PANGANI LINDI MUHEZA RUFIJI HANDENI EAST USAMBARA

MTWARA NEWALA BAGAMOYO KILWA KISARAWE

Living animals;(From www.fao.org)

Tanzania is one of Africa's major sources of wild birds sold on the international market. Over 180 000 birds representing 116 species are exported, mainly to Europe and North America. It is not clear if these species can be considered as miombo species. However, "there is very low return to Tanzania of the true economic value, perhaps only 2­3 percent, as a result of deliberate under-pricing" (Birgham, Chihongo and Chidumayo, 1996).

Tanzania Bird Atlas
Links to other TZ Forest Related Issues

During fieldwork in the Pugu Hills FR during the early eighties it became apparent that threat levels to coastal forest habitats were rapidly increasing and that the Forest Division were not aware of the biological importance of these habitats. Visits to other forests and a literature search during the mid eighties clearly indicated that extensive fieldwork was required to increase our knowledge of these forests. The plight of these forests was one of the reasons behind the founding of the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania and the threats faced by these forest were highlighted in the first issue of MIOMBO, the societies newsletter (Baker 1987).

In collaboration with the Tanzania section of the International Council for Bird protection (ICBP), now BirdLife International, student groups were encouraged and supported to visit different coastal forests. In 1989 this encouragement and support was extended to the Society for Scientific Exploration (Frontier) who began a systematic multidisciplinary project to investigate selected forests in 3 coastal regions. The results of this activity have been widely published in a variety of journals and summarised in a series of reports issued by Frontier. Clarke (1995), Clarke and Dickinson (1995) and Clarke and Stubblefield (1995). These have been updated and brought together in a single IUCN publication, Burgess and Clarke (in press), the compilation and publication of which ran parallel to this Important Bird Area inventory.

The following site accounts highlight the fact that although only a small number of forests have been investigated the biological richness of these forests is of global importance and ALL should be protected. The Important Bird Areas in Kenya (Bennun and Njoge 1999) includes 6 coastal forest sites smaller than 300ha yet the present knowledge of Tanzanian coastal forests excludes some 400,000ha of existing forest reserves and perhaps a further 60,000ha of forest not yet gazetted.

Of particular concern is the low level of protection offered to these forests by existing legislation, designed in the main part to control logging of commercial timber species. In the following site accounts two forests are recommended for elevation to the status of National Park but this is based as much on the proximity to urban centres (Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo and Tanga) and other protected areas (Sadani Game Reserve) as on the need to protect biological diversity. A recent survey of the bird species found within National Parks totals 847 (77%) of the 1104 species known from Tanzania (Baker unpublished data). The only globally important habitat type lacking any formal protection is closed canopy coastal forest. Clearly, this omission should be corrected as soon as possible and due consideration should be given to the more remote forests in the south-east of the country despite their isolation from traditional tourists routes. Conservation of biological diversity at these sites must be given priority over shorter term commercial considerations. Tourism activity in coastal areas will no doubt increase in the future when combining forest and beach related activities becomes a viable option.

It is strongly recommended that the feasibility of establishing large (many thousands of hectares) commercial plantations of Melicia excelsa (Mvule) be investigated at the earliest possible opportunity. Research plots have been established for many years at Mombo and elsewhere and the expertise exists in Tanzania to develop such plantations. What is urgently required is long term foreign investment and the necessary political will.