A cheaper plan to stop poachers
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- Jlarson
- added this
While I would also support giving poachers a taste of their own medicine, by catching them only to let them loose in a quarantined space while allowing anyone with a weapon to take aim. This article describes another approach that is currently being tested in Zambia. I am not sure if they even deserve a second chance, but this program gives them one. Anything that can be done to help prevent the killing of wildlife (most of the time endangered) should at least be tried...
Article:
A cheaper plan to stop poachers: Give them real jobs
Mfuwe, Zambia - Jimmy Mbewe spent six-and-a-half years in prison after he was caught illegally killing an elephant outside South Luangwa National Park here in eastern Zambia.
Poverty drove the father of nine to wander the bush evading wildlife scouts to shoot buffalo and elephant and sell the meat to local traders. "I'm not educated, so I chose my profession as hunting," he says.
Out of prison now, his movements are monitored by a local antipoaching team.
But Mr. Mbewe says he has no intention of going back behind bars. He's now busy learning carpentry skills with other former poachers under the Community Markets for Conservation program.
Mbewe is also learning to farm and work as a beekeeper. As long as he refrains from poaching, COMACO buys his honey at a price higher than the local market average, processes it, packages it, and sends it on to local markets.
The program goes beyond teaching former poachers new ways to earn a living; it is creating a sophisticated network of markets that makes money for locals while reducing poaching, improving land use, and supporting conservation.
"The challenge is you can't demand support for conservation if conservation is a cost," says Dale Lewis, an American conservationist who moved to Zambia 28 years ago as a college research assistant, and has spearheaded the project.
Article:
A cheaper plan to stop poachers: Give them real jobs
Mfuwe, Zambia - Jimmy Mbewe spent six-and-a-half years in prison after he was caught illegally killing an elephant outside South Luangwa National Park here in eastern Zambia.
Poverty drove the father of nine to wander the bush evading wildlife scouts to shoot buffalo and elephant and sell the meat to local traders. "I'm not educated, so I chose my profession as hunting," he says.
Out of prison now, his movements are monitored by a local antipoaching team.
But Mr. Mbewe says he has no intention of going back behind bars. He's now busy learning carpentry skills with other former poachers under the Community Markets for Conservation program.
Mbewe is also learning to farm and work as a beekeeper. As long as he refrains from poaching, COMACO buys his honey at a price higher than the local market average, processes it, packages it, and sends it on to local markets.
The program goes beyond teaching former poachers new ways to earn a living; it is creating a sophisticated network of markets that makes money for locals while reducing poaching, improving land use, and supporting conservation.
"The challenge is you can't demand support for conservation if conservation is a cost," says Dale Lewis, an American conservationist who moved to Zambia 28 years ago as a college research assistant, and has spearheaded the project.
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FlyingSquirrel
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I am happy to know there is an organization like COMACO that responds to the heart of the poaching problem. Many poachers theaten the earth's wildlife not because they are heartless killers, they are hungry and have families to feed. I would hope COMACO educates and supports families BEFORE they get caught for poaching or other henious crimes.
- 3 years ago
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FlyingSquirrel
