"Conservation is improving in Mozambique," Pariela told me. In 2009, he says Mozambique approved a conservation policy that allowed them to identify weaknesses needing to be addressed. They are now moving the policy forward, revising forest and wildlife legislation for the management of wildlife reserves, national parks, coutadas and game parks. The revisions are meant to bring regulations in line with the new conservation policy.
At the top of the list in changes being made is the way hunting quotas are set. The Ministry of Tourism has organized a workshop involving all the main stake-holders from the government and private sector to develop a quota system that better supports sustainable use. I'm told some areas in Mozambique have used a better system than others. Part of the plan is to standardize methodologies throughout the country so that each area surveys animal populations and tracks trends in the same manner. Pariela says they intend to create a team that will oversee population surveys in each hunt area every two years. Right now they depend strictly on information from the operators, based on patrolling, scouting and anecdotal information. Some do a better job than others. The new system will still require information from operators, but it will be in the form of codified reports at the end of every season providing specifics on quota utilization, hunting success and trophy quality. Pariela says these trend indicators will........(continued)
