Stop the Serengetti Highway

I have recently joined a facebook page called Stop the Serengetti Highway. You can find it here
https://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=195614&id=263755115498#!/pages/STOP-THE-SERENGETI-HIGHWAY/125601617471610?ref=ts

On May 24th a story broke on eturbo news: (http://www.eturbonews.com/16327/new-arusha-musoma-road-route-through-serengeti) saying that Tanzania's National Parks Authority, after fighting against this for a long time, seem to have done an about face and approved plans to build a road in 2012 that cuts straight through the Serengeti, through the wildebeest migration route and that of many other species including elephant.

This road MUST BE STOPPED, otherwise the ecological face of Africa will be changed forever. Everyone in the world, whether they have been there or not, identifies Africa with the great annual migration of herbivores in the East Africa region. It is the engine that helps drive the domestic economies of both Tanzania and Kenya, so it's not just wildlife that will suffer here.

If you have an opinion on this you can: share it here, email the Tanzanian Embassy: ubalozi@tanzaniaembassy-us.org

or email TANAPA: http://www.tanzaniaparks.com/index.html

or: Tanzania Government: tnwinfo@plancom.go.tz
Prime Minister Hon. Mizengo Kayanza Peter Pinda: ps@pmo.go.tz
Minister of infraestructur & Development Hon. Dr. Shukuru Kawambwa: permsec@infraestructure.go.tz
Tanzania Tourism Board: safari@ud.co.tz
Tanzania National Parks: info@tanzaniaparks.com

or: sign the petition: http://www.change.org/petitions/view/stop_the_serengeti_highway

They're having a few problems with petition at the minute but hope to have it up and running shortly. Please share however you can.

Thanks for the link Anne-Marie - just joined via Facebook and will read all your links soonest.

Lai

Thanks AM as soon as they sort the petition out I'm going to sign
WS

Petition up and running now WS

Lai

Anne-Marie, iv'e made this a news flash for you on the home page and will read all and sign the petition when I have walked the boys.

Thank you for posting this, we need as many people as possible to sign this petition or write letters/emails.

littlewid-x-

Anne-Marie, I can't believe they want to do this. I have just signed the petition and I hope lots more people do to.
Thank you for bringing this to the forum and our attention.

littlewid-x-

An informative update from Facebook just now - worth reading and signing the petition if you haven't already. Also worth passing on ..............

http://development.thinkaboutit.eu/think3/post/human_migration_vs_animal_migration/

Lai

Thanks for that Lai it looks as though money, and profit have won over the rights of Animals once again. Why could'nt they have taken the alternative south route.
This is a report from Wild Life Extra
New highway to cut the Serengeti in half?
08/06/2010 16:36:55 Wildebeest migration could be in danger if construction goes ahead
June 2010. Perhaps the best known of all the Game reserves, the Serengeti is contiguous with Kenya's Masai Mara, yet this huge area in Tanzania is six times the size. Most famous for the vast herds of wildebeest that follow a migration route around the Serengeti and into the Masai Mara, and the big cats that accompany them.

However reports now circulating on the web suggest that the Government of Tanzania has given the go ahead for a road to be built right across the Serengeti, potentially blocking the migration route of the wildebeest, threatening the wildlife with a large amount of high speed traffic and providing easy access to many poachers.


Purely constructing the highway will cause untold damage, even if a single vehicle never used it. Heavy construction traffic, pollution, noise, work gangs and vast disruption to the wildlife.

Wildlife Extra has tried to find out more about this, but the Tanzanian Embassy in London had no knowledge of the plan, and the Tanzanian Parks Authority has, as yet, not answered our enquiry.

Consequences for the Masai Mara
If the highway goes ahead, it could potentially halt the famous wildebeest migration which would have dire consequences.

The wildebeest migrate in order to find better grazing, which appears after the rains which move around. If the herds cannot follow the rains, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest could potentially die.
If the wildebeest numbers are massively reduced, the numbers of big cats and other predators will crash in a similar manner.
If the road prevents the wildebeest reaching the Masai Mara, there will be major implications for the environment there, as well as the communities that rely on tourism.


WS

It has been hinted at on facebook that the road may have been planned to facilitate the a new Noor Oil Refinery and Pipeline in Tanzania.

For the Noor Press Release click HERE

Obviously it does not link itself directly to this road, but it makes more sense as I could not understand why on earth they would do such a thing. Like every other contraversy in this world it all comes down to money!

This is my assumption and observation.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

SM

UPDATE:

Just seen this in the Express Newspaper article:

According to a report in a leading Dar es Salaam newspaper, it took the intervention of the Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete for the highway to be approved because of its “economic importance” to the country. The Worldwide Fund for Nature is having discus- sions with the Tanzanian National Parks and other conservation organisations.

One WWF official said: “I have followed the developments keenly. We are working on the best feasibility that will have minimal impacts on this critical ecosystem, including the Serengeti.”

But Pascal Shelutete, spokesman for the Tanzanian National Parks, told the Sunday Express: “The road will be built but there will be no impact on the wildlife in the Serengeti National Park.

“This is a big project and it could not take off without proper studies and research. All these have been done and we have come to the conclusion that there will not be any impact. The project has economic and social benefits for the people of Tanzania.

“This will not be the first national park to have a highway. It is important to stress that the portion passing through the Serengeti National Park will not be Tarmac, it will be a gravel road.”

Firstly, if it is nothing to do with a pipeline how will it be of 'economic and social benefit', when the vast amount of money is needed in areas of health care or education etc.

Secondly, it doesnt matter what it is made out of a road is a road is a road. I have been to the serengeti and gravel through the park would be dangerous. The stones that would be flicked up by the heavy duty vehicles would break windows and injure people and wildlife!

Just my 2 pence worth.

SM I think your right, there is Billions of Dollars in Oil and sadly money will always come out on top over the animals and conservation. It has a bigger earning power than people going to see the migration and therefore they will always argue as to why it's good for the country and will not affect the environment and conservation.
One of my colleagues at work has just returned from Ghana, he freelances to check these kind of things out and he is trying to put a stop/say why a project in Ghana is not suitable/safe but he is coming up against huge battles because it is worth Billions of Dollars.
Oil is such a huge earner you take on the big guns when you fight these kinds of projects and sadly it looks as if they are winning if the Tanzanian president for the Highway is giving it his go ahead.....I wonder whats in it for him because I do wonder if it's ecologically sound.
The animals in the Serengetti have enough to cope with, with Drought, visitors to the park, reduced prey at times without a massive road that could/will bring massive danger with it and one of the biggest risks as WS's article mentioned.....Poachers, it's all so worrying and i'm sure on both sides we are only getting part of the information.

littlewid-x-

Petition signed and Facebook group joined !

LT x

Sadly i think everyone is right but this is one we must watch and support as best we can - it seems we probably only get some of the facts but Facebook seems to have a lot of info on it.

Lai

Another interesting article from the New York Times -



http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/15/road-kill-in-the-serengeti/

Lai

Posted on Facebook just now

STOP THE SERENGETI HIGHWAYSince starting this page our momentum is
averaging 400 people joining per day, to avoid this slowing down, we
urge you to suggest this page to all your friends, even if you already
have. We need greater numbers on the petition to make a difference.
Many thanks

Lai

The African Wildlife Foundation on Facebook have just posted this:

The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) formally opposes the proposed Serengeti highway and has issued an official position statement with alternative routes.

Here is the link to the article:
AWF Opposes Proposed "Serengeti" Highway

SM

There is a huge amount of opposition and everyday more articles are being written and the petition must be leaping ahead, but who knows if it will do any good, we can only hope and keep trying.

Thanks for the link SM

Lai

Doogs has kindly posted Jonathan Scotts blog update in the Blog section, thought it would be nice to mention here that in his blog, Jonathan has commented on the proposed road through the Serengeti.

littlewid-x-

For those that haven't seen the news about the Serengeti here is another link

http://www.savetheserengeti.org/

Lai

Thats a very good site Lai thanks it also has links to sign the petition to stop the road Which I've signed. I have also registered WAA as an organisation that supports stopping the road so we should get regular updates
WS

Good idea WS

Lai

Thanks for the link Lai and Nice one WS.

littlewid-x-

Ok you are probably going to hate me for this but, I do not want to see a road go straight through the Serengeti and impact on the great migration and other animals. Also that non native species of bugs/animals and seeds carried into the area that may take over. That is a big no no.

But and this is a big BUT for me, do we have the right to keep a 3rd world country from progression. Yes I know they can put the road through an alternate route that takes longer. Im just concerned that we are looking at world pressure on a country that is trying to progress and in doing so become dictatorial to a 3rd World Country.

Its a dilemma!

SM

News from the Independent on the proposed Serengeti highway

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/tanzania-yet-to-decide-on-highway-across-serengeti-2026207.html

Lai

Well at least they are saying the decision has'nt been made yet. Although from previous reports the President is in favour. Lets hope all the voices raised in protest at what could be a devastating blow to the wild life if the Serengeti will be taken notice of
Thanks for that news Lai
WS

Sometimes i think like most things the decision is already made - BUT it is always worth trying ......... it certainly is getting plenty of coverage.

Lai