Tanzania Mulls To Join With International Big Cat Alliance
By Senior Writer, VALENTINE OFORO
TANZANIA is working on needed process to join with the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
If all goes well, the development is projected to assist the country to heighten experience, expertise, technology and equipment that will facilitate the country’s conservation and monitoring of forests and wildlife resources.
The Tanzania Forestry Services (TFS)’s Conversation Commissioner, Prof. Dos Santos Silayo said TFS is currently engaging into fruitful talks with the relevant authorities to ensure the country is affiliating with IBCA.
He was briefing this publication over the recently audience in which the Delegation of the government of Tanzania met with their counterparts from India, together with the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Africa to discuss opportunities for cooperation between Tanzania and India in the field of forest and wildlife conservation.
The talks, held last Thursday in the offices of the FAO Headquarters, Rome in Italy and was chaired by Shri. Jitendra Kumar, the Director General (DG) of Forests and Special Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in India.
“We have agreed to start negotiations to enable Tanzania to join the alliance of countries that put their efforts together to preserve the Big Cat Animals (International Big Cat Alliance). Joining this union will enable our countries to exchange experience, expertise, technology and equipment that will facilitate the conservation and monitoring of forests and wildlife resources,” Prof. Silayo.
The Don thanked the Office of the Tanzanian Embassy in Rome for coordinating the talks, saying he remains optimistic that the development will result into needed outcomes.
Furthermore, Prof Silayo added that the talks were based on international cooperation in building the capacity to assess forest resources, including forest assessment and research, the development of a forest fire monitoring system at the right time, and participation in the International Union of Animals Family of Big Cats, which includes South Africa, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.
“Together, we have discussed the importance of our countries to cooperate in conservation as a continuation of the good relations that exist between Tanzania and India, as inspired by the honorable leaders of these countries,” he added.
The meeting convened on the sideline of the 27th session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO), provided a platform for both sides to explore ways of cooperation that will benefit the forestry and wildlife sectors.
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