Tanzania has reversed a controversial decision to lift a ban on wildlife exports that sparked outrage in the East African country.
The ban, imposed in 2016, was put in place to safeguard the country’s protected animal and bird species that were being illegally shipped abroad, according to the government.
On Saturday, however, wildlife authorities announced that they were lifting the ban for an initial period of six months, from 6 June to 5 December, to allow traders to “clear stocks of animals” that they couldn’t sell under the ban.
On Sunday, Tourism Minister Pindi Chana reinstated the ban, saying further consultations were underway.
“There was an announcement which permitted the export of wildlife but as a responsible minister, I immediately stop this. There will be no exporting of live animals as we consult further and until the government decides otherwise.” Tourism Minister Pindi Chana.
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