I promised you in the February issue that I would pass on the
new list of allocated hunting concessions in Tanzania as soon as it was made available by the Ministry of Natural Resources & Tourism (Wildlife Division). As an Email Extra subscriber you should have received it in a
bulletin on February 9. Minister Ezekiel M. Maige distributed the list at a press conference at the Safari Club International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada in early February. Remember that these allocations do not take effect until the 2013 season.
Before issuing the list, Minister Maige addressed the appeals by several companies challenging the allocations. Those appeals, he said, were still under review, but he did not expect many changes to the allocations listed. I'll report more on that subject in a minute. First, I want to tell you about the plans Minister Maige shared with me after the press conference. Namely, plans to reform the Wildlife Division, plus a system he is implementing to ensure that concession holders meet their various obligations.
According to Minister Maige, he is working to reform the Division of Wildlife into a Wildlife Authority, making it an autonomous entity with the power to make its own decisions and enforce regulations. Another important change is that all the funds generated by hunting would go into the Authority's budget, where now the funds go into the general treasury before being redistributed. These two changes, says the minister, will allow the agency to fund and carry out its initiatives more efficiently, including regulation of the industry and addressing the poaching situation. The change, he said, was being finalized and would be implemented soon.....
