Efforts to rid Malawi of Wildlife poaching and illegal trafficking have been successful, as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) has an announced that poaching and illegal trafficking are crimes that are 50% lesser since 2016.

DNPW Director Brighton Kumchedwa revealed that reviewing the wildlife law is one of the measures that have been put in place to further curb poaching and illegal trafficking. According to Kumchedwa, the reviewed law has stiffer penalties to the said crimes.

“Currently, poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking are taking place at a declining rate as we are able to contain the acts in most protected areas such as Kasungu National Park, Liwonde and Majete Game Reserves” he said, in comparison to prior years when the situation was at its worst.

In June 2018, the Malawi Parliamentary Conservation Caucus (MPCC) and its cooperating stakeholders hailed the amended National Parks and Wildlife Act, saying it is proving much effective in the protection of Malawi’s listed, endangered and protected wildlife.