African Parks has said the 2016 amended Environmental Management Act has helped greatly in strengthening security of Malawi’s National Parks and Wildlife Reserves.

Country Director of African Parks, Patricio Ndadzera said prior to the amendment of the act, Malawi was one of the countries in Africa with an increased number of wild life crimes but now the story has changed.

“Wild animals have been under threat in the recent past due to increased cases that includes but not limited to ivory trafficking, entering into a protected area without authorization and killing of different species of wildlife but now since the amendment of the act in December last year things have changed,” Ndadzera told YFM online.

He further said that in the past 12 months past, Malawi has registered wider efforts and achievements in cracking down wildlife crimes courtesy of joint operations by the Malawi Police Service, the Department of Parks and Wildlife and African Parks Malawi.

“We have witnessed several arrests in connection to wildlife crimes, the recent cases being that of a man who is currently serving 18 years jail term for being found guilty of dealing with government trophies,” he said.

Ndadzera asked government and relevant organization to channel enough resources to the wildlife rangers and emigration security enforcers so that they ably deal with an outstanding issue of ivory trafficking which is believed to be practiced with foreigners who are just using Malawi as a transit conduit.