The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has expressed concern that the population of large animals continues to decline in Shire Valley’s Elephant Marsh due to human activities.
Lower Shire Division Manager, Alick Makanjira, said in an interview on Monday that, due to increased pressure on natural resources, most of the indigenous animals and plants are being depleted at an alarming rate.
“Elephant Marsh in the Lower Shire used to be home to elephants and other animals; hence, the name (Elephant Marsh). But today, most of them face extinction due to human activities such as encroachment and poaching,” Makanjira said.
He underscored the need for stakeholders to collaborate so that the wetlands are restored and managed properly.
Last year, Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, also called the Ramsar Convention, declared the Elephant Marsh an internationally recognised wetland.
The convention is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their resources.
Malawi became party to the convention in 1997.
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