China, on the other hand, was of the opinion that allowing legal but limited ivory trade may offer a better solution in protecting the African elephants!

This is also very true Nanren, we have a rotten government, but this does not absolve the Chinese culprits...remember that all over Africa it is mostly the Chinese workers who use their wages to buy illegal ivory and sell it in their home country for huge profits. But even then China still claims that the ivory used is acquired through legal auctions and in no way encourages or worsens the problem of elephant poaching in Africa...definitely China is not being very helpful here!

There is every reason for us to first close the Chinese connection!
Mag3
Read through the text in red fonts:

The question here is "who are these Africans who are selling to the Chinese"?
Mark you, it is the same Africans who have been selling to Arabs, Somalis, and indians! But we rarely blame the somalis, indians, arabs or even some of government officials. All the blame now is on Chinese. This is not being fair. In my opinion, african poachers are the ones to be blamed. And much more blame should be on our African governments for failing to curb poaching.
 
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Mag3
Read through the text in red fonts:

The question here is "who are these Africans who are selling to the Chinese"?
Mark you, it is the same Africans who have been selling to Arabs, Somalis, and indians! But we rarely blame the somalis, indians, arabs or even some of government officials. All the blame now is on Chinese. This is not being fair. In my opinion, african poachers are the ones to be blamed. And much more blame should be on our African governments for failing to curb poaching.
Nanren, may be you are not following events as they unfold day in and day out here in Bongoland. Each passing day the level of audacity the Chinese are exhibiting in plundering our national resources is not only astonishing, it is infuriating. They no longer wait and depend on the poachers to sell them the tusks, they have become the masters themselves; in fact they are all over the countryside; from the streets of Kariakoo to the plains of Serengeti and Soronera, from Mikumi Lodge to sprawling mountains of Arusha, from Ukerewe Island to the mines of Buhemba ...you name it and the Chinese will be there, thanks to our corrupt system! It is just as if the country is pawned to the Chinese!

For your information Nanren, Operation Tokomeza phase one only succeeded in protecting the real culprits that are perpetuating this illegal trade in ivory, the Chinese. Somehow somewhat the Chinese have this unexplained hold on CCM leaders and consequently the government to such extent that our security organs find themselves impotent and powerless! How else can one explain the two recent seizures of elephant tusks one involving the Chinese Army ship currently docked in Dar es Salaam and the hush hush that followed? The sheer impunity of it all is just outrageous! The question is, since the government has failed to protect our wildlife, what should we do as wananchi?
 
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Usalama wa Tembo hapa TZ utategemea tu iwapo China itaachana na ununuzi wa pembe hizo ama serikali ya China kutoa elimu ya kutosha juu na namna ya meno/ pembe hizo zinavyopatikana.

Matumizi makubwa ya pembe hizo ni dawa, na wengi wa wachina wanajua kuwa pembe hizo huvunwa toka wa tembo na sio wa tembo hao kuuwawa iwe kwa sumu, risasi, ama wa makombora ya kutungua ndege za kivita. Hii inatoa picha kuwa iwapo wanunuzi wa kawaida wa bidhaa hiyo wakijua unyama unaofanyika kwa wanyama hao wanaweza kupunguza ama kuachana nayo kabisa. Nchi kama Japani ilifanikiwa kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa kutoa somo kwa wananchi wake wa kawaida juu ya upatikanaji wa kinyama wa pembe hizo.

Wigo wa biashara hii kwa sasa umetanuka hadi kufikia kufanywa kwenye tovuti kama za Alibaba, licha ya kuwepo kwa marufuku ya kimataifa juu ya biashara hiyo. Mahitaji na usambazaji wa pembe hizo hufanywa na wachina wenyewe hivyo kwa mfano kwenye tovuti maneno yanayotumika ni kama "blood tooth" na "African white plastic" .

Kwenye bandiko mama imegusiwa sasa ni rahisi kukutana na wachina katika mbuga zetu za kitaifa. Hili linatia shaka sana na halina budi kuchukuliwa hatua za haraka kudhibitiwa. Zaidi ushirikiano wa dhati na China unatakiwa, kwani mara nyingi wachina wanaoshikwa huku Afrika wakishafikishwa kwenye vyombo vya sheria basi hujifanya kuto elewa lugha yoyote zaidi ya kwao.

Na kama Serikali ya China kweli inataka kulinda na kuhifadhi wanyama wa Afrika, basi hawana budi kurejesha sheria yao ya Kifo kwa yeyote yule afanyae biashara hii haramu nchini mwao na kuondoa hii ya sasa yenye kuanzia miaka 3 hadi 10 jela.

Na kwa upande wa TZ ni vema kuangalia hizi kampuni tele za ujenzi za kichina kama kweli wamekuja kujenga ama wamekuja kuwa majangiri. Mifano ya aina za ujenzi ambazo huuanza kwa kasi na kuzorota baada ya muda mfupi toka katika kampuni za kichina zipo, kama utanuzi wa uwanja wa ndege wa Karume n.k
 
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