Project update - January 2007

Recycling in Uganda has taken on a new meaning with the support of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation.

What happens to old shipping containers when they have reached the end of their transport use life? In Uganda, with the help of David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, a few are being recycled and used to support conservation projects to help protect endangered species.

DSWF has supported projects in Uganda for a number of years particularly in the area of human-wildlife conflict resolution. The Elephants, Crops and People Project (ECP) in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area (QECA), researched by Michael Keigwin, led to his formation of the UK Charity Uganda Conservation Foundation (UCF) and a number of other projects have now been carried out in the region.

With the help of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation UCF has expanded its project in the region to benefit conservation and the communities through facilitating water borne law enforcement (anti poaching measures, policing of the bush meat trade, ivory tracking and illegal fishing), research and a community / tourism related water safety and rescue capability. The Albertine Rift is dominated by water courses, yet there is no ranger patrol boat or expertise for boat operations. The use of boats will have an enormous impact on the ability of law enforcement to reverse the enormous poaching problem.

The problem
IN QECA hippo poaching for meat not only continues at very high levels but is also the most frequent form of poaching. The hippopotamus was listed for the first time as a species threatened with extinction in the IUCN published '2006 Red List'. In the mid 1990's crocodile were reported in QE for the very first time however their expansion across QE is being limited due to the enormous number of illegal fishing nets in Lakes George and Edward and in the Kazinga Channel. In addition, otters are no longer common place and once again it is suspected that illegal fishing nets are the cause.

In theory QECA as a Biosphere Reserve enjoys the cohabitation of people and wildlife. There are 11 fishing villages and with legal access across the park and now improved communications (mobile phones) poachers are able to monitor ranger movements along the roads and in their ranger posts.

A potential solution
With the ability for rangers to be deployed by boat not only do large distances not have to be driven (a minimum of 75 kilometres just to cross the Kazinga channel) but rangers can be deployed anywhere along a shore line, silently and without detection. In addition many poachers and wildlife traffickers are thought to be moving dried meat and animals completely unchallenged through the water ways where they then liaise with vehicles. By hampering this, the illegal activity will be forced to return to road and 'land' access where their passage is much more hazardous.

UCF together with National Lake Rescue Institute, a member of the International Lifeboat Federation, and Uganda Wildlife Authority are collaborating in the establishment of a boat station and patrol boat capability at Mweya, the UWA QECA HQ and main tourist centre for QECA. NLRI have developed the concept of using one 20ft redundant shipping container, reconfiguring it and adding a pitch roof for deployment as a lifeboat station. Following conversion of the container at their Lake Victoria base NLRI transport the container with all the components necessary for the unit to the field where it requires only water (to mix concrete foundations) and reassembly for it to be commissioned. The boat station comprises an administration office, workshop and crew changing facility in addition to a secure area for the 16' aluminium patrol boat which is fully equipped for its proposed role (see sketch below).

Once the boat station is in place NLRI provide a full training programme for the UWA rangers which cover boat operation, maintenance and rescue procedures.
Anticipated Benefits:

• Improve Ranger deployment, monitoring and protection.
  • Reduce illegal fishing and netting practices
  • Reduce water borne and shoreline hippo poaching
  • Eliminate water borne deployments of poachers
  • Eliminate shoreline meat smoking and water borne meat trafficking
  • Protect marine life (fish, birds, crocodiles and otters) from illegal fishing nets
  • Improve Ranger deployment and effectiveness to pressure illegal activity
• Initiate 'Lake Rescue' as a new community conservation programme.
  • Provide the 11 fishing villages with a Lake Rescue programme
  • Provide UWA Management with inexpensive and quick access to fishing villages.
  • Provide UWA / Lake Rescue service for tourism 'boat trips'

• Provide opportunity for water borne monitoring and research
  • Research and Monitoring department will be able to conduct and attract water borne projects.
  • Improved access to previously inaccessible areas will inevitably increase the potential for a larger variety of types of research

The Future
DSWF has already supported UCF in this project with a grant towards the funding for the first patrol boat and station. The Mweya boat station is expected to be fully operational in September 2006 and this will be evaluated with the hope that the programme can be expanded into the region on Lakes Albert, George and Edward along the Albertine Rift and in other National Parks including the River Nile at Murchison Falls. Each station requires approximately £10,000 to establish.

Michael Keigwin states that he "could not believe that a project with such a small cost could have such a potentially large impact on the protection of threatened animals, their habitats and local communities" and he hopes through UCF to support further installations. He likens the project to the inshore lifeboats of the RNLI but in this case looking after both the human element and the endangered wildlife.

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