The Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife (MINFOF), through her Lebialem Divisional Delegation and the Environment and Rural Development Foundation (ERuDeF) have mapped out new strategies to combat anthropogenic threats in and around protected and proposed protected areas within the Lebialem Highlands. The areas include the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, Tofala-Mone Forest Corridor and the Proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary.
Shancho Ndimuh
The new law enforcement strategies, which vary with each of the sites, were arrived at during a mid-term anti-patrol and bimonitoring evaluation workshop, which took place, August 10, 2017, at the ERuDeF Institute of Biodiversity and Non-Profit Studies.
At the level of the Tofala Hill Wildlife Sanctuary, the team constituting of the Lebialem Devisional Delegate of Forestry and Wildlife, the President/CEO of ERuDeF the Conservator of Tofala, ERuDeF Biologists and other staff, Government and local rangers, resolved to identify farm owners as well as geo-reference all farms within the protected area beginning September 2017. Also, the team agreed to jointly carry out continuous sensitization in adjacent communities, with quit notices placed on farms, sign posts planted at the Sanctuary boundaries and regular patrol embarked on by both the Government and local Eco-guards. Meanwhile the Conservator of Tofala, Amin Thomas, promised to develop project proposal requesting funds from MINFOF to support boundary demarcations. These were identified as key measures to combat encroachment into the protected area.
As far poaching and illegal logging are concerned, law enforcement was going to be intensified. This was to be done via the identification and sensitization of poachers and illegal loggers on the wildlife law. Seizures/removal of traps and snares and chain saws, arrest/prosecution, destruction of hunters hurt/collection of used gun shells as well as regular patrol were also to be intensified. Meanwhile the President /CEO of ERuDeF Louis Nkembi promised to prioritise farmers and poachers within the protected area in his organisation’s livelihood and economic development supports.
At the proposed Mak-Betchou Wildlife Sanctuary, community rangers were implored to work as a team with at least a staff from the Lebialem Divisional Delegation of MINFOF to always accompany them on regular basis during bio-monitoring. The Divisional Delegate on her part, promised to make arrangements with the Fon of Lebang for the village sensitization meeting to be effected in his village. This meeting according her, will culminate in the holding of a Divisional Commission meeting for the protected area before the end of September 2017.
Regarding the sustainable management of the Tofala Mone forest corridor, the Conservator of Tofala promised to work with the MINFOF Delegation of Lebialem and Manyu, in collaboration with SEFECAM, to ensure that community forests number 3 and 4 are created with support from ERuDeF and other partners
The law enforcement strategies put in place, come to fight against human threats identified after biomonitoring by ERuDeF and MINFOF staff between January and June, 2017 within the Lebialem Highlands Conservation Complex. These activities are part of ERuDeF’s efforts in collaboration with her financial and technical partners to assist the Cameroon Government in the long term management of wildlife resources in the Lebialem Highlands Conservation Complex.
