Mozambique: Happy belated 65th anniversary dear Gorongosa National Park!
Mozambique: ANAC officer wins Prince William Award for Conservation
11:51 CAT | 23 Nov 2019
Photo: Twitter / @tusk_org
The Director of Protection and Law Enforcement Services within the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC), Carlos Lopes Pereira, has won the Prince William Award for Conservation in Africa 2019 in recognition of his work to protect Mozambique’s national heritage.
Carlos Lopes Pereira received the award for lifetime achievement from Prince William at a ceremony in London on Thursday.
He studied veterinarian medicine at the University of Eduardo Mondlane (UEM) before taking up various positions in conservation. In particular, he has played a leading role in managing the conflict between humans and wildlife and was instrumental in the reintroduction of animals in the Gorongosa National Pak and the Niassa National Reserve alongside the building of the capacity of rangers to counter poaching.
In his current position, he coordinates ANAC’s protection and surveillance service and has worked to develop the country’s legal framework for biodiversity conservation. In addition, he coordinates the key institutions involved in the fight against poaching and trafficking in wildlife products. During this period, the government has brought in stiffer sentences for poaching and smuggling, and sniffer dogs have been introduced to Maputo airport.
“Earlier today, Catherine and I spent some time with the #TuskAwards nominees and finalists. Their bravery, single-minded determination, and commitment to African conservation is deeply deeply humbling.” — The Duke of Cambridge@Tusk_org #ForAllTheyDo pic.twitter.com/KcPrlMi17P
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 21, 2019
Reacting to the award, the Director-General of ANAC, Mateus Mutemba, commented that his colleague “is a very dedicated professional who is very well qualified and has high ethical standards. He has a contagious passion for nature to which he has dedicated his knowledge and energy over many years”.
The international non-governmental organisation the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) pointed out that “Carlos is the embodiment of a true conservationist. As Director of Protection and Law Enforcement Services within the National Administration of Conservation Areas (ANAC) in Mozambique, he is a tireless fighter and champion for Mozambique’s wildlife and its spectacular wild places. Mozambique has seen a remarkable turnaround in the Niassa National Reserve, where no elephants have been poached since May of 2018. This incredible success is due to a collaborative effort with ANAC, WCS, and concession operators in the park, combined with deployment of a special police rapid intervention unit; enhanced equipping and training of rangers; satellite-tracking collaring of elephant herds; providing surveillance; and tough new sentencing of poachers”.
ALSO READ: Meet the man fighting against poaching in Mozambique
Congratulations to Carlos Lopes Pereira – Save the Rhino
It continued, “for almost 40 years, Carlos has made outstanding contributions to his country’s wildlife protection efforts in many different respects – from veterinary achievements, to law enforcement efforts, to wildlife translocation programs. WCS is extremely proud of Carlos’s dedication to conservation, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with him and his team in the coming years”.
We have to move faster and more effectively to find ways to balance our demands on this planet ? with the nature ? we share it with. #TuskAwards #ForAllTheyDo pic.twitter.com/cAEYY4hLJ4
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) November 22, 2019
At the awards ceremony, Prince William lamented that “climate change, human population growth, exploitation of natural resources, and habitat loss all pose major threats to the precious balance of our natural world”. He added, “my generation and those following are acutely aware that we cannot simply carry on as we are. We have to move faster and more effectively to find ways to balance our demands on this planet with the nature we share it with”.
ANAC is a public institution created by the government to administer national parks and reserves, Coutadas (official hunting areas leased to private operators), wildlife farms, and other conservation areas. In Mozambique, conservation areas cover just over 18 million hectares which is about a quarter of the national territory. It is composed of seven national parks, seven national reserves, one environmental protection area, twenty Coutadas, fifty wildlife farms, and three community conservation areas.
The inspiring line up of nominees and winners from tonight’s #TuskAwards, L-R: Jeneria Lekilelei from Kenya, Benson Kanyembo from Zambia, Tomas Diagne from Senegal, Dr Carlos Lopes Pereira from Mozambique and Dr Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka from Uganda. @tusk_org pic.twitter.com/1vTeLZysj4
— Emily Nash (@emynash) November 21, 2019
Source: AIM
Show comments
Also read
Leave a Reply
Be the First to Comment!
You must be logged in to post a comment.
You must be logged in to post a comment.