The Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) in Livingstone has appealed to the community to report suspicious bush meat traders to the department.
DNPW Southern Region Senior Wildlife Warden, Lewis Daka said illegal bush meat trading was a huge threat to wildlife populations in the country and urged residents to report all cases to his department or to the police.
Speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Livingstone yesterday, Mr. Daka said poaching was a threat to the country adding that it jeopardizes national parks by undermining its growth.
“Economically, illegal hunting is a threat to the wildlife heritage of the country and it jeopardises national parks by undermining the potential growth of tourism and the legal game-farming industry,” Mr. Daka said.
He further said illegal bush meat trading also put the public at risk hence the need for people to take necessary precautions.
“Sometimes the meat is harvested from animals that died of diseases or were already rotting in a snare, and consumption of such will lead to various outbreaks of incurable diseases within ourselves,” he said.
And Mr. Daka said the Department of National Parks and Wildlife was working hard to curb the illegal trading of bush meat in Livingstone.
“We go around sensitizing the community every now and then so that people can have the knowledge on what is required of them,” he said.
He however said the department has allowed the operation of stores through which the community can access bush meat.
“We therefore expect the community to choose legal game meat suppliers and make sure to ask for legal licenses when they are offered bush meat,” he said.
He has further urged the illegal game meat traders to go through the right procedures to sell the meat to avoid being inconvenienced.
“We will ensure that there is extremely stiff punishment imposed on these culprits,” he said.
Recently, a 45-year-old businessman of Livingstone was fined K80, 000 and in default face nine months simple imprisonment for being in possession of dry reedbuck and common duiker meat without a certificate of ownership from the Director of National Parks and Wildlife.
The advice seems silly to me, just make sure you do your job right and curb poaching. How are we going to tell a genuine and fake licence apart. The fact that the game meat makes it to the market, simply means you are a porous corrupt bunch who allow poaching for a bit of Kwacha’s
after that and the rewards,coz it’s your job,don’t expect some one to do your job without getting paid why a you out of your mind boss , you put the money on your desk,and starting to inform public that here is the reward,this is how we work, not only your words,are meaningless.