Signature of an agreement on devices ecosystem management of national parks in Congo
— The Congolese government, international non-governmental organization of nature conservation, WCS, industrial Congolese timber (IBC) and the Forest Industry Ouosso (IFFO) signed a memorandum of understanding on the implementation of devices ecosystem management project of national parks, including Nouabalé-Ndoki and Odzala- Kokoua parks in the north of the country, announced Thursday in a statement Brazzaville Official.
The MoU was signed by the Congolese Minister of Forest Economy and Sustainable Development, Henri Djombo, the general director of WCS-Congo, Mark Gately, the Chairman of the IPC Board of Directors, and Robert Hunink Manager IFO Ulrich Gravet. It concerns the sustainable wildlife management in forest concessions Ngombé and Kabo around national parks and Ndoki Nouabalé-Odzala-Kokoua. Following the signing of the protocol, signatories reaffirmed their commitment to deal with problems such as poaching, illegal exploitation of wildlife. Compared to the previous partnership, it gives a lot of autonomy to national parks coordinators. They have many great responsibility, and to secure the elephants in particular and mammals in general. They also have mission of the transparent management of funds from international donors. “The eyes of the international community will be fixed on conservation activities in Congo. WCS will support coordinators in their daily work and act as a partner of the government in the field of conservation, supporting efforts to ensure the management of wildlife in forest concessions,” said Mark Gately. CIB IFO has about 2.5 million hectares of contiguous forests certified by FSC. According to Robert Hunink, these companies are able to work in partnership with government and WCS in the future, in the same spirit of cooperation and transparency. “We’ve been together for several years to preserve the biologically rich,” said Ulricht Gavet. Device Ecosystem Management Project of National Parks is an important instrument including eco-guards that monitor land, fight against poaching. We must take seriously the project” launched Minister Djombo, adding that Congo has the perfect knowledge of its wildlife and its wild flora following the inventory made ??multi resources. The country has important information for mobilizing resources to ensure sound management of its fauna and flora. “The experience gained in this area puts us in front of the environmental scene in Central Africa, because it is the first experience in the Congo Basin where monitoring of fauna and flora is provided by well-trained teams, well disciplined, experienced that guarantee us the results we have gained today,” said Djombo. In 1999, the Congo, CIB and WCS signed for the first time a memorandum of understanding to ensure sustainable wildlife management in forest concessions. On the outskirts of management project in Nouabalé-Ndoki Park was welcomed as a model of conservation. The project enabled the establishment of an eco-garde code with guaranteed security of elephants and other mammals in the concessions; hunting management by employees and local communities; the sustainability of wildlife. With this collaboration in 2007, WCS and the Congolese government launched a similar partnership in concessions managed by the company IFO.