Citizens to Decide On Hunting Ban

The Nation (Kenya)

http://allafrica.com/stories/200703011195.html

The decision on whether or not the Government should lift a 30‑year‑old ban on sport‑hunting rests with Kenyans, a minister has said.

Tourism and Wildlife minister Morris Dzoro yesterday told groups opposed to sport‑hunting to hold their horses until a task force collects and collates views of all key players.

A hunter takes aim to shoot at elephants. A draft policy proposes lifting of ban on trophy hunting. Photo/ File

The task force would conclude its work and table a report before him by April 15, he said.

The minister accused some environmentalists of calling press conferences instead of giving their views to the national steering committee on the review of wildlife policy.

"The mandate of the committee is to get all the views of the public, whether good or bad, which we would process into a sessional paper to be presented to the Cabinet, and if approved, taken to Parliament as a Bill," the minister said.

No cause for fear

At the same time the minister said the Government would uphold the International Convention on Trade on Endangered Species, saying there was no cause for fear that Kenyan wildlife would be threatened.

Mr Dzoro was reacting to claims by officials of the Centre of Minority Rights in Democracy, who had vowed to lobby members of Parliament to shoot down the proposed Bill, if it supports hunting for fun.

Officials of the organisation said they had the backing of most MPs from communities living near major wildlife sanctuaries.

Mr Gerald Ngatia, Mr Geoffrey Ntapaiya and Mr Yobo Rutin, thanked President Kibaki for declining to assent to the controversial G.G. Bill, which revisited the controversial issue in December 2004.

Mr Ngatia vowed to mobilise MPs and communities around wildlife sanctuaries to demonstrate against any move to lift the hunting ban.