Beginning of the end for Selous?

[Rafiki]

I came upon this article while doing some trip planning for a return to Tanzania. It's very disheartening but I can't say surprising. Tanzania has signed on to the Chinese "Belts and Roads" initiative which in itself will be a disaster for the people and environment. I was there a little over a year ago and saw a large Chinese building project in a rural area. I have friends there and they also have told of projects including the dam that will flood large areas of Selous. Other parts of this famous game reserve have been appropriated for photo "safaris" only.

The linked article is an eye opener and there are some other links within it that are worth a read.

The End of the Game | Sports Afield

sportsafield.com

 

[VertigoBE]

Thanks for sharing @Rafiki
I fear that this story will repeat itself more and more often going in the future. Without any opinion on possible fraud, bribery and other shenanigans, I fear it will be ever more difficult for developing and highly populated countries to keep well-financed outsiders away. Even disregarding if one were to have nefarious motivations, if you were to be at the head of a few 10's of millions of people that are still quite empoverished, why wouldn't you try to develop economically, with tourism, hotels, super markets and all those other markers of civilization. And if nature needs to step aside for a dam, a mine, agriculture, etc. who are hunters to say how they should use their natural resources.

Hunter's dollars will not be able to compete with those kind of financial incentives. Unless some version of the SA model can be implemented, it will be hard to resist outside financiers.

 

[Greenhorn]

This is very sad to hear and see. Talking to local PH's there seems to be a lot of Chinese influence in African countries as of late.

 

[Neil Molendyk]

The only good thing to ever come out of China is well:NOTHING!

 

[ShaneLyle]

There is an article in the WSJ this week that speaks to this issue. Many of the countries that booked deals with the Chinese are now seeing them fail from poor planning, process and technique. There is a new project the US is supporting with $250M in financing to swing the opinions back the other way. Here is a link.

https://www.wsj.com/world/africa/angola-africa-china-us-railroad-f0e23523?page=1

 

[DPHunter4570]

Does not bode well, that's for sure. Seems like we humans never learn.

 

[Amphibious]

I worked in Guinea, Sierra Leon, and Liberia in ~2014/15 during the Ebola thing. We spent a lot of time in the very remote areas of those countries and even back then were astonished by the amount of Chinese influence.

From our talks with the "well connected" locals, it was said to be happening all over Africa. Second wave of communist expansion in Africa no doubt

 

[Scott CWO]

Makes me sick!

 

[spike.t]

The dam in the selous I think is either nearing completion or getting there...but not bothered checking ..I brought it up few years ago.....same with the photo areas...not really new.....Chinese just been given the contract to refurbish and upgrade the tanzara railway from Dar to kapiri mposhi in zambia...they built it originally.....Chinese have the contract to upgrade the Lusaka ndola road to dual carriage way , and run it with tolls to get money back.....they also have to maintain it...might actually make them build a decent road for once if they liable for upkeep....but won't hold my breath on that....yeah as I havev said people don't realise how imbeded the Chinese are even into the rural areas.......and they don't do anything for nothing or the goodness of their hearts......

 

[Philip Glass]

I don't see a date but this article is several years old. I would be interested to know more about the dam.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Thursday, Jan. 25: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s four-country tour of Africa proceeds to its final stop: Angola. Blinken has been pitching African nations on U.S. military aid as an alternative to Russia’s Wagner Group. In Angola, high on the agenda will be continuing the Lobito Corridor railway initiative, a key linkup to get elements such as cobalt and copper that are vital to building electric car batteries into Western markets.

 

[Rimbaud]

China is using cheap debt all over the world to try to corral commodities. Many nations have been unable to pay the debt as the very reasons the nations struggle are the same that make them unreliable contra-parties. China is arguably a bit stretched itself, and facing extraordinary financial strains at home. The world is very much in play in ways that are not obvious and in ways that will surely challenge China's empire building. Belt and Road initiative sounds great, but they have arguably failed to produce anything material beyond talking points for the communist party.

 

[Tex .416]

Have not checked its status recently, but China keeps pushing to build a massive highway, rail line, and infrastructure corridor from Lake Victoria to the coast. It will cut through the heart of the Serengeti, destroying the migration path that is the cycle of life.

China’s development in Africa, South America, and Central America has zero to do with helping local communities. It is solely to plunder resources for use in China. Several Tanzanians complained bitterly to me they would much prefer to have the Brits come back as the Brits at least employed local citizens, built schools, dug water wells, and helped local communities. The Chinese mostly bring their own workers and run things solely for their own benefit.

 

[Chukardogs]

Many years ago I worked in Guatemala and Honduras in the heavy equipment arena. I personally saw some of the roads that Chinese companies built. One of them was less than 5 years old and it was little better than the Oregon trail after that short amount of time. There were kids filling in the potholes as you pulled up to them. They would ask for change and then in the rear view mirror you could see them digging out the potholes. So in a way, maybe the Chinese were helping the locals.

 

[thi9elsp]

In 2016 while in Mozambique there was an issue where the government tried to keep the Chinese to the contract for one of the big contracts. Might have been the port or a bridge. So, the Chinese stopped working on that project along with the other one until Mozambique relented and the contract continued. Also, while hunting in Niassa, our PH talked about how bad the Chinese smugglers were in the area looking for gemstones as well as poaching elephants for the ivory. The US government missed the boat 20 years ago in not working with the various countries and supporting them. I believe trying to play catchup is a losing battle.

 

[poco]

Thursday, Jan. 25: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s four-country tour of Africa proceeds to its final stop: Angola. Blinken has been pitching African nations on U.S. military aid as an alternative to Russia’s Wagner Group. In Angola, high on the agenda will be continuing the Lobito Corridor railway initiative, a key linkup to get elements such as cobalt and copper that are vital to building electric car batteries into Western markets.

China & Angola this highway & railway thing is a major issue and the USA was at the bus Station when that ship sailed, China probably will ramrod that through to whatever port they can buy on the eastern coast
Djibouti was the 1st step
“‘The People's Liberation Army Support Base in Djibouti is a military base operated by China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), located in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa. It is the PLAN's first overseas military base and was built at a cost of US$590 million.

 

[Rafiki]

I don't see a date but this article is several years old. I would be interested to know more about the dam.

I have friends in TZ. One of them ran Tiger Fishing Safaris and according to him that is in the toilet now because of the dam. I don't know if it is because of the reservoir or the water quality but I'll ask.

 

[flatwater bill]

When I was a boy, the population of Tnz was about 7 million. It is now almost 70 million. Wildlife WILL be pushed aside....the median age is 17. Not much collective wisdom in a country of kids..........hunt soon.........FWB

 

[Hank2211]

The only good thing to ever come out of China is well:NOTHING!

Without trying to start something, I note that without the Chinese, we hunters would have a problem. We’d all still be using bows and arrows (which I’m no good at), since the Chinese invented gunpowder . . . and, of course, the paper most things, including money, are printed on.

I have no brief for China - in fact I believe that country to be much more of a threat to our way of life than, say, Russia - but I don’t get mad at them for acting in their own best interests around the world. As a Zimbabwean friend told me when I asked about a Chinese mining development there: “the Chinese give us money . . . The Americans give us lectures.”

I could go on, but don’t want this to become a thread about politics . . . (that one is too long as it is).

 

[Nevada Mike]

For many years I owned a beach house in Jamaica. About 10 years ago the Chinese funded and constructed a new. modern highway from near Montego Bay (near the west end of the island) to Kingston (near the east end of the island). It made a significant impact on the transport of people, goods, and services on the island and charges a toll to assist in paying a return to the investors. The only 'resource' that Jamaica has that might be of interest to the Chinese is Bauxite (and alumina), which were developed and controlled primarily by Canadian and American companies. This is one of the principal exports of Jamaica.

I sold my beach house a few years ago but still maintain contacts on the island.