|
JUMP INTO A NEW ADVENTURE |
 |
|
News from East AfricaNewsletter from East Africa March 2010Dear Reader, Battle Over IvoryWildlife experts convene in the city of Doha in Qatar to consider how to control the trade in rare animals and plants. After CITES banned the ivory trade in 1989, elephant numbers rose. But elephant poaching is rising again and prices for ivory have skyrocketed. Containers of illegal ivory are being seized all over Asia and in Kenya and Ethiopia. It is estimated that between 8 to 10 percent of existing elephants are being poached every year. CITES has tried to replace the illegal market by allowing two legal sales of ivory since 1999. Tanzania and Zambia are asking CITES for a further ivory sale despite he fact that DNA analysis shows that a substantial quantity of poached ivory seems to come from this two countries. WWF and other CITES delegations like Kenya will oppose another one-off ivory sale. Power is back in ZanzibarThe damaged undersea cable which caused the 4 month long crisis has been repaired. Still some occasional power cuts may be expected but can be covered by stand-by generators which nearly all better hotels have. It is still raining in East AfricaAfter a long and devastating drought in parts of East Africa, torrential rains are causing more problems for populations in the region. Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania are affected by the rain. There were mudslides in Mt. Elgon in Uganda and flooding in Samburu, Kenya with a number of casualties. Flash flooding occurred beginning of March 2010 in Samburu National Park and Buffalo Springs National Reserve and most of the lodges and camps in the area suffered significant damage. It will take up to 3 months until most of the big lodges will re-open again. Turkish Airlines will start Istanbul-Dar Es Salaam direct flights in JuneIstanbul is an important hub for passengers not only from Turkey but also from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and other European countries. Turkish Airlines operates a network of scheduled services to 140 global destinations and 135 domestic destinations. It serves 155 airports in Europe, Asia, Africa and America. The airline operates flights in 11 African airports including Nairobi. Lake Naivasha in Kenya Rift Valley pollutedLake Naivasha the biggest fresh water lake in the Rift Valley has for years been shrinking in size, and the lake’s survival is now threatened by fertilizers and affluent from flower farms. Fishermen suffer from dwindling fish catches. The Kenyan government has issued a closure notice to eight flower farms located around Lake Naivasha and directed that any farmer still discharging untreated effluent into the lake being arrested. United Airlines to begin flights to AfricaUnited Airlines will start its first-ever nonstop service to the African continent from Washington to Accra beginning June 20. Google maps now available for Kampala and EntebbeVisitors to Uganda can now access detailed maps of Kampala and Entebbe via Google Maps. Detailed locations of hotels, restaurants, airlines offices, and other related points of interest are shown. Nyungwe Lodge, Rwanda due to open this monthThe new lodge is at the Nyungwe National Park in the mountainous southwest of Rwanda, one of the oldest forests in Africa. This area is regarded as the largest remaining extension of uninterrupted mountain forest in Central and East Africa. Nyungwe Forest has 13 different species of primates, including chimpanzee. Nyungwe Forest Lodge is the only five star establishment within the Nyungwe National Park area and lies in a tea plantation on the edge of the Nyungwe rain forest. The lodge has 24 luxurious suites, a bistro with an outdoor heated swimming pool, and boma for outdoor dining and sundowners. The lodge also offers the latest in Wi-Fi technology with exclusive conferences facilities accommodating up to 18 delegates. Ngorongoro in Tanzania success raises sustainability questionsLast year almost 454,000 visitors enter Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania. However, this year about 550,000 visitors will come to Ngorongoro and concern about the negative impact of rising visitor numbers on this world heritage is growing. It is doubtful that increased entrances fee alone will help to put a cap on visitor numbers. To compound matters further the growing number of Masai and their livestock living in the conservation area have increased the pressure on the delicate environment. Kenya's Coast tourism is under performingKenya's Coast Tourism, the main attraction for visitors to Kenya over the years, is suffering from lack of product innovation, declining charter frequency and beach boys menace. Annual performance data by the Kenya Tourist Board showed a drop of 30% of international visitors to the coast. Kenya Tourist Board will start a new media campaign in Europe. The Jambo campaign is expected to run for six months both on BBC and Euromedia. The Jambo campaign has been funded by the European Union which has spent about Euro 6 million for KTB’s marketing activities. 7000 zebra and wildebeest to be moved to Amboseli to restock after droughtThe Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has started the capture and translocation of 7000 zebras and wildebeests to restock Amboseli National Park, with the aim to restore the predator-prey balance following the 2009 drought, the fiercest in 26 years that devastated the Amboseli ecosystem. Lamu in Kenya risks losing world heritage statusLack of fresh water may rob Lamu of the world heritage site status. A study commissioned by the National Museums of Kenya has revealed that the archipelago’s water resources are dwindling at an alarming rate. Water in some of the wells supplying Shella Village is getting saline and is no longer fit for human consumption. New gorilla group in Uganda to visitUganda Wildlife Authority has started to get another group of mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park used to visitors. The "Bikingi" group will be the 8th such group habituated to the presence of visitors. Gorilla tracking is a high profile tourism product of Uganda and will contribute over 50 percent of the overall tourism revenue Visit www.friendagorilla.org for more information. Rwanda to host World Environment Day celebrationsWorld Environment Day (WED) falls each year on 5 June. It is a day when people focus on the environment and it is celebrated in over 100 countries. World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) selected the Rwandan capital of Kigali as the epicenter for this year’s festivities because of its environmental richness, including rare and economically important species such as the mountain gorillas (for more about mountain gorillas), as well as its pioneering transition to a ‘green’ economy. The theme of this year’s Day will be “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” Kenya Airways shinesKenya Airways passed the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations Certification and the airline was declared Business Airline of the Year in Africa. Further InformationNewsletter in Deutsch: www.kenyaonetours.de/news.htm |
|
|
Copyright © 2009 ActiveWEB NZ Ltd, All rights reserved |
||||