By NOEL IYOMBWA
GOVERNMENT has lifted the ban on sales, capture and translocation of wildlife animals from all public protected areas.
Tourism and Arts Minister, Ronald Chitotela, said that the ban had affected the delivery of Government programmes in wildlife conservation and tourism promotion.
The programmes, he said, had since been reviewed.
Mr Chitotela explained that after the review, Government had introduced modalities and processes to include stakeholder consultations.
In October last year, Government effected a ban on sales, capture and translocation of wildlife from all public protected areas in Zambia.
He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday at a media briefing.
“This is in an effort to ensure that decisions regarding the capture and translocation of wildlife from public protected areas to private wildlife estates is done in a transparent manner,” he said.
Mr Chitotela said that after further investigation it became apparent that there was total lack of consultation with stakeholders thus creating mistrust and suspicion by local communities.
He said that local communities surrounding protected areas as well as the general citizenry were suspicious.
The Minister said that the purpose of capture and translocation of wildlife from public protected areas to private wildlife estates was aimed at promoting community ownership.
The exercise, he said, was also for the purpose of encouraging wildlife based tourism enterprises by communities.
Mr Chitotela, however, said Government would establish a wildlife management licensing committee to consider applications for licences, permit and certificates.
He further said that the committee would consist of members from Ministries of Land, Fisheries, Finance, Chiefs Affairs and Mines.
Others are from Anti-corruption, Tourism council of Zambia, Zambia Environment Management Agency and security agency.
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