Dr. Andrew Seguya the Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority earlier in this week, when speaking at the launch of an IIED report on the impact of poaching in Uganda’s protected areas clearly said that the new version of the Wildlife Act being reviewed with the intension to inflict higher fines and pro-longed jail terms to illegal hunters and those involved in illegal trading of the wildlife products.
Dr. Seguya emphasized the fines will be increased to Uganda Shillings 200 million whereas jail years will be increased to 20 years, if one is proved guilty in courts of law of poaching, or possession of ivory, and rhino horn plus other wildlife products which are in high demand in Asian countries.
He further added that vehicles or cars used in transportation of blood ivory and any warehouses used to keep or store the contraband, will under the new reviewed law be surrendered to the state or government once convictions have been approved.
UWA’s home minister, the Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage, is currently engaged in pushing for amendments of the law and can hopefully succeed with the changes before the current term of parliament expires ahead of the 2016 general elections.
Uganda’s poaching numbers are among the lowest in the East African region, with much of what is being called or termed as subsistence poaching though the state has been increasingly used as a channel for blood ivory from neighboring Eastern Congo and the South Sudan.
Uganda Safaris/Uganda Safari News
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