Karatu Officials Say 'No' to Hunting Firm
Arusha Times (Arusha)

July 31, 2005
Staff Writer
Arusha

KARATU district Council in has turned down a request from the United Arab Emirates based tourist hunting company known as Tanzania U.A.E Safari Ltd, which wanted to exploit a wide variety of wildlife in the Lake Eyasi basin for tourist hunting.

The district officials have dismissed the plea on grounds that the company's proposal was not clear on the mode of the 'intended operations.'

In their full council meeting held on 12th July, 2005, the councilors wanted to be first shown the contract and its terms of reference, prior to granting the Abudhabhi- based, hunting company the green light to hunt around Lake Eyasi basin.

"We actually wanted to see the contract itself, the hunting company profiles, its objectives (if any) as well as thorough explanations on how the company will guarantee the sustainable utilization of wildlife," the chairman for Karatu District Council, Lazaro Titus explained in a telephone interview.

The counselor however referred this paper to contact the Karatu District Executive Director, Solanus Nyimbi for more details with regard to the controversial issue. Nyimbi gave the version which partly confirmed the stand.

"The full council meeting which sat on the 12th July this year, did not exactly halt the request," said Nyimbi. "In fact the councilors were ready to endorse the request but pending on the agreed condition." .

Quoting the official record of the full council meeting proceedings, the DED said the councilors first wanted to know the position of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism with regard to the matter.

The District Director, further added that the councilors in Karatu also wanted to know how will the surrounding community benefit from hunting operations.

"The total guarantee of sustainable utilization of their natural resources particularly wildlife so as to ensure the animals won't be forced to move away from their Lake Eyasi basin eco-system, due to gunshots, was one of their conditions," Nyimbi said.

Lake Eyasi basin historically reserved as the most important corridor for immigrants wildlife, for animals moving between Lake Manyara National park and the Ngorongoro Crater basin.

A salt lake situated between the Rift Valley's Eyasi escarpment and the Kidero Mountains, the area around Lake Eyasi is home to the Hadzabe Bushmen, some of the last remaining hunter-gatherers on the continent.

The Hadzabe have inhabited the Acacia forests and scrub land around the Lake Eyasi area for reportedly over 10,000 years and visits to nearby clans can be arranged through local guides in the area. Gun echoes due to proposed hunting activities may again scare these bushmen away.

South-west of Karatu and the Ngorongoro Crater, lies the northern shore of Lake Eyasi, a mildly alkaline lake stretching for about 50km to the south-west.

To the north-east the horizon is dominated by the Crater Highlands, to the north, beyond an escarpment the plains of the Serengeti. Over 100 years ago when the stronger Masaii tribes moved into the Ngorongoro and Serengeti, the Datoga and other indigenous Bushmen living there were pushed south. Lake Eyasi, its surrounding bushy and forests, became their home.

The meadows along the shores of the lake and the forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife including leopard, hippo, a variety of monkeys, various birds, greater and lesser flamingos, storks and pelicans.

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