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Issue 00435 |
September 9 - 15, 2006 |
issn 0856 - 9135 |
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Local News |
| Pastoralists demand more benefits from wildlife by Edward Selasini Pastoralists in Arusha and Manyara regions have asked the government to improve the 1998 Wildlife Act Amendment Bill before it is tabled in the October 2006 Parliamentary session in Dodoma. Speaking at a workshop for pastoralists residing around game reserves and national parks the participants said the 1998 Wildlife Act and the proposed amendments do not state clearly how they benefit from the resources in the parks and the game reserve areas of Tarangire in Manyara region and Serengeti in Mara region. The workshop was held on the 31st August this year at the Summit Centre in the Arusha municipality. They said the wildlife policy in Tanzania has been marginalizing the pastoral communities around the conservation, park and game reserve areas though they have always been the ones who have ensured sustainability of wildlife in the areas which are now being exploited by the government and external investors. Emmanuel Mvula, a planning officer from the “Haki Ardhi Institute Dar es Salaam”, contested that ecological study had shown that pastoralists have kept their domestic animals in sustenance of nature and balance with wildlife throughout history so it was high time the government extended the benefits accruing from wildlife to the populations around the areas. He explained further that the 1974 Wildlife Act had been unjust to the pastoralists and the 1998 one that has come into force after the October Parliamentary session has flaws in relation to the pastoralists interests. He also argued that, the act contradicted other laws including the Constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania which clearly states any law that contradicts it has to be scrapped outright. Jonas Loitore, a member of the Ololosokwan village government said his villagers had failed to adhere to conditions specified in the game reserves act as they proved impossible to cope with given the pastoralists economic activities and interests. He said the provisions of the 1998 Act have been studied by the villagers and have all come to a conclusion that they were impossible to adhere to and therefore decided to reject them. The new act, he said, was in conflict with their gains from foreign photographic companies that have been paying up to Tsh.100,000 per annum funds that they have been using for the children’s school fees and other development projects in their area. The workshop was organized by the Tanzania Pastoralists Gatherers Organization and drew its participants from among village chairpersons, prominent elders, eight traditional leaders and eight councillors from eight wards bordering the national parks and game reserves in Ngorongoro district and Manyara region. The councillors came from Narakawo, Loiborsiret, Kimotorok, Sukuro, Emboreet, Loiborsoit, Olasiti and Ololosokwan wards.
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