Kenyans could harvest game on farms
Story by KEN OPALA
Publication Date: 5/21/2007
Kenyans have a chance to harvest wildlife on their farms, if a proposed legislation is implemented.
Tourists admire wild animals in a local game reserve. A new law proposes ranching, culling, croppping and bird shooting. Photo/FILE
They stand to be compensated for any destruction of their property caused by wildlife at the rate of Sh1 million for loss of life and Sh100,000 for damage to crops and livestock.
This is contained in a proposed Bill that will soon be forwarded to the Cabinet for tabling in Parliament.
The Draft Wildlife (Conservation and management) Bill 2007 follows the Draft Wildlife Policy.
In what appears be a response to the uproar over little benefits accruing from wildlife-related tourism, the Government has conceded to the killing of wildlife to empower communities living near game parks and reserves.
The State proposes game ranching and farming, culling, cropping and bird shooting as sources of revenue.
This is a radical departure from the tradition where tourism was the sole source of wildlife-related revenue.
In addition, the Government has proposed a wide-range of legislation to involve communities in wildlife conservation and stem rapid decline of game.
Studies indicate that the country has lost 40 per cent of its wildlife population in the past 27 years at the hands of poachers and hunters, and destruction of game habitats.
However, the contentious sport hunting is prohibited and any offender risks Sh200,000 fine or a three-year jail term, according to the Bill.
Wildlife trophies
Also prohibited is poaching, and anybody who targets endangered species such as elephant and rhino, faces a five-year-jail term or a Sh1 million fine or both.
Any organisation involved in poaching risks a fine in excess of Sh5 million.
The proposed law makes it an offence to deal in wildlife trophies.
Any dealer is liable to Sh1 million fine or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years but not exceeding ten.
Communities outside parks, landowners and game ranchers can now be licensed to trade in wildlife products.
In addition to eco-tourism, the envisaged legislation provides for game ranching and farming, culling and egg or nest collection as sources of income.
The proposed law defines cropping as the harvesting of wildlife for a range of products while game farming is the keeping of wildlife in an enclosed and controlled environment for trade and recreation.
On the other hand, game ranching is the rearing of wildlife in an enclosed environment of specimens, usually of young, taken from the wild with the intention of engaging in conservation and trade.
Marauding game
Culling is “the selective removal of wildlife based on ecological scientific principles for management purposes”.
Reports reveal that tourism has benefited mainly multi-national hotels at the expense of communities who host wildlife even as the latter suffer pain caused by marauding game.
According to a study by ActionAid Kenya, last year, communities next to game sanctuaries suffered 25 per cent loss by wildlife.
Yet “the sharing of tourism revenue was unequal and ambiguous and group ranch members were disenfranchised.”
And due to scant benefit, communities have seized land meant for wildlife.
This has led to frequent clashes between communities and wildlife.
The problem is likely to intensify with the growth in human population.
Communities have turned wildlife corridors into farmlands, blocking movement of wildlife from one habitat to the other, a necessity during dry seasons.
“We cannot conserve wildlife in ecological processes that sustain them in small isolated areas such as parks,” Dr Hellen Gichohi, the president of African Wildlife Fund, told an international conference of wildlife scientists organised by Kenya Wildlife Service last week.
To empower communities, the Bill proposes devolution of wildlife conservation and management.
It provides for creation of regional, district and constituency wildlife committees and associations charged with conservation and game management.
The committees are expected to inform the service about projects, programmes, plans, ideas and opinions of the people and regulate wildlife conservation.
They will also identify government or trust land that can be set aside for conservation.
In addition, the teams will manage KWS funds to local authorities on behalf of the devolved institutions.
They will be made up of provincial administrators, agricultural and water officers, National Environment Management Authority representatives and those of local authorities.
The legislation proposes creation of a KWS and community endowment funds, two autonomous institutions; the Wildlife Department and Wildlife Compensation Fund, to boost conservation.
The KWS fund will be managed by its board of trustees.
Regional wildlife associations can set up endowment funds for development or compensation for destruction of private property.
The department will formulate policies on conservation, management and utilisation of wildlife and advise the Government on establishment of protected areas such as parks, reserves and sanctuaries.
Provide cash
Furthermore, it will advise government on ratification of international protocol, treaties and covenants relating to wildlife, and monitor implementation of the policy.
The Treasury and regional wildlife committees will provide cash for the kitty.
KWS is to be headed by a Director-General, who will be a holder of a doctorate degree in ecology, biology or wildlife management.
And candidates for the post must have 15 years experience in wildlife management.
The DG will be assisted by three directors in charge of protected areas, community wildlife services, and research and monitoring, respectively.
