JANUARY-MARCH 2014 The Voice of Conservation in East Africa TURKANA WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE BUT THE PROSPECTS STILL LOOK BLEAK ANGOLA,GUINEA, CHINA AND CITES UNDER SPOTLIGHT THE NEW GENERATION OF CONSERVATIONISTS TALK The East African region is well known 1. Become a member Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and for the richness and beauty of its 2. Make a donation mail it to 38 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, biodiversity. It has been this that has 3. Leave a legacy in your will CA 94941 with EAWLS noted made the region a favourite destination on the memo line. Credit card for millions of visitors. But this precious 1. If you are interested in becoming a donations can be made by calling inheritance is under real pressure from member, then this can be done quite Lewa USA’s Executive Director, unplanned development, mismanagement, easily online by visiting our website: Ginger Thomson at 415.627.8187. corruption, population growth and a lack www.eawildlife.org; selecting the of understanding that good economic click here for more information • For UK, we have now registered growth depends on maintaining a healthy under the Subscribe or Renew East African Wild Life Society environment in all its attributes as the Membership title on the home (UK) as a UK Registered Charity platform for development. page, and following the procedures (Charity No. 1153041). Donations requested. would be entitled to tax relief. The East African Wild Life Society EAWLS (UK) has a dedicated is home grown. We are part of East 2. For a donation, we have now made it bank account and the details can African Society culture and future. possible for you to enjoy tax relief if be provided by contacting Nigel We care deeply, in line with Kenya’s you live in the USA or UK. Hunter at: Constitution, which states that everyone [email protected] has the right to a healthy environment • For USA, we have a formal if you are interested in making a now and for generations to come. partnership with Lewa USA, bank transfer. If you wish to use That future demands that we keep our who enjoy 501(c)(3) tax relief the cheque option, then these biodiversity intact. Therefore the Society entitlement for donations and should be made out to East has advocacy as a major instrument legacies. The donations have to be African Wild Life Society (UK) in addressing the threats we face and made out to Lewa USA but it is and sent to Mrs Emma Stewart, we don’t flinch in facing up to that easy to indicate that the donation Townend of Grange, Dunlop, responsibility. But the more support we is committed to EAWLS through Kilmarnock, KA3 4EG get, the stronger our voice becomes. the Lewa Wildlife programme. The donation can be made by 3. If considering a legacy, then please Please therefore help EAWLS by visiting www.lewa.org or if you contact Nigel Hunter, who can make supporting us. This can be done in three would like to make the donation useful information available to you. ways. by cheque, please make it out to LAKE BOGORIA SPA RESORT THE JEWEL OF THE GREAT RIFT THE ONLY RESORT IN KENYA WITH conference facilities which hosts up to 200 persons NATURAL HEATED SPA POOL and outdoor conference from 1,000 persons. All the Known as “the healing place” because of its rooms have complimentary drinking water, tea & coffee therapeutic value associated with the hot spring geysers, making facilities, in-house fridges/ mini bars, telephone only in Kenya. It is a natural spa. A 5 minutes drive extension, mosquito nets, air conditioners, flat screen from the resort takes you to Lake Bogoria National LED Tv’S with DSTV, complimentary WIFI, bathroom Reserve home to Flamingoes, Kudus, a variety of wildlife amenities. and birdlife i.e. Marabou storks. The resort routinely organizes guided bird watching tours within Kesubo The Resort also has laundry services, a business centre, natural trail, day trip excursions to Lake Bogoria Tugen curio shop, salon & barber shop and a massage parlour. Hills, Kipasaram historic site and boat ride at Lake Some of the activities that are available at the resort Baringo. include badminton, table tennis, water polo, swings, bird watching among others. FACILITIES & ACTIVITIES The resort boasts of 6 executive suites, 30 junior suites, 37 cottages, 22 standard rooms & 20 tents. Set in a serene environment ideal for team building, business retreats and strategy planning meeting, the resort has modern Lake Bogoria Spa Resort P.O Box 58-30403-Marigat Mobile: +254 710 445627 [email protected] www.lakebogoria-hotel.com JANUARY - MARCH 2014 FRONTLINES 5 LETTERS 12 CHAirMAN'S LETTER 24 14 Director'S LETTER 17 NEWS ROUndUP 22 MY Wildlife CONSERVATION 24 WHAT FUTURE for LAKE TURKANA And its Wildlife? Will a huge underground water resource save Lake Turkana? Hydrologist Sean Avery updates readers on Ethiopia’s huge dam project, water demand and what it all means for the future. 31 HUNTED IN ANGOLA - SURVEYING THE BUSHMEAT TRADE Elena Bersacola, Magdalena S. Svensson, Simon K. Bearder, Michael Mills and Vincent Nijman put together a rare report from Angola on what wildlife is actually being sold for food and what it might mean for the future. 37 CONAKRY CONNECTION - THE ACID TEST 62 Dan Stiles delivers the second part of an investigation into the murky world of game exports with a still unexplained link between Guinea, China and the CITES secretariat. 41 COMMUNITY CONSERVANCIES IN NAMIBIA - LESSONS FOR KENYA You wouldn’t make the link, but scientist Chris Thouless draws comparisons between Community conservancies in Namibia and 37 Kenya’s own flagship projects and the lessons to be learned. 45 SPOTLIGHT 45 AMBOSELI - LEASING LAND TO PROTECT THE FUTURE AWF’s Kathleen H. Fitzgerald writes on a novel scheme to lease land and ease the growing pressure on Amboseli and its wildlife. 49 WHAT NEXT FOR CONSERVATION? - STORM STANLEY TALKS TO THE NEXT GENERATION Storm Stanley interviews the next generation of Kenyan conservationists to ask what they 2 SWARA JANUARY - MARCH 2014 see for the future of our natural heritage as the country celebrates 50 years of independence from Britain. 54 THE RINGNET FISHERY - SHORT TERM FISHERY GAIN OR LONG TERM LOSS? Steve Trott revisits the controversy over this highly successful but environmentally worrying form of fishing off the Kenyan coast and wonders what is being done. 58 NAstY or Nice? THE REAL RHino Felix Patton says Rhinos are misunderstood and brings his expertise to the fore in a plea to change the public perception of the species. 62 AMOS - A HUNTING TRACKER'S SON TURNED CONSERVATIONIST Felix Patton talks to a poacher turned gamekeeper in the latest of his series on Conservation Characters. ON SAFARI 66 PROTECTING THE FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT 58 Victoria Nyamunga of Serena Hotels puts her group’s case for those who live off the land leading moves to protect and defend the environment. PORTFOLIO 68 BIRDS OF KENYA Lorenzo Barelli offers us a selection of winged treasures from Kenya and reminds us of how rich the birdlife heritage really is. BOOK REVIEW 70 GUide to COMMon FRESHWATER FisHES of KENYA - By Wanja Dorothy 72 Nyingi. Reviewed by Dino Martins THE LAST SAVANNAH - By Mike Bond. Reviewed by Andy Hill REAR WINDOW 72 KNOW YOUR MICE! Nigel Hunter says mice are not all of one stripe and offers us a guide on ways to distinguish the four main species. SWARA JANUARY - MARCH 2014 3 JANUARY - MARCH - VOLUME 38, NUMBER 1 The Impala is the symbol of the East African Wild Life Society. SWARA is the Swahili word for antelope. Patrons The President of Ken ya The President of Tan za nia The President of Uganda Chairman Fredrick Owino Vice-Chairmen Tom Fernandes Editor John Emily Otekat Andy Hill Joseph Gilbert Kibe Editorial Board Treasurer Nigel Hunter Michael Kidula Mbaya Michael Gachanja Executive Director Esmond Martin Michael Gachanja William Pike Paolo Torchio Trustees Patricia Kameri-Mbote Frederick IB Kayanja, Albert Mongi Munir Virani Hilary Ng’weno Lucy Waruingi Mohamed Jan Mohamed Design & Layout Members Of Council George Okello Hon. Wilbur Ottichilo Mike Norton-Griffiths Circulation and Subscriptions Maj. Gen. (Rtd.) Peter Waweru Rose Chemweno Esmond Martin Philip Coulson Advertising / Sales Virginia Shaw Gideon Bett EAWLS Mission To advocate and collaborate on the safeguarding and SWARA is a quarterly magazine owned and published by the East sustainable management of East Africa's natural resources African Wild Life So ci e ty, a non-prof it mak ing or gan i sa tion formed in 1961. Swara Offices C/O EAWLS Head Office Copyright © 2014 East African Wild Life Society. No part of this P O BOX 20110 – 00200, publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever without the Riara Road, Kilimani, Nairobi written consent of the editor. Opinions ex pressed by con trib u tors are not nec es sar i ly the official view of the Society. SWARA ac cepts the Tel: 254-20-3874145 Fax: 254-20-3870335 in for ma tion given by con trib u tors as correct. [email protected] Letters to the Editor: [email protected] African Journal of Ecology The African Journal of Ecology is Published by Wily – Blackwell in association with East Africa Wildlife Society. Purchase a copy of this Journal at Wiley Online Library: NETHERLANDS SWITZERLAND http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/aje. Stichting EAWLS Therese & Bernhard Sorgen Ridderhoflaan 37 Erlenweg 30 2396 C J Koudekerk A/D RIJN 8302 Kloten USA USA Mr & Mrs Harry Ewell Grant & Barbara Winther Financial Representatives 867 Taurnic Pl. NW 200 Lyell Avenue Bainbridge Island Spencerport WA 98110 SWARA appreciates the continued support it receives NY 14559-1839 from Fauna & Flora International 4 SWARA JANUARY - MARCH 2014 Both our Chairman and Executive in Namibia, Angola and Guinea as Director broach the same question in well as articles closer to our Nairobi their letters and we would welcome headquarters.