Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (Tawiri)
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TANZANIA WILDLIFE RESEARCH INSTITUTE (TAWIRI) PROCEEDINGS OF THE ELEVENTH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE, 6TH – 8TH DECEMBER 2017, ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER, TANZANIA 1 EDITORS Dr. Robert Fyumagwa Dr. Janemary Ntalwila Dr. Angela Mwakatobe Dr. Victor Kakengi Dr. Alex Lobora Dr. Richard Lymuya Dr. Asanterabi Lowassa Dr. Emmanuel Mmasy Dr. Emmanuel Masenga Dr. Ernest Mjingo Dr. Dennis Ikanda Mr. Pius Kavana Published by: Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute P.O.Box 661 Arusha, Tanzania Email: [email protected] Website: www.tawiri.or.tz Copyright – TAWIRI 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute. 2 CONFERENCE THEME "People, Livestock and Climate change: Challenges for Sustainable Biodiversity Conservation” 3 MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE The Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) scientific conferences are biennial events. This year's gathering marks the 11th scientific conference under the Theme: "People, Livestock and Climate change: Challenges for sustainable biodiversity conservation”. The theme primarily aims at contributing to global efforts towards sustainable wildlife conservation. The platform brings together a wide range of scientists, policy markers, conservationists, NGOs representatives and Civil Society representatives from various parts of the world to present their research findings so that management of wildlife resources and natural resources can be based on sound scientific information in Tanzania and Africa at large. During the conference, there will be oral and poster scientific presentations as well as a number of organized symposia that aim at addressing the main conference theme and sub- themes. It is our hope that the conference presentations will address current wildlife management challenges and propose solutions and mitigations especially issues of population growth that is coupled with increased demand of land for cultivation, settlement and grazing; influx of livestock in protected areas as well as the impacts of climate change. Moreover, recommendations generated from this conference are expected not only to improve and safeguard wildlife resources in the current era of increasing challenges for biodiversity conservation, but also devise a way on how better communities can rationally and sustainably utilize ecosystems services. On behalf of the TAWIRI Board, Management and staff of TAWIRI, the Organizing Committee of the 11th TAWIRI Scientific Conference is honoured and pleased to invite all Scientists, Conservationists, Management authorities, Government Officials and representatives of NGOs and Civil Societies organizations to this important conference, KARIBUNI SANA. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE MEMBERS 1. Dr Angela Mwakatobe Chairperson 2. Dr Janemary Ntalwila Secretary 3. Dr Victor Kakengi Member 4. Mr Alex Lobora Member 5. Mr Mwita Machoke Member 6. Mr Daniel Wanna Member 7. Ms Ritha Billy Member 8. Ms Kezia Oola Member 9. Flora Kipuyo Member 4 SPEECH OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL DR. SIMON MDUMA AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 11TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AT ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER DECEMBER 6TH , 2017 DIRECTOR GENERAL’S NOTES AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 11th TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AT ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, ARUSHA, DECEMBER 6TH, 2017 Honourable Minister, Dr. Hamis Kigwangalla (MP), Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hon. Mrisho Gambo, Regional Commissioner – Arusha, Honourable Chairperson of the TAWIRI Board, Professor Apollinaria Pereka, Honourable Members of the TAWIRI Board, TAWIRI Management Team, Distinguished Guests, Conference Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen. Good morning! First and foremost, allow me Honourable Minister to take this opportunity to thank you in person, for dedicating part of your time for this important event, despite your very tight schedule. I would also like to thank Professor Pereka and Members of the TAWIRI Board for agreeing to be with us today on this very special occasion. Also, many special thanks to all conference participants who have gathered here with us today. We appreciate the immense sacrifice you have made in terms of time and resources. On behalf of the TAWIRI Management Team, I wish to take this opportunity to express our very sincere gratitude for your attendance to this Conference. For those who have come from outside Arusha Municipality, I take this opportunity to welcome you to Arusha. Honourable Minister, On behalf of the Institute’s Management, allow me to express our very sincere thanks to organizations that made this conference possible namely the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Ortello Business Company (OBC), Grumeti Fund, GIZ, Oikos, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS), Jane Goodall Institute (JGI), Ugalla Primates Research Project and the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC). These organizations are not only our recurrent supporters to these particular events but also support a wide array of conservation actictivities in various parts of the country. We sincerely thank you all and please keep up the spirit! Honourable Minister, My task this morning is very simple, and I wouldn’t like to misuse the privilege that has been entrusted to me. My duty is to welcome the Chairperson of the TAWIRI Board of Directors, Professor Pereka to say a few words and to subsequently welcome you to address this congregation and officially open the 11th TAWIRI Scientific Conference. With these few remarks, Honourable Minister, I would now like to welcome Professor Pereka, Chairperson of the TAWIRI Board of Directors. Professor Pereka please welcome!! 5 SPEECH OF THE CHAIRPERSON PROF. APOLLINARIA E. PEREKA AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 11TH TAWIRI SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE AT ARUSHA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER DECEMBER 6TH , 2017 Honourable Dr.Hamis Kigwangalla (MP), Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Hon Mrisho Gambo, Regional Commissioner – Arusha, Members of the TAWIRI Board, Director General, Dr Simon Mduma and the Management of TAWIRI, Conference Participants, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Almighty God for making it possible for me to witness and attend the 11th TAWIRI Scientific Conference. Secondly, let me take this opportunity to thank you, Hon. Dr. Hamis Kigwangalla (MP), the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism, for agreeing to officiate the opening of the Eleventh TAWIRI Scientific Conference. I would like to express my most sincere appreciation to you, Hon. Minister and the Ministry as a whole for moral and material support to the Institute. Honourable Minister, This conference has brought together about 300 participants including long-term wildlife research scientists from within and outside Tanzania. Let me reiterate the Director General’s remarks in recognising all participants for their attendance to this conference. Honourable Minister, It is worth noting that the management of our protected areas in Tanzania is the responsibility of your Ministry through the Wildlife Division (WD), Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Forestry and Beekeeping Division (FBD) and Tanzania Forestry Services (TFS). However, for these management authorities to achieve sound management of our natural resources, appropriate scientific information is paramount. Given this fact, there is a need for more support to TAWIRI to ensure generation of scientific information to direct our conservation actions. I acknowledge the attendance of management authorities at this conference. Honourable Minister, TAWIRI Scientific Conferences are Biennial events that aim at bringing together prominent and up-coming wildlife scientists and conservationists from across the world to exchange information and experience on wildlife research and conservation. Initiation and continuation of these conferences give evidence of high regard that TAWIRI takes in fulfilling its mandate. Therefore, research findings presented by wildlife scientists in this gathering is one of the ways by which TAWIRI avails scientific information to stakeholders charged with the responsibility for conserving our wildlife resources. Honourable Minister, For those who attended the previous TAWIRI Conferences, will recall that conference themes have been changing from one conference to the other to reflect prevailing situations and needs for wildlife conservation. This year’s theme is “People, Livestock and Climate change: Challenges for sustainable biodiversity conservation”. This theme was selected in recognition of the current challenges facing wildlife conservation in the country. Results of an aerial Census of wildlife, livestock and bomas which was conducted in the Serengeti ecosystem in September 2016 clearly indicated that in the eastern part of the Serengeti there is an increasing trend of livestock that interacts with wildlife within the protected areas (NCA 6 and Loliondo GCA). Severe overgrazing can convert large tracts of pasture into bare land, leading to bush encroachment and spreading of invasive plants, thus reducing the overall grazing carrying capacity of an ecosystem. Also, increasing livestock affects the livelihoods of pastoral communities as the herds exceed