In a report, the Zimbabwe Conservation Taskforce, headed by veteran conservationist Johnny Rodrigues, said the practice threatened to wipe out rare breeds of fish, including the tiger, which attracts fishermen from all over the world for lucrative annual fishing tournaments.
"We are not only facing the total decimation of the Tiger Fish population in Kariba, which is a tourist attraction in itself, but also the total collapse of the kapenta fishing industry," the report said. "Fish are netted in the rivers flowing out of the Kariba basin, which are restricted breeding areas. Fish swim down the rivers to spawn and are netted before the roe has a chance to hatch."
40 species
Kariba is famous for its tiger fish but is also home to over 40 fish species that include nkupe, chessa, bottlenose, vundu, barbell and several types of bream.
ZCTF also said other rivers and lakes were similarly affected, mostly from the activities of illegal gold panners.
"Another big concern is the damage which is occurring in our river beds. In their search for gold, illegal gold panners are digging enormous holes and not refilling them, so when the rains come, all the loose soil is going to be washed into the Limpopo and the Zambezi. This will cause siltation which will result in another flood disaster," the report said.
ZCTF blamed the activities on so-called war veterans who have invaded conservancies and game ranches.
"It is estimated that game ranches have lost between 80% and 90% of wildlife to poachers, and the larger conservancies have lost around 60%. Some game ranchers have reported that they do not have a single animal left," said the conservationist.
Endangered species
They said a large number of private game ranches and conservancies have been confiscated by Zanu (PF) militants, leaving the wildlife at the mercy of war vets.
Some of the game ranches and conservancies were home to endangered species. The Painted Dog, for example, an endangered species previously hand reared on a conservancy in Gwayi near Victoria Falls, has been totally eliminated. On a conservancy in Matabeleland, it was estimated that almost 50% of their Black Rhino, also an endangered species, had been slaughtered by so-called “war vets ".
Investigations by The Zimbabwean suggest that senior Zanu (PF) government and military officials are behind a horrific new wave of poaching throughout the country. The names of those officials involved are in the possession of The Zimbabwean, including those linked to illegal hunting syndicates in countries such as China.
Presidential herd
Questions have also been raised about the safety of elephants classified as the 'presidential herd' after President Robert Mugabe made 'donations' to zoos owned by the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il. Many of the donated animals are said to have died miserable deaths in North Korean zoos due to lack of proper care. The Koreans wanted to breed elephants for military transportation on rough terrain.
The ZCTF was formed in April 2001 by Zimbabweans concerned about the "unacceptable levels of poaching as well as the destruction of the environment due to the break down of law and order in Zimbabwe".
However, their work has been hamstrung by lack of funding and resistance from government officials they have exposed in dirty deals.
It was not possible to get a comment from the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority at the time of going to print as they had not responded to our communication.
Post published in: Environment