ULTIMATE AFRICA SAFARIS
Ultimate Africa travel and wildlife news archive April 2001 Few Spaces Left for Eclipse Safaris, April 1 2001 There are still 2 spaces left on the June 10-22 Rhino Safari in Zimbabwe during which clients will be able to experience to the total solar eclipse in Mana Pools on June 21, 2001. There are also 4 seats available on the June 18-21 Mana Canoe Trail through Mana Pools! Should anyone need additional details on any of these departures, please do not hesitate to contact us by email at info@ultimateafrica.com or by phone in the USA toll free 1 800 461 0800. New Flights to Botswana, April 1 2001 Air Botswana will begin new direct scheduled services three times a week between Johannesburg International Airport (JIA) and Kasane International Airport near Chobe National Park in north-eastern Botswana. The new service will begin on April 1, 2001 and depart from Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thurdays and Sundays. The airline also flies to Kasane from JIA on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays via Gaborone and Maun. Botswana to Review 1991 Elephant Management Plan, April 1 2001 The Botswanan government has invited tenders for a consultancy to review the country's 1991 Elephant Management Plan. The aim is to update the Plan and produce an "Elephant Conservation Policy and Strategy". According to the tender notice, preference will be given to persons or companies from within the southern African region. The terms of reference for the consultancy can be obtained from the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Gaborone, or from Botswana missions in Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Namibia. Alternatively, the terms of reference can be viewed on the government of Botswana website at: http://www.gov.bw/business/tenders.html US Public Relations Firm to Help Save Diamond Trade, April 1 2001 The Botswana government has hired a US public relations firm and dispatched senior government officials to "spread the word" that most diamonds are mined in peaceful countries like Botswana and not war zones. "We are fearful of a consumer boycott of diamonds, being honest producers and at the same time being more dependent on diamonds than most," President Festus Mogae told foreign journalists who had been invited as part of the "diamonds for development" campaign against such a boycott. Mogae did not name the US firm that had been hired. Human rights groups have in recent years charged that diamonds mined in conflict zones have helped finance brutal wars in countries such as Angola and Sierra Leone. "If you are an American housewife ... and you are shown little girls with their arms amputated and you are told that this is because of diamonds, the natural reaction is to have a revulsion against diamonds. And that's what we are afraid of," said Louis Nchindo, managing director of Botswana's national diamond company, Debswana. Botswana is one of Africa's most stable countries and accounts for one-third of the world diamond trade. Diamonds account for 75 percent of all export earnings, one half of government revenues and one-third of Botswana's gross domestic product. The country has joined in efforts to devise a certification process to help weed out diamonds fuelling wars and strongly supported UN resolutions condemning conflict diamonds. Two Tanzanians Sentenced to Death for Robbing American Tourists, April 1 2001 Two Tanzanians were sentenced to death last Thursday for robbing 29 American tourists on their way to visit Kenya's Masai Mara Game Reserve. The judge found Saikra Ole Kisusua, 38, and Kammamoru Ole Suele, 25, guilty of 10 counts of robbery with violence. The men, from Pololet, Tanzania, asked for leniency because they were orphans and were responsible for supporting large families. "The prosecution has proved beyond a doubt that the duo committed the offense," Magistrate Thomas Auma said, pronouncing the death sentences. The men attacked a convoy of minivans carrying the Americans on June 17, 1999, using an assault rifle and a sword. Two Americans were injured when they resisted demands for money, cameras, binoculars and other personal possessions. While death sentences are relatively common in Kenya, no one has been executed in at last 10 years. They were not represented by attorneys. Vaccinnation Card not needed for Tanzania, April 1 2001 The Government of Tanzania has decided that foreign travelers arriving into Tanzania are no longer required to carry vaccinnation cards. Rescued Pancake Tortoises find Home in Kenya, April 1 2001 The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) announced the successful shipment of 190 rescued pancake tortoises (Malacochersus tornieri) from Uganda to their natural habitat in Kenya. The tortoises were impounded earlier in the year by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) from a suspected animal trafficker at Entebbe Airport. Pancake tortoises are not indigenous to Uganda, and are considered an endangered species in Kenya. The IFAW, which strives to improve the welfare of animals by reducing commercial exploitation and trade of animals and assisting animals in distress, responded to the request by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which had been contacted by the UWA, to assist in organising the transfer and care of the tortoises to Kenya where they will be released into their natural habitat. Cape Town's Bids to Host Gay Games, April 1 2001 "If Cape Town is successful in its bid to host the 2006 Gay Games, it will enhance its international profile as an emerging gay destination and bring in revenue the country can't afford to ignore," says Sheryl Ozinsky, Cape Town Tourism's manager. Sparticus, the international gay travel guide, has ranked Cape Town fifth on its latest list of top gay destinations worldwide. "Cape Town has much to offer the gay tourist such as a gay district in and around the De Waterkant, Loader Street and Greenpoint areas where gay-only and gay- friendly guesthouses, hotels, bars and clubs abound," states Ozinsky. The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) also hosted its biannual symposium in Cape Town last month where Southern Africa Tourism Services Association (SATSA) and South African Tourism made presentations. The 1,200-member IGLTA represents retailers and suppliers from 35 countries. US-based gay tour operation, Above and Beyond, which features SA in its brochure, will also send its first gay tour here in May. Earth Lodge finally opens it doors Sabi Sabi's avant-garde, environmentally sensitive and super luxury Earth Lodge opened to much acclaim this month following a number of delays due to adverse weather conditions during its early stages of construction. The exclusive 13-suite property is sculpted into the earth and combines traditional bush experiences with a new concept of minimalism - a departure from the rustic feel apparent in many bush lodges. Kruger Elephant Charges Vehicle, April 1 2001 Eight South African tourists were on a wildlife viewing drive when a bull elephant charged them last week. The park's manager of wildlife capture Douw Grobler said the elephant charged the tourists from the bush, hitting their vehicle on its side. "The ranger may have hooted and revved the engine after the attack to chase the elephant away," Grobler said, responding to an alleged eyewitness who told a radio show that the ranger antagonised the animal. The tourists escaped with minor injuries. The elephant may have been aggressive because of a painful abscess at the base of one of its tusks. Park rangers had no alternative but to shoot the elephant. Wilderness Safaris Botswana Update, April 8 2001 For guests who want to enjoy a great cultural experience, Wilderness Safaris will now offer safaris to the remote villages north of Vumbura Camp. There are five villages, all at roughly the same latitude as Seronga. Guests who spend three nights at Vumbura can be taken (no extra charges) on a drive to one of these villages, Gombo, and enjoy a great cultural experience. It's a 30 kilometer drive on sandy tracks through wildlife viewing countryside. For 2002, Wilderness aims to extend this experience into an overnight stay. Guests will be able to sleep at a new village at Gombo and get the full cultural experience. Guests who book this option next year will stay in traditional huts. These huts differ slightly from the traditional ones, in that guests will sleep in "western" beds, with linen etc and they will have flush-toilet facilities. The community will be building the new village and will receive the full income from guest's visits. Wilderness Safaris' Linyanti / Savuti camps will now offer guests staying 3 nights the experience of sleeping out in an elevated hide or at a waterhole for a night. Please make sure that you specifically request this when booking as there are only some of the Linyanti hides that will be safe enough to sleep out in all night. The underground hide at King's Pool is finally being built. Guests will have the opportunity to spend hours in an underground hide - with elephants' toenails almost within touching distance! Duba's Plains Tented Camp new tents are in. The camp reopened on April 1, 2001. All of the tents are now raised off the ground and the bathrooms are now within the tents - with an outdoor shower under the stars too. All the rooms at Chitabe have been renovated and each tent now has a brilliant outdoor shower. The camp has a brand new hide about 20 minutes from camp. Botswana's tsetse fly spraying program will begin in May this year. Wilderness Safaris Zimbabwe Update, April 8 2001 Zimbabwe's presidential elections are set for 2002 - so Wilderness is expecting a quiet year on the electioneering front. However, there are cyclical fuel shortages in the country so they don't advocate self-drive safaris. As Wilderness have access to foreign currency they can import their own fuel and therefore have ample stocks to see them through the year. The parks have had good rains, the people are not starving, and the wildlife in the northern parks (Hwange, Matusadona and Mana Pools) is flourishing. Direct London-Victoria Falls Flight to Start in May, April 8 2001 Air Zimbabwe said its first direct flight from London's Gatwick Airport to Victoria Falls using the long-haul B767 aircraft, is scheduled to arrive on May 4, 2001. Air Zimbabwe spokesperson David Mwenga noted that among the passengers will be 15 travel consultants and seven travel journalists from the Britain. Namibia Sets Clocks Back, April 8 2001 Namibia have just switched their clocks back an hour and they are now an hour behind Botswana and South Africa etc. They switch back again in September. Namibia Donates Cheetahs to US, April 8 2001 Namibian President Sam Nujoma has donated 10 cheetahs to the United States. A media release issued by the US Embassy in Namibia's capital, Windhoek, stated that the animals would be transported on an US Air Force C17 plane expected at the small Namibian coastal town of Walvis Bay in early April. The Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) will transport the cheetahs, that were rescued in the wild, to the airport. Laurie Marker, the American Founding Director of the CCF, is expected to accompany the animals to the US. Upon arrival at the McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, the cheetahs would be transported to their final destinations - the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio and the White Oak Conservation Center outside Jacksonville, Florida. South Africa's Wildlife Industry Flourishing, April 8 2001 The private wildlife industry in South Africa is flourishing and opening up vast economic and scientific possibilities, but it does contain the risk of saturation. Experts at a recent Pretoria wildlife ranching symposium say the explosion is spectacular: from a few hundred farms in 1970, private game ranches have expanded since 1993 by an average of 5.5% per year - from about 3,300 to 5,100 formally recognized ranches in 2000. Altogether there are more than 9,000 game farms and ranches, from unregistered farms to those officially recognized by nature conservation officials as "exempted game farms", allowed to capture, sell and hunt live game. The Game Ranger's Organization estimates that land set aside for exempted farms is 20 times that of national and provincial parks. With 1.7 million head of wildlife on exempted farms alone, the industry has made an unprecedented contribution to conservation. Following the surge in the market, the Pretoria technikon is now offering two new courses for about 80 students in ecotourism and game ranching and conservation. Rocktail Bay Diving is Superb, April 8 2001 Exploratory dives at Rocktail Bay in South Africa have been done and the divers have been raving. It's an 'undived' world out there and they have had some incredible dives and experiences. Debbie, together with her hubby Daryl Smith run Rocktail Bay's diving operation. Debbie is a fully qualified PADI instructor with over 1,000 commercial dives to her credit. Daryl is the boat skipper who used to work for the Natal Sharks Board, and has over 25 years of commercial skippering under his belt. A dive journalist from the Miami Herald who dove at Rocktail rated the whole dive experience as one of the best anywhere! The remoteness and the uncommercial nature of the area combined with unspoiled reefs, make it a unique experience. On most dives, the fish were following the divers, trying to work out what these new strange creatures were. The fish were even trying to "eat" the diver's bubbles thinking it was plankton. Rocktail Bay had another very successful turtle year. Many more turtles came ashore to nest this past summer than have done in previous years. Two more turtles have been fitted with satellite tracking devises to try and learn more about where these creatures move to when they are not breeding. International Initiative to Save East Africa's Coral Reefs, April 8 2001 An ambitious international initiative has been launched for more effective management and protection of East Africa's threatened coral reefs. According to the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) researchers have identified several reefs in Kenya, the Seychelles and Madagascar for development into "centers of excellence". The East African initiative is part of the International Coral Reef Action Network (ICRAN), which has secured a UN Foundation funding of US $10 million dollars for the project. UNEP executive director, Klaus Toepfer, is quoted as saying that "there has been growing scientific evidence over recent years that the globe's coral reefs are in serious decline". He reportedly warned that there are many threats facing the coral reefs, which are vital habitats for fish, important sources of tourist revenue and natural sea defenses for many low-lying islands. The reefs are very sensitive to certain kinds of human impacts, especially dynamite fishing, over-fishing in vital nursery grounds, and thoughtless actions by boat owners who drop anchor on reefs and break them up. The reefs are also under increasing pressure from the illegal collection of tropical fish for the worldwide aquaria trade. Lake Chad Shrinking Fast, April 8 2001 Lake Chad in north Africa has shrunk from an area of 25,000 square kilometers in 1963 to less than 1,500 square kilometers at present. Research indicates that irrigation is a major cause of the lake's diminishing status. A scientific study states that the rapid retreat of the shallow lake threatens fish stocks and crops and could raise political tensions as Lake Chad and the rivers that feed it are shared by four countries - Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon and Chad. The future of the lake depends on the actions of people living along its shores. Call to Ban Experiments on Great Apes, April 8 2001 Following the return of two chimps to Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage in Zambia after being confiscated at an airport in Quatar, nine European animal welfare groups have urged the European Union to ban any experiments on great apes. Brenda Santon, spokesperson for the Friends of Chimfunshi in South Africa, said South Africa would support such a move as a lot of primates, including chimpanzees, are exported or smuggled out of Africa for laboratory experimentation. Known as the Coalition to End Experiments on Chimpanzees in Europe (Ceece), the nine animal welfare groups are calling for the closure of a Netherlands laboratory, the only one in the EU which is still using chimpanzees for research. According to Ceece, the Biomedical Primate Research Center at Rijswijk allegedly keeps 112 chimpanzees and hundreds of other primates in appalling conditions. Ceece has the support of world-renowned figures such as primatologist Dr Jane Goodall and wildlife film producer Sir David Attenborough. Uganda Suspends Wildlife Viewing after Attack, April 8 2001 Ugandan wildlife authorities have suspended wildlife viewing activities in parts of the north-western Murchison Falls national park following a rebel ambush in which at least 10 people were killed early last week. Uganda Wildlife Authority chief executive Robbie Robinson said in a statement that game viewing activities in the northern bank and traffic through the Murchison Falls national park to Pakwach have been suspended until the attackers have been identified. The raiders are believed to be members of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group. The Murchison Falls national park is Uganda's largest game and nature preserve and one of the country's leading tourist destinations. Due to safety concerns Ultimate Africa Safaris has not suggested Ugandan safaris for over 6 years. We continue to discourage travel to Uganda. New Zimbabwe Airport Terminal Opens, April 15 2001 Zimbabwe officially opened a new terminal at Harare International Airport last Thursday. The new terminal was built at a cost of over US $81 million. It has been designed to meet international standards and has three direct access bridges for Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft. The Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority said it was expected to handle almost two million passengers a year and can accommodate 1,000 passengers an hour. Zimbabwe Tourism Industry Update, April 15 2001 A recent study has shown that 66 (or 5%) of the country's 1,412 registered tourism facilities had closed down during the year 2000 as the number of visitors declined due to parliamentary elections. Zimbabwe Safari Update, April 15 2001 Recently a travel agent from the UK returned from a Zimbabwe safari. She noted the following: Many many thanks for arranging such a fantastic holiday for me to Zimbabwe. Throughout the stay in Wilderness properties we were thoroughly looked after and also had a really relaxing and enjoyable time. Special thanks to Mark and Humphrey at Chikwenya, Sean, Obert and Sacha in Water Wilderness, Fausto at Makalolo and of course, Peter et al at the River Club! You really do have such a fantastic product, which is strengthened by the wonderful staff which not only ensure you know everything about the wildlife you are looking at, but are perfect hosts! Environmental Prosecutors to Protect Zambia's Natural Heritage, April 15 2001 The Zambian Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, with the help of the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education, has trained 40 prosecutors in environmental policy and legislation. They will ensure that the country's environmental regulations are respected. Course topics included environmental law, investigation of environmental crimes and prosecution of environmental offenders. Zambia's new Environmental and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Miyanda, reportedly said the training forms part of the government's program of managing natural resources and protecting these resources through the active participation of local communities. Zambia's Tourism Industry to Benefit from Solar Eclipse, April 15 2001 The first solar eclipse of the new millennium is being heralded as a turning point for Zambia's tourism industry, which has been undermined by neglect of infrastructure and poor marketing. The full eclipse will occur in Zambia on June 21 and more than 15,000 visitors are expected in Zambia during this time. Pom Pom Camp in Botswana, April 15 2001 Pom Pom Camp in Botswana has been purchased by Heart and Soul Safaris of Maun. They have a 15 year lease on the Pom Pom site and have approached Wilderness Safaris to handle their marketing. The old Pom Pom Camp has been dismantled and a new 12 bedded Pom Pom will be open by August 1, 2001 at the latest. They have decided to build a camp, which is styled along the lines of the old Botswana camps. The camp will consist of new Meru tents with outdoor showers and flush toilets, which are en-suite, paraffin lamps in tents, and outdoor dining. It will be a very simple camp - but still comfortable. Activities will include day and night wildlife viewing drives, professionally guided walks and mokoros excursions. Knysna to Host Gay Carnival, April 15 2001 The Western Cape town of Knysna will be hosting the first ever gay Mardi Gras carnival in South Africa from May 23-27, 2001. According to one of the organizers, Juan, the Pink Loerie Carnival 2001, will offer something for everyone including exhibitions, art movies, craft stalls, street shows, cabaret, opera, buskers as well as adventure sports just to name a few. "This promises to be the greatest party of 2001" said Juan. Trans Caprivi Highway nears Completion, April 22 2001 With the exception of a 2-3 kilometer portion which will be finished by the end of next month, the construction of the Trans Caprivi Highway, started soon after Namibia's independence in 1990, is nearing completion. The new permanently surfaced road will run from Rundu through Northern Botswana to Victoria Falls, linking Namibia with Northern Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia, making it much easier to link Northern Namibia's tourist attractions with those such as Kariba, Chobe Game Reserve and Victoria Falls in neighboring countries. The route also provides a viable alternative to road travelers driving between Cape Town via Windhoek to Victoria Falls to the previously preferred route via Gauteng and Beit Bridge to Zimbabwe. Congo's Civil War Destroys Wildlife, April 22 2001 According to a UN panel, the Democratic Republic of Congo's civil war has decimated its wildlife. Thousands of elephants, okapis, gorillas and other endangered species have so far fallen victim to the ongoing war. The UN panel compiled a report on how participants in the many-sided conflict have plundered resources to fuel the fighting. Soldiers have allegedly slaughtered elephants for their meat as well as their tusks and buffalo for their meat. In Garamba Park in north-eastern Congo, an area controlled by Ugandan troops and Sudanese rebels, nearly 4,000 out of 12,000 elephants were killed between 1995 and 1999. In other parks and reserves, including Kahuzi-Biega Park, the Okapi Reserve and Virunga Park, the situation is equally grave. The poaching of elephants seems to be well organized, with local villagers co-operating with soldiers from both Rwanda and Uganda to kill the animals and later sell tusks and meat. German Tour Group's Plane Makes Emergency Landing in Kenya, April 22 2001 A charter plane carrying more than 250 German tourists made an emergency landing at Kenya's second largest city of Mombasa last Thursday when one of its engines sucked in two flamingos and caught fire, officials said. The fire broke out shortly after the Boeing 767 of Germany's LTU airline took off for Duesseldorf. Airport firefighters and ambulances were on standby as the plane came in to land. The two pilots, eight other crew and 252 passengers were taken to beach hotels to await new travel arrangements. Kenyan Farmers to be Relocated to Make Room for Rare Monkeys, April 22 2001 The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) announced recently that more than 200 peasant farmers in Kenya's Tana River district are to be relocated from their ancestral land to create room for the red Colubus and crested Mangabey monkeys. In return, 247 of 330 families moved out of the 166-square kilometer Tana River Primate National Reserve, will be given residential houses in a new settlement scheme. Some of the banana and corn farming peasants are reluctant to move from the fertile land and are accusing the KWS of being more concerned with the plight of monkeys than of people. KWS corporate communications manager Connie Nkatha-Maina said each family would get 15 acres of farmland with a title deed, a quarter acre land of a housing plot, a fully constructed house and access to clean water. The new resettlement scheme will also include an equipped primary school, police station and a dispensary. There are about 2,400 rare red Colubus and crested Mangabey monkeys in the reserve. KWS is currently implementing a US$6.2 million World Bank funded project to protect the primate reserve. The primate reserve is the last vestige of riverine forest system in Kenya, the news service says. Whale Watching in South Africa is Big Business, April 29 2001 South Africa's whale watching industry is now worth an estimated US $60 million dollars annually, with the country ranked fifth in the world as a top whale watching destination. So says Whale Route director, Greg Vogt who reports the industry in South Africa recorded a 112.5% increase between 1994 and 1998. Much of this increase has occurred in KwaZulu Natal. According to KZN Tourism, operators in the province recorded the most number of boat-based whale sighting engagements last year in South Africa, ahead of their Cape-based competitors. Says KZN Wildlife conservationist, Rob Broker: "The general impression is that the Cape is by far the premier whale watching destination in the country. This is true if you're watching off the beach in Hermanus, but if you look at the boat experience, figures show that KZN operators had more sightings last year." The majority of sightings in KZN are of humpbacks, which tend to be more spectacular and lively than the southern right whales. South Africa Wins Tourism Awards, April 29 2001 The 8th Annual World Travel Awards were held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last week, and South Africa won several awards. The Awards consisted of 152 categories with over 25,000 travel agencies from 182 countries participating. South Africa won numerous awards including: Africa's leading airline - South African
Airways South African Airways to Increase Service to Zambia over Solar Eclipse Period, April 29 2001 South African Airways (SAA) has said it will consider increasing the number of flights to Lusaka during the June 2001 solar eclipse period. SAA regional manager for Zambia Charles Nyakabau was quoted as saying that apart from the option of increasing the number of flights to Zambia, the airline is also looking at the option of introducing a bigger plane on the routes. The solar eclipse will take place in Zambia on June 21, 2001. The Zambia National Tourist Board estimates, not less than 10,000 visitors will come to Zambia for the event, bringing the country not less than US $15 million dollars in tourist revenue. South Africa to Relocate 1,000 Elephants to Mozambique, April 29 2001 South Africa will relocate 1,000 elephants to Mozambique in the biggest transfer of wildlife since thousands of animals were moved for Zimbabwe's Kariba dam in the 1960s. The elephants will be transferred from the Kruger National Park to an area in neighboring Mozambique known as Coutada 16, which is slated to become part of a 13,510 square mile trans-frontier park also straddling a region of Zimbabwe. "You cannot simply drive these animals across the border (with Kruger). ... You must remove whole family units," according to South Africa's Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Valli Moosa. Moosa said the jumbo operation would begin later this year and would take three years. It will cost around 20 million rand (US $2.46 million). The cross-border transfer will ease pressure on Kruger's 9,000-plus elephant population, which many scientists say has reached its capacity given the available habitat in the Israel-sized park. Moosa said this meant it was "unlikely" that his ministry would have to take the controversial option of killing some animals to bring their numbers down. "We are not culling elephants and this makes it less likely that we will have to. ... The long-term solution is to open land up (for elephants)," he said. Kruger periodically relocates elephants to other game parks and reserves in South Africa but has been unable to do so at a pace that outstrips the animals' population growth in the park. There are concerns that Mozambique lacks adequate law enforcement for dealing with poachers and illegal tree felling and the country has untold land mines beneath its soil, a legacy of its 1975-1992 civil war. Moosa said the tri-border park will "be the world's greatest animal kingdom once it's done." New Tourism Development in Namibia, April 29 2001 Construction of the first private tourism development project along the inhospitable Namibian west coast at Cape Cross has started. The Cape Cross Seal Reserve, situated approximately 130km north of Swakopmund near the Skeleton Coast Park, is well known for the large colony of Cape fur seals as well as two replicas of a stone cross erected in 1486 by the Portuguese seafarer, Diego Cao. This seal reserve, managed by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, is only open to day visitors from 10 AM to 5 PM. There is at present no accommodation at Cape Cross, only an office at the entrance, toilets and drinking water. A group of developers have obtained a piece of land adjacent to this reserve to develop tourist facilities. They will develop a restaurant as well as a small lodge with eight fully equipped rooms as a first phase of a larger project. The intended completion date of the project is the end of July 2001. Kenya Strives to Revive Tourism Industry, April 29 2001 Kenya has announced plans to invigorate its tourism sector. Tourism in Kenya witnessed a steady growth until late 1990s, when it suffered a major slump due to various factors including crumbling infrastructure, violence, declining wildlife numbers, and rising competition within Africa. The Kenyan government has now announced a plan to spend about US $1.5 billion dollars on road infrastructure between 2001 to 2004. In an effort to set up higher standards of services, Kenya is taking steps to classify and standardize tourist facilities in the country, including hotels and restaurants. The plans are vital as Kenya faces serious competition from other destinations in Africa. Kenyan Turtles Face Extinction, April 29 2001 The Kenya Wildlife Service have warned that rare species of sea turtle on the country's coast is facing extinction. Indiscriminate fishing methods and a thriving black market for turtle shells and leather products are threatening the already depleted turtle population. Other environmental watchdogs have raised similar concerns. Tanzania to Survey Tourism's Contribution to National Economy, April 29 2001 Tanzania is planning to spend US $190,000 to survey the contribution of the country's tourist industry to the economy as a whole. The survey, to be conducted between July 2001 and mid April 2002, will involve studies on international visitors and tourist service providers, according to Peter Noni, director of research and economic policy in the Bank of Tanzania. A total of 600 tourist companies will be provided with questionnaires for a sample of 90,000 tourists, and the work will involve people from the central bank, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, National Bureau of Statistics, Immigration Department and tourism commission of the semiautonomous Zanzibar region. "The prime objective of the planned survey will be collection of precise and an up-to-date data regarding contribution of tourism industry sector to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and balance of payments," the director was quoted as saying last Tuesday. He said tourism is an important sector to the national economy but owing to the intricate nature of the sector's activities, the government has been for a long time unable to correctly measure the contribution of the sector to the economic growth as a whole. Tourism is one of fastest growing sectors in the east African country with an average growth rate of 20% per annum since mid 1980s. Tanzania's tourist attractions ranging from wild animals, geographical features like Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak on African continent, to the pristine beaches in the Indian Ocean isles of Zanzibar, are drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists from around the world. In 1999, it is estimated that over 750,000 tourists visited the Tanzania, generating earnings of US $700 million dollars. Rwanda's Rutagarama Receives Goldman Environmental Prize, April 29 2001 The prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize has been awarded to Rwanda's Eugene Rutagarama for his efforts to save the mountain gorilla from extinction. Mountain gorillas are the world's rarest primates. Approximately 650 survive worldwide, 355 in the tropical forests in the Volcano National Park in the Virunga Mountains straddling three countries: Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. The tri-national Volcano National Park is surrounded by rapidly growing villages and farmlands, presenting a constant conservation challenge. Despite the presence of troops in the park, refugees moving through the mountains, and enormous pressure to resettle hundreds of thousands of refugees in protected areas, Rutagarama helped ensure that Rwanda's critical gorilla habitat remained protected. His commitment, leadership and courage ensured that the fragile mountain gorilla population in the Virungas survived the wars of the 1990s and current conflicts in the DRC. On the contrary, it grew by 11% since 1989. In 1997 Rutagarama joined the International Gorilla Conservation Program, a joint program of the African Wildlife Foundation, Flora and Fauna International, and World Wide Fund for Nature. He oversees gorilla conservation activities in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is focusing on rebuilding ecotourism, monitoring the mountain gorillas and ecosystems, building relationships with the communities near the parks, and strengthening ORTPN. He has successfully lobbied high levels of the three governments to make sure that environmental issues are not forgotten as leaders struggle to rebuild the region. Rutagarama is quoted as saying the following: "After a humanitarian disaster as horrific as genocide, the common struggle to preserve something of shared value, like the natural environment, can form an ideal for people to believe in. The opportunity and obligation to protect something precious can assist the reconstruction of a devastated society." British Scientist Banned from Ghana Dam Site, April 29 2001 A British scientist has been banned from Bui National Park in Ghana, which is due to be flooded by a hydroelectric dam next year. Daniel Bennett claims he is the only living scientist to have conducted biological research in the 1,800km2 reserve, which he says contains "the last pristine wilderness in the entire Volta System". The park is home to the largest of only two groups of hippos left in Ghana. Bennett claims the dam will destroy all the feeding grounds of the hippos, and that their only chance of survival is to create alternative feeding areas around the flooded area. Having conducted research in the park with a 50 strong team in 1996 and 1997, Bennett returned to Ghana in March this year to complete a longstanding agreement with the authorities to continue his work. On arrival he was told that the area was politically sensitive, that his studies were no longer in the national interest, that his permission to conduct the research had been withdrawn and that he should not visit the park or surrounding area. "If the government doesn't want me, that's their business" said Bennett yesterday from his home in Glossop. "I've no wish to interfere with Ghana's development plans, I thought I was helping them. But I do want to say that Bui has been shamefully neglected by the scientific community, both in Ghana and worldwide. It's vast, it's the last decent riverine forest in Ghana and we know virtually nothing about it. The only people who have tried to conduct research there are the late Paul Choribe and myself. It's not an easy place to work, but it's teeming with wildlife and we have only scratched the surface. If the only other investigations that are made before the place is destroyed are by the people under contract to the dam construction company it would be a terrible tragedy." Bennett claims he is £4000 in debt over the cancelled project. "I couldn't do the research so I have to pay the sponsors back. I'd taken all the equipment over and the team was half in place. I don't know how long it will take me to pay it back, probably years". Bennett holds an honorary position at the University of Aberdeen and conducts research on a voluntary basis, raising the money through grants and award applications. The $900 million hydroelectric project is scheduled to start producing power in 2006. A Canadian company, Acres, has been contracted to conduct the Environmental Impact Assessment by the Volta River Authority in Ghana. The dam will be built by a consortium led by Brown and Root of the U.K., and construction is due to begin in 2002. The newly created 660km2 lake will flood all the riverine forest in the park. The government has indicated that animals from Bui will be relocated, something Bennett is skeptical about. "Hippos are very big and extremely dangerous. There isn't anywhere for them to be moved to that isn't full of people and in any case catching 400 hippos would be impossible. It would be carnage". Return to Weekly Update Archive |
