Harare - A SUSPECTED poacher was shot and seriously injured while in possession of two rhino horns at Matusadonha National Park as the National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority intensify operation to avert poaching.

The authority's public relations manager Retired Major Edward Mbewe yesterday said parks staff also managed to recover a 303 rifle and two pairs of ivory.

The suspected poacher was recuperating in hospital under police guard.

In a separate incident parks staff arrested 16 fish poachers at Lake Chivero who were in possession of more than 400kg of fish. The poachers were fined and released.

"The major problem we have is the fines are not deterrent. The same people are coming back. As a result we now want to maintain a database to know the habitual poachers in our parks.

"A poacher might come today, get arrested and pay his fine, tomorrow he might not come but will pitch up the following day.

"During our operation we discovered that too many people were using poaching as their source of livelihood. We also noticed that fish poachers had established connections with people in the area and that the fines were not deterrent," Retired Major Mbewe said.

This year, he said, the authority will be conducting awareness programmes to conscientise Zimbabweans on the importance of wildlife.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200801150166.html