THE Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has arrested 13 people in Mongu for allegedly poaching 1,275 birds.
The species of the water birds known as open-billed storks were killed between July 8 and 10 July in the Zambezi Plains.
Western Province Permanent Secretary Seth Muleya and ZAWA public relations officer Wilfred Moonga confirmed the arrest of the 13 suspects that included one female.
Open-billed storks are intra-African migratory species which mostly breed south of the equator, including Zambia.
The migratory species receive total protection, especially during the breeding season.
MrMoonga said the 13 suspects were arrested during a routine monitoring patrol which was conducted by ZAWA officers along the Zambezi Flood Plain last week.
MrMoonga said the suspects were found with 1,275 birds which they captured and killed on Nalwela Island on the Zambezi Plains.
The open-bill stork birds breed but once a year and their gestation period is between the last week of June and the first week of August.
The suspected poachers raid the plains during this period and capture young birds that are just about ready and old enough to take their first fly.
MrMoonga said the poachers know the period when the birds breed and they monitor them closely and when they are just about to fly, usually during the first week of August, the birds are illegally harvested.
MrMoonga said every year, the local people normally monitor nesting sites and raid the nests to capture the immature birds at the time when the young birds develop flight feathers.
He explained that the local people invade the swamps to capture the birds by hand or kill them using spears in the reeds where the breeding water bird colonies roost.
MrMoonga said five out of the 13 suspects have so far been convicted and sentenced to between six and two years in prison.
Poaching of birds, particularly raiding of nests, poses a direct threat to the population of such birds which breed only once in a year.
MrMoonga has appealed to the residents of the Zambezi Flood Plain to desist from the act of raiding the birds’ nests during the breeding season as the act is illegal and cautioned that perpetrators would be arrested and prosecuted.
[Zambia Daily Mail]
If they govt provided them other means of feeding themselves this wouldn’t happen. They also need to educate these people of the benefits these birds would potentially bring i.e international twitchers (bird watchers) Â and ornithologists. The income could greatly improve their lives.
everything with u is the government they can only do so much even in developed countries we have poachers u cant blame everything on the government.
Njala ndiye ilengesa!!!!
Kuloba Sitaka! A very renowned annual activity in the baroste plains, education is the answer. ZAWA has got work.
This is bullshit pipo need to eat Birds are their food. what development are u talking abt?????
“Mr Moonga said five out of the 13 suspects have so far been convicted and sentenced to between six and two years in prison.” why not simply say between two and six years. LT editors!!!
Zawa has got a lot of work to do.so does the govt.these locals need alternative sources of income.they need jobs to keep them occupied and provide them with an income.zawa needs to up its performance,employ more rangers especially from among the locals.they also need to educate the locals on the importance of conserving these birds and the potential benefits.ku teya nyoni sitikana manje ka teyedwe.
Stup1d let those guys free they did not kill the birds from the national park.I worked in mongu the plains provide that food to them every year.even in other countries like Namibia where they also immigrate to,they are source of protein.When people leave important issue they are employed for and do fo0lish things it’s annoying.
Let the people kill birds. Why do they teach about food chain in School?
The ZAWA should not get exited over such. How has that programme of distributing revenues from parks to the locals worked in this area?
ni njala ina ba nyokola aba bantu give them jobs or skills training and provide an enabling enviroment ba za leka ku paya tu nyoni
There is a lot to consider in this report.
1.Are these birds protected species?
2.Is there a ban like the fish ban period to hunt these birds?
3.Is there an outlet for locals to enjoy this endowment or its just a blanket ban to say no one can hunt these birds
4.What are the Education methods used to counter the age old local Tradition of ‘Kuloba Sitaka’
Seems no side is totally right in this current situation.
Let them chaw the birds,they have been eating these birds from time immemorial en the still aint extinct so let them just eat, they will only stop 90 days after sata comes to office coz hes gonna provide food en money in the pocket
The BRE can provide consultance services on how to effectively manage the ecology of the Bulozi Flood plains. They have that experience. Zawa better consult BRE on this one.