Tanzania: Ministry Vows to Support Wildlife Training Institute

Mwanza — THE Ministry for Natural Resources and Tourism has pledged to continue supporting Pasiansi Wildlife Institute for it to be a centre of excellence in providing training in wildlife law enforcement, that will include producing rangers for game parks across the country.

Launching the Institute's Council Board in Mwanza city, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mr Lazaro Nyalandu, said the Institute should be unique in providing training in game reserve protection.

"Due to this anticipated uniqueness I have made an executive order to the Board that the institute has to be a centre of excellence in providing training in wildlife law enforcement for the East African Community (EAC),' he said.

Mr Nyalandu said that he is waiting for the team mandated to prepare wildlife law enforcement to hand it over to him where he will ask Parliament to pass it immediately so that it can operate at once.

However, the Minister stressed that despite achievements by the Ministry, there are some challenges of increased poaching of elephants, shortage of game rangers, lack of knowledge and tactics to face poaching as well as moral decay within the Ministry in controlling the vice.

Mr Nyalandu observed that encroachment into game reserves by domestic animals has also been a big challenge to the Ministry.

The Deputy Director for wildlife department, Ms Nebo Mwina, said that Pasiansi Wildlife Institute provides two courses at the level of National Technical Award (NTA) level 4 and 5. She said that the Institute also provides short causes such as Wetland, REDD and problem animal control.

Ms Mwina said that all courses comprise theory, practicals and paramilitary that make youths who undergo training to be patriots of anti-poaching.

The institute has increased its intake from 50 in 1966/1967 to 400 in the year 2013.2014. Efforts have been made to continue improving the curriculum at required standard to curb the stakeholders need.