Wildlife Conservation Act.

This Law consisting of 122 articles aims to (i) to protect and conserve and administer areas with great biological diversity, including wetlands, by also giving special conservation status to endemic, rare, or endangered wildlife species and to enable Tanzania to effectively contribute and benefit from international measures to protect and enhance global biodiversity; (ii) protect and conserve wildlife resources and its habitats in game reserves, wetland reserves, game-controlled areas, wildlife management areas, dispersal areas, migratory route corridors, buffer zone, and all animals found in areas adjacent to these areas, by putting in place appropriate infrastructure, sufficient personnel, and equipment; (iii) enhance the contribution of the wildlife sector to the sustainable development of Tanzania; (iv) enhance the development of wildlife ecosystem as well as the development of protected areas network for purposes of enhancing biodiversity conservation; (v) to support and enlarge the wildlife-protected area's network; (vi) to enhance the conservation of wildlife and its habitats outside wildlife-protected areas by establishing Wildlife Management Areas for the purposes of effecting community-based conservation; (vii) facilitate active involvement and participation of local and traditional communities in the sustainable management, use, and conservation of wildlife resources in and outside the wildlife protected area's network; (viii) integrate wildlife conservation with rural development through the transfer of the management responsibility of Wildlife Management Areas to local communities; (ix) take appropriate measures to prevent the illegal use of wildlife; (x) facilitate greater public awareness of the cultural, economic, and social benefits of conserving wildlife resources and enhance the recognition of indigenous knowledge systems of wildlife conservation and management; (xi) mitigate human wildlife conflicts wherever they occur; (xii) create an enabling environment for the private sector to invest in different forms of wildlife utilization and conservation; and (xiii) enable Tanzania to participate in relevant international agreements and promote policies within the framework of such agreements.
The Wildlife Division within the Ministry is responsible for management of Wildlife headed by the Director of Wildlife who shall be the principal advisor to the Government in all matters relating to wildlife conservation and management, in particular (i) to guide the management of wildlife through government policy and legislation; (ii) to monitor and evaluate management effectiveness and conservation; (iii) to formulate sound strategies and programs for the implementation of wildlife policy; (iv) to provide effective and efficient coordination of the government’s commitment to the concerned national and international obligations; (v) to coordinate training in wildlife conservation and management; (vi) to coordinate all matters relating to human injuries, loss of human life, livestock, crop, and property; (vii) to facilitate the establishment of Community Based Natural Resources Management Areas; (viii) to monitor and evaluate wildlife research in the country.
Part XIII provides for the creation of a Tanzania Wildlife Protection Fund (TWPF) to facilitate and support the implementation of the Wildlife Policy particularly in the (a) implementation of international obligations in the wildlife sector as provided by international and regional agreements to which the United Republic is a party; (b) conservation education and awareness creation in wildlife matters; (c) facilitating the running of wildlife training and research institutions; (d) consolation for the loss of human life, crops, property or injury caused by dangerous animals. the following articles deal with procedural matters related to fund management. IN general, the objectives of the Tanzania Wildlife Protection Fund shall be to facilitate and support wildlife conservation, inside and outside protected areas.
Article 31 and the following regard the possibility of the Minister of establishing Wildlife Management Areas for community-based wildlife conservation in areas (a) outside protected areas; (b) within the village land; and (c) outside the village land but which are used by the local community. The Minister shall govern the equitable distribution of costs and benefit sharing of wildlife resources, and the activities shall conform with the national concerned laws.
Article 25 regulates the national game and establishes that the Minister may declare any animal or class of animals to be a national game and prescribe how the national game and other animals may be used for commercial purposes. Article 26 prescribes the related restrictions. Articles 27 - 30 deal with the Government trophies, their unlawful possession, the duty to report their possession, and their disposal. According to article 34, the Minister may declare any species of wildlife as protected species. The final part of the Law regards education, training, and research in the context of wildlife conservation and management.
Part X and Part XV, concerning the dealing in trophies and the International trade in wildlife species and specimens, provide for the CITES permit issued by a relevant authority in the required cases and the respect of the CITES provisions for the trade in any wildlife species, specimens or products.