 |
| credit: N. Hahn |
The east African nation of Tanzania reports it is making progress in the fight against elephant poaching. Once known as the killing fields of Africa, Tanzania has made 2300 arrests of poachers and traffickers over five years. Investigators claim they have penetrated eleven trafficking rings and arrested 21 ring leaders who profit most from the illegal trade in ivory. TRAFFIC, the international NGO that monitors the trade, said Tanzania suffered poaching on "an industrial scale" causing a 60% decline in elephant population in the period 2009-14, which equates to a horrendous loss of 60,000 elephants.
Tanzania government officials say an anti-poaching law enforcement network is responsible for reducing the number of poaching incidents to a quarter of the previous unsustainable levels. Government data is confirmed by outside sources, which recorded just 5 tons of illegal ivory originating from Tanzania compared to 87 ton previously. Elephant populations in Tanzania have risen from 43,000 in 2014 to 60,000 in 2019. Enforcement officials have received training and resources to combat wildlife crime, an investment in the nation's natural heritage that is paying dividends.
One of the ringleaders convicted of trafficking, Yang Fenglan, known as Tanzania's "Ivory Queen" appealed her conviction to the High Court last month. The appellate court sent her case back down, but refused to release her pending the appeal process. Based on police intelligence, it appears that the ‘leading players’ in elephant poaching are Asian criminal networks, which purchase illegal products locally and export them to Asia. But the rings could not be successful without participation of local nationals. Green Kudos to Tanzania!