South Sudan warns depletion of wildlife resources
September 27, 2010 (MALAKAL) — The regional government of southern Sudan on Monday expressed worries over the depletion of wildlife resources in the region as a result of over exploitation by local population as foods and for commercial uses.
James Modi Kenyi, a deputy director for research at Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism expressed concern, saying a pressure on forest conservation areas and wildlife was increasingly leading to the depletion of the region’s store of biodiversity.
Speaking after a day-long workshop organized by the Ministry for Regional Warden Operational Officers, the official told Sudan Tribune from Juba that the training was aimed at empowering local communities to manage their own natural resources as well as encouraging the conservation of major ecosystems and wildlife in the region.
He said the government had adopted the Forest and Wildlife Policy as working documents for forest and wildlife protection.
”From the policy, the Wildlife Division developed clearly defined futuristic objectives and strategies for the wildlife sector in its communities and collaborative wildlife management policy,” said Kenyi.
”One of the key strategies in the policy is to encourage the conservation of major ecosystems and wildlife outside protected areas using local community institutions as well as devolving authority for managing these resources to the local authorities,” he added.
Urging participants at the workshop to utilize knowledge gained from the training, the official told Sudan Tribune the need for other stakeholders to continue to support the ministry of wildlife conservation and tourism to succeed.
“Policy does not work alone without support from the public. Policy is just a document whose implementers come from the public. A document does not implement itself but by the government in collaboration with the people,” explained Kenyi.
He expressed concern about the poor road network, inadequate transport facilities to established centers and absence of an electrical network in the area and appealed to government to come to their aid.
(ST)