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March/April 2008 edition AANTINTI--POACHINGPOACHING Fighting illegal Ivory trade in southeast Cameroon Since WWF started working to protect the rich biodiversity of South East Cameroon in the mid 90s, a lot of progress has been made on the ground. Apart from providing scientif- ic data about key species such as elephants and gorilla that are highly threatened in the area, the WWF Jengi project has boosted its actions by giving support to government to recruit and train game rangers. The presence of these rangers with- in and around the national parks of the South East of Cameroon is yield- ing conservation gains. Forest crimes, especially poaching, are now being increasingly detected, arrested and punished in law courts. Over the past year, dozens of arrests have been made and hundreds of kilogrammes worth of bush meat as well as ivory have been impounded thanks to the work of these rangers supported by forces of law and order. In March 2008 game rangers working in Yokadouma, a town situated some 630km east of Cameroon's capital, Yaoundé, confiscated 13 elephant tusks and made some arrests. The ivory tusks were hidden away in a tight corner of a truck transporting timber from the East of the country to the port city of Douala. Elephant tusks seized from poachers Last year, TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade be making progress out of the sourc- three countries, deep inside the monitoring network, reported that ing zone of illegal ivory trade. Congo Basin rainforest, an extraordi- Central Africa is currently hemorrhag- nary transformation is taking place. ing ivory and cited Cameroon as Lobeke National and its periphery Where poachers, illegal loggers and among three countries in the sub have a high density of African forest traffickers operated at will by simply region most heavily implicated as the elephants estimated at about 5000. crossing a river or driving across the sources for trafficking illicit ivory to But unchecked poaching may cause border, can now be chased, arrested international markets. fragmentation of the population of this and prosecuted. Park rangers from flagship specie in and around the While lauding WWF support to the three countries communicate via park. improved law enforcement which has radio, conduct joint anti poaching resulted in rigid checks and arrests, WWF has spearheaded efforts to pro- sweeps and meet regularly to discuss the Regional Representative of WWF tect endangered species and their anti poaching strategies. Results of CARPO, Laurent Some notes howev- habitats in the area over the years. this pioneering transboundary initia- er that " experience has shown that Agreements have been reached with tive are many with multiplication in this (improved law enforcement) can logging companies and sport hunting numbers of arrested poachers and drive the ivory smuggling circuit fur- outfits in a concerted move to fight confiscation of thousands of snares. ther underground". The Regional poaching. Joint patrols are regularly Many years ago, there was little Representative expressed optimism organized with game rangers and cooperation in this part of the Congo that with the present enthusiasm and security forces from Cameroon, Basin plagued with internal political determination exhibited by Congo Brazzaville and Central Africa conflicts. Park rangers remember sit- Cameroon's department in charge of Republic within the framework of the ting on the river bank in intense frus- Forests and Wildlife, in addition to Tri-national de la Sangha (TNS). tration, watching poachers escape support from some Non governmen- across the Sangha River in to anoth- tal organizations, the country could In a park system spanning the above er country. WWF Jengi Newsletter, March/April 2008 edition 2 AANTINTI--POACHINGPOACHING Armed trafficking: threat to wildlife Kalashnikov and a grenade from legal trade in elephant tusks poachers. This is a new phenome- has witnessed an upsurge non we are getting to grip with in in Southeast Cameroon IlIl this region,” says Pandong Eitel, thanks to increase in the circulation head of forest and wildlife depart- of firearms. This is buttressed by ment in Yokadouma. the number of firearms confiscated from poachers since February The control of arms however, does 2008. These included eleven 12 not depend on Cameroon’s caliber rifles, a Kalashnikov, 50 Ministry of Forest and Wildlife ammunitions and a grenade. alone, especially at the frontiers. It requires the interplay of various Arms flow into Southeast government departments and the Cameroon through the country’s collaboration of neighbouring coun- porous borders with Central Africa tries. Given that cases involving Republic and Congo Brazzaville, war arms are handled by a military both countries that have known tribunal, Cameroon Ministry of several years of war. A recent Forest and Wildlife, has been rein- investigation carried out by WWF forcing collaboration with the forces Jengi Research Assistant for Nki of law and order and the Ministry of National Park, Charles Bassama, Territorial Administration to address revealed the circulation of ammuni- this issue. tion in Moloundou, a town on Cameroon’s border with Congo With the rise in arm trafficking, it Brazzaville. “Arms come from stands to reason why elephants Punga in Congo and are transport- and other wildlife species remain ed by individuals with double increasingly threatened in nationalities (Cameroon and Southeast Cameroon. Congo),” he disclosed. Such peo- ple easily cross the borders into According to Albert Mounga Abana, Congo where guns are said to be Conservator for Lobeke National cheap. “At least 20 caliber 458 Park, an inventory of the number of rifles are smuggled into Moloundou firearms in the region is crucial. every week.” “We shall identify legal and illegal gun owners.” A vast awareness The consequence is increase raising campaign on the acquisition poaching. “The circulation of war and use of firearms is also envis- arms is boosting elephant poach- aged. ing. We recently confiscated a Poachers arrested with war arms (Ph. Bassama) 353 parrots beheaded in Lobeke the parrots species in Cameroon, and can be cap- around Lobeke tured upon issuance of a special authori- National Park, zation by Cameroon's Ministry of Forest which harbors a and Wildlife. Parrots remain one of the huge number of sources of revenue for the Wildlife African grey par- Ministry. Cameroon's official capture rots and has been quota as determined by CITES (the under pressure Convention on International Trade in from capturers. Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and The suspect told Flora) stands at 12000 parrots a year. But game rangers a it is believed 15000 parrots are smuggled witchdoctor cur- out of the country each year, to mostly ing his mentally ill Europe, Asia and South Africa. Most of brother requested the birds come from Southeast 353 parrot heads (Ph. Zambo) parrot heads and Cameroon, where illegal capturers have red tails to contin- been active. ue treatment. me rangers in south- An illegal capturer, Atangana Roger, had east Cameroon For the last eight months, capturers have earlier being arrested by gendarmes in a Garecently arrested a resorted to cutting off the head and pluck- village near Lobeke. He too had once suspectGa illegal capturer with 350 parrot ing the red tails of parrots unlike in the been caught with 167 beheaded parrots. heads and 2000 red feather tails. The past when the birds were captured alive. Under Cameroon's law, persons found capturer was coming from Pokola in the Some 600 parrots have been butchered guilty of illegally capturing or killing pro- Republic of Congo Brazzaville, on his way around Lobeke this year. tected species could serve up to one year to the West Province of Cameroon. jail term. Rangers suspect he must have captured Parrots are Class A (totally protected) WWF Jengi Newsletter, March/April 2008 edition 3 BakasBakas ppyygmiesgmies inin ffororestest rreevvenenueue manamanaggementement committeescommittees ore Baka pygmies have local population. The latter is sup- been elected into local posed to be spent by local commit- MMcommittees charged with tees to carry out micro projects in vil- managing revenues accruing from lages. forest exploitation in Boumba et The 16 committees receive some Ngoko Division East Province of FCFA 200 million each year but man- Cameroon. Fourteen Baka pygmies agement of this fund has been poor now hold positions in some of the 16 resulting in the non-completion of committees. The Baka pygmies were projects, to the detriment of local unanimously chosen during elections people. This prompted the organiza- that took place in the various vil- tion of a forum on the management lages. The inclusion of these indige- and impact of forest royalties in nous forest people in these commit- January 2006 in Yokadouma. tees portrays efforts to forestall fur- ther marginalization. The forum adopted a road map that proposed greater autonomy and sep- According to Akolea Joseph, one of arate bank accounts for the manage- the elected Baka delegates, the elec- ment committees. It was also tions have paved the way for greater resolved that unlike in the past, when participation in the management Mayors or their appointees headed committees. “I am happy about it and the management committees, com- hope my presence will help address munity members would directly elect the needs of Baka pygmies in this their leaders. committee,” said Akolea. “At last the road map is being execut- Each committee is made up of six ed. We hope the massive participa- members and has a mandate of five tion of the population in the renewal years renewable. They are charged of the management committees pre- with managing 10 percent of money supposes better management of the paid to the state by logging compa- 10% forest royalties destined for local nies. According to the law 50% of the people,” stated Louis Ngono, WWF money goes to the state, 40% per- Collaborative Management Officer.