Posted by JRM on October 31, 2002 at 07:53:12:
In Reply to: Since we are discussing reserves - How effective.... posted by finfan on October 30, 2002 at 17:07:38:
I spent a goodly amount of time in Kenya in 1995, and the reserves are working. Poaching is still a problem, but the poaching occuring now is more the locals nabbing food than hunters bagging hides or ivory. The local poaching is sort of "overlooked" because they aren't after the rare animals.
However, the arms escalation has made for some frightening situations. The KWS is better armed than the standing army. And now most of the ivory/hide poachers are as well. Since the KWS has a "shoot on sight" policy, by extension so do the poachers.
When they wouldn't let me in Mt. Elgon preserve on foot, I had to go and try to hire a car. Eventually I found one a few miles away on a farm, and ended up renting it and a driver for a day (long story). In Elgon there's tons of guards but few vehicles and almost no fuel. I ended up funding that week's patrols (in one day). It was quite a sight to see three rangers and their heavy weapons crammed into the back of a Suzuki Samurai hardtop.
But I don't think that the success of African preserves has *any* bearing on the MLPA argument. Those are terrestrial animals, many migratory, who's numbers can, for some species, be counted with less than 5 digits. Also, an impetus for poaching there is that a single hide can fund your family for 2-3 years. If you have no other options, you'll consider the risk.
Our problem is that nothing is going to get better until *ALL* nearshore commercial fishing is banned. Period.
JRM