The Tanzania Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has moved in to crush new attempts by the country’s wildlife authorities to start issuing fresh permits to wildlife exporters.
In short, the country has just slammed yet another ban against the Live Wildlife Species exports.
This new restriction comes from the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, Pindi Chana who, judging from her directives, seems to be suspecting foul play, behind recent attempts to revive wildlife exports from Tanzania.
A few hours earlier the Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA) floated a statement to the effect that special permits would be issued to traders permitting fresh shipment of animals.
It caused an uproar, after which TAWA tried to soften the blow by announcing that the ban-lift applied only to smaller animals.
It did not help. In fact the Minister herself had to move in and correct the mistake.
Tanzania had banned all exports of live wildlife species in 2006 from the country after it came to light that there were plenty of irregularities that could lead to illegal wildlife trading.
Then TAWA tried to revive the deal in the first weekend of June 2022.
“The government has been assessing the business of exporting live wild animals since the ban was imposed and now it has lifted the ban,” Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority said in a statement late Friday.
Traders would have had six months from June 6 to December 5 to “clear stocks of animals” that they were unable to sell under the ban, it added.
However the Minister of Tourism, Pindi Chana steps in to direct that, the ban stays demanding clear explanation from TAWA regarding their decision to try and remove such restrictions
Tanzania imposed the ban in 2016 under the leadership of then-president John Magufuli.
The government at the time justified the ban because of “irregularities” in trade, including the shipment of protected animals abroad.
Comments are closed.