In a move to recognize the role of the father of the nation in a
conservation drive, local stakeholders have rescheduled their annual
march for elephants and rhinos to coincide with Nyerere Day.
The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO) has been organizing
an international march for elephants and rhinos in Arusha to
commemorate World Animal Day, which is globally marked on October 4 to
highlight the escalating poaching crisis of elephants and rhinos.
“We have decided to hold our march for elephant and rhinos on October
14, 2014 in Arusha in honoring the contribution of the father of the
nation, Mwalimu Nyerere, in conservation,” said the Chairman of the
Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Willy Chambullo.
Way back in 1961, Nyerere made a maiden statement to a symposium on
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources in Modern African States
(organized by CCTA/IUCN - Arusha), which is now known as the Arusha
Manifesto.
He said: "The survival of our wildlife is a matter of grave concern
to us all in Africa. These wild creatures amid the wild places they
inhabit are not only important as a source of wonder and inspiration,
but are an integral part of our natural resources and of our future
livelihood and well-being.”
“In accepting the trusteeship of our wildlife, we solemnly declare
that we will do everything in our power to make sure our children's
grandchildren will be able to enjoy this rich and precious inheritance,”
Nyerere said.
Now, the Vice Chairman of TATO, Mr. Zukher Fazal, says as a result of
this commitment, the world has put the country on a list of progressive
countries that accord the highest legal protection of natural resources
against unsustainable economic development needs.
“Charity begins at home. Let’s remember the father of the nation by
actions. This is why we want the march for elephant to coincide with
Nyerere Day,” Mr. Fazal said.
He added that this year’s march would be presided over by the Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr. Magesa Mulongo.
Billed as one of the effective tools to raise the public’s awareness
on the importance of conservation in real life, the event is co-hosted
by TATO in collaboration with the government and has also been a key
platform for public and private sectors to brainstorm on conservation
issues.
Normally, Tanzania’s conservation champions join millions of their
colleagues across the world on October 4 to march as one voice to save
wild animals from extinction - this year with the theme of elephants and
rhinos.
More than 35,000 elephants are being killed every year so their tusks
can be carved into ivory trinkets. A rhino is slaughtered once every
9-11 hours for its horn at the continental level.
Their only hope for survival lies in an immediate end to the ivory
and rhino horn trade - both "legal" and "illegal" - and the chance to
recover from decades of mass slaughter.
TATO's role goes a long way to create awareness and internal pressure
to the countries, which are destined markets, particularly those with
emerging economies in the Far East.
Growing at a steady rate for the past two years, Tanzania tourism is
booming with the latest data confirming the industry as Tanzania’s top
foreign currency earner and export sector, outshining gold.
Fresh figures from the Central Bank indicate that tourism brought in
$1.973 billion during the year that ended June 2014, up from $1.757
billion earned in the previous corresponding year.
Recent statistics show that earnings from the Tanzanian tourism
industry increased from $200 million in 1993 to $1.88 billion in 2013.
The number of visitors also increased over the same period from 230,000 to a record one million.
The reported number of tourists who visited Tanzania in 2012, places
the country on the map of leading African safari destinations with a
million-plus visitors per year.
Other tourist-competitive African destinations rich with resources
and which have a high record of tourists reaching a million or above are
Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and South Africa.
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