11years for poaching: new law
Tuesday, 26 March 2013 00:00
Government has enacted new laws imposing stiffer penalties of up to 11 years
for poaching protected animals, the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management
Authority has said.
ZPWMA public relations manager Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the new laws
would affect criminals who kill any protected animals gazetted by the
Ministry Environment and
Natural Resources Management.
“Any person who is convicted for unlawful killing of a rhinoceros or
elephant is expected to be sentenced to nine years for a first offender or
eleven years for a second or subsequent offender,” she said.
The new penalties are contained in the General Laws Amendment Act of 2011,
amending the Parks and Wildlife Act.
Ms Washaya-Moyo said the new laws would help curb rampant poaching of rhinos
and elephants.
Zimbabweans are known to target rhinos and elephants for markets in Far East
countries fronted by wealthy international criminal syndicates.
Financial challenges have crippled ZPWMA efforts to curtail poaching.
Zimbabwe is currently stuck with over 50 tonnes of ivory which the country
has been prohibited to sell under the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species.
It had been hoped that permission to sell the ivory stockpile worth over
US$10 million
would boost capacity of the authority to fund its conservation activities.
CITES, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand last week noted that reliable
techniques on wildlife trade tracking and forensic methods were needed to
combat organised wildlife crimes, together with stronger punishments. – New
Ziana.