Nebbi chiefs to fight poaching

Feb 02, 2010

chiefdoms in Jonam county in Nebbi to fight poaching and bush meat trade in the district.

By Chris Ocowun

THE Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has partnered with chiefdoms in Jonam county in Nebbi to fight poaching and bush meat trade in the district.

Poaching, UWA said, was threatening wildlife in the Murchison Falls National Park.

The traditional chiefs have vowed to curse the poachers.

During the launch of the campaign against the vice in Pakwach town council last week, poachers handed over 15 spears, seven traps and 20 wire snares that they were using to kill wild animals.

Hophly Ongiertho, the Pakwach town council mayor, hailed the partnership between UWA and Jonam chiefdoms in fight bush meat trade, saying poaching and fishing were affecting the quality of education in Jonam.

“Most children would rather go poaching or fishing than go to school,” he explained.

He said this contributed to the poor performance of pupils in last year’s primary leaving examinations.

Only seven children passed in division one in the whole county, he added.

The Police and UPDF said the partnership would improve security since poaching promotes illegal trade in guns.

Genesis Okello, the Bush Meat Free East African Network field director, said UWA had started a policy of revenue sharing with communities around game parks to discourage poaching and bush meat trade.

He added that the practice had led to dwindling numbers of wild animals in the park.

Okello said bush meat consumption was a threat to human health as it can spread diseases like HIV, anthrax and ebola.

Rwoth Charles Ottober of Amor in Pakwach town attributed the high rate of poaching to the biting poverty in the area.

The chiefs recently formed an anti-bush meat consumption group in Jonam headed by Rwoth Ottober to fight poaching, trade and consumption of bush meat.

They pledged to work with UWA to fight the vice in Jonam. “We shall sensitise communities around the park on the benefits of conservation through promotion of cultural tourism, drama and story telling. Reformed poachers, who have denounced poaching and surrendered their weapons, will be engaged alternative income-generating activities,” Okello said.

He said UWA under the revenue sharing programme was supporting 15 groups of reformed poachers who were engaged in tree planting, goat rearing and beekeeping activities.

Okello revealed that according to research done by the US Fish and Wildlife Services, Murchison Falls Park was one of the key protected areas in Uganda greatly affected by poaching.

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