Mag3
Platinum Member
- May 31, 2008
- 13,064
- 22,756
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!