DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 21 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife experts from eastern and southern Africa on Tuesday called for joint efforts in fighting cross-border wildlife crime.
Speaking at a three-day forum organized by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world, the experts meeting in Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam said joint coordinated efforts will lead to success in the anti-poaching drive.
The experts from Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Botswana said since wildlife crime involved multinational syndicates, there was need for countries to share information and expertise in dealing with the malpractice.
"Wildlife crime controlling is an undertaking that requires dedication, more knowledge and is costly therefore we need to put together all the available resources and work together," said Gaudence Milanzi, Tanzania's Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.
Milanzi said since poaching has been commercialized there was need for countries to come up with concrete solutions to the challenges facing wildlife in Africa.
"Conserving wildlife is a challenge to all countries, the government has taken serious measures to combat poaching, therefore this malpractice can be achieved through inter-agency and international linkages," he said.
Faye Cuevas, IFAW Senior Vice-President, said collaboration among countries has helped to arrest some of the most notorious poachers in the region, adding there was need to maximize the efforts.
"There is a sense in collaboration and coordination, ours is a good example. The way Tanzania is working has helped to identify and easily arrest criminals who cross borders," said Cuevas.
The forum brought together senior conservationists and anti-poaching managers to discuss best practice measures that can enable enforcement agencies maximize efforts to combat wildlife crime in the region.
