1100 visit Murchison Falls National Park as eclipse boosts tourism in Uganda

Murchison Falls National Park registered 11,260 visitors during the recent hybrid eclipse excitement and bagged shs100m in entry fees in three days, said the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) tourism warden, Joshua Masereka.

Tourism generated $1b (about 2.7 trillion) in 2012, according to a recent World Ban study. This is about 38% of exports, and it generated 56% of GDP, making it the biggest source of income.
“The lodges in the park were all booked to capacity and tour operators such as Mpolampola and Jangu Kampala had brisk business,” said Maseruka.
“After the eclipse, the tourists saw the animals, birds and the vegetation Murchison Falls National Park is endowed with.”
UWA Executive Director Andrew Seguya said the guest list is expected to increase since the park’s Baker’s Trail was recently voted among the top 20 in the world.
“If it is appealing in a raw form, you should expect many more tourists upon completion,” Seguya said.
Nile Safari Lodge manager Davidson Kinyera said the eclipse gave Uganda exposure in a new perspective.
“Our accommodation, wines and food were on demand in October, which has always been low season,” he noted.
“Other than the eclipse, our guests were awed by the mighty Murchison Falls, the animals and a variety of vegetation:.
Kinyera adds that there is also spot fishing at Murchison Falls National Park with records of catches weighing more than 108kg.
“Spot fishing is a challenge for anglers who prefer to do it right on the banks”, says Kinyera.
“The strong current and highly oxygenates waters help breed huge Nile Perche, which gives the tourists a chance to make a record breaking catch.
A 120km game drive is evidence of the rejuvenation of elephants, bush bucks and antelopes. They compete for space with buffaloes, hippos and hyenas.
“The hunting of wild animals is as old as mankind in Uganda,” says Seguya, but adds that hunting animals for meat and skins has never been a threat to wildlife as poaching today.
The threat stems from the skyrocketing price of ivory and an increase in the number of foreigners. Arrests of foreigners in transit with ivory, scales and birds have been made at Entebbe Airport several times.
“Every effort is being made to protect our wildlife,” Seguya says.
Tours and Safaris to Murchison Falls National Park

  3 Days Murchison Falls National Park safari tour (with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary)

  3 days Murchison Falls National Park tour holiday and Chimpanzees (with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary  in Budongo/ Kaniyo Pabidi safari )

  1 day Chimps trek in Budongo Forest Kaniyo-Pabidi, Murchison Falls National Park with primates and lots of birds

  2 days Chimps trek in Budongo Forest Kaniyo-Pabidi, Murchison Falls National Park with primates and lots of birds (with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary)

  2 days Murchison Falls National Park tour and Game Safari (with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

OIL ACTIVITIES NOT INTERFERING WITH WILDLIFE

The UWA Executive Director Andrew Seguya has said that oil activities are not interfering with wildlife in the Albertine graben.

This is contrary to the information from other UWA officials who say that the activities going on in the Albertine have greatly affected wildlife in the area.

The officials in their presentations at two different foras said that there has been death of animals due to poisonous chemicals used during drilling which have found their way into the ground and into the water drank by the animals.

The officials also said that the ongoing activities have greatly restricted their movements in the national parks adding that the noise and vibrations of machines is greatly affecting them.
But Seguya says that those activities are no different from the other usual activities carried out by the park rangers or the noise made by tourists’ trucks in the protected areas. He said that there were challenges even before commencement of oil activities but what matters is how the challenges are handled.

He says that an oil unit has been set up in the strategic plan running from 2013-2018 to principally devise mitigation measures that need to be taken.
He added that rangers have been trained and deployed where exploration and drilling is taking place. A 24 hour team which is composed of UWA staff, staff from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and staff from the Petroleum Exploration and Exploration Department is responsible.

He said that he is confident that the challenges will be resolved because the oil companies are doing their part responsibly and that he is satisfied with their response.
In their presentations the, officials said that oil companies pay these rangers subsequently making it challenging for them to supervise their bosses.
But Seguya denied that the oil companies pay rangers. He said that what they do is pay UWA for the services it renders to them which he says is a basic principal of conservation called the polluter pays principle.
But the Projects Manager for Energy and Climate Change at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)Robert Damulira says the impacts are now minimal and can probably be contained. But he doubts UWA’s competence in mitigating the medium term and long term impacts.

Damulira told our correspondent that the government and UWA in particular need to strengthen their policies and put some places in that region strictly off limits. He said for example the Albert-Nile Delta which is important to animals for mainly water need to be demarcated as off limits adding that he hopes that UWA and government will not be deceived by oil money to destroy Uganda’s important sector.
70 percent of the countries Protected Areas are in the Albertine and 50 percent of the oil wells lie with in these Protected Areas.

UGANDA TOURISM MINISTRY EMBARKS ON FENCING GAME PARKS

Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities has embarked on fencing and digging trenches around the Murchison national parks to contain marauding animals. The affected districts include Nwoya, Amuru, Moyo.
Communities neighboring Murchison national park have for long accused Uganda Wildlife Authority-UWA and Ministry of Tourism of negligence and failure to control the animals.

However, the ministry says it has embarked on a comprehensive program to fence off the park to deter animals from crossing into the crop fields. George Owoyesigire, the Acting Principal Wildlife Officer says he has personally been monitoring the digging of trenches in the Murchison National Park and the success rate is between 70-80 percent.
He says with such high success rate, more trenches will be dug to deter the elephants from crossing to the gardens. Owoyesigire says apart from the trenches, the ministry is also experimenting the mixture of red pepper, used oil, chain-link and constructing buffalo walls to tame the animals.
Owoyesigire however says the biggest challenge in Murchison is the high water table and rocky nature that prevents them from constructing the trenches. He says the ministry is devising other means to use where the soils collapse easily because of the high water table.

MURCHISON FALLS FERRY GROUNDED

MURCHISON FALLS FERRY GROUNDED

The Murchison Falls Ferry is undergoing repairs to enhance Visitor safety. It was grounded on the 22nd October in order to install New ferry Pontoons. The ferry is expected to resume its routes on the 1st of November 2013. Tour Operators are advised to use the Karuma route for activities on the Northern Bank .
According to UWA, the contractor has been briefed to expedite the works so that it doesn't interfere with the preparations for the eclipse events.

UWA regrets all inconveniences it may have caused!!!

For any unusual challenges, contact the Conservation Area Manager, for Murchison Falls National Park, Mr. Tom Okello on 0772 550 294 and Tourism Warden , Joshua Masereka on 0783 482 298.

USD$10,000 Raised in Murchison Falls Annual Fishing Tournament

by Ivan Wassaaka 

US Dolars $1000 Raised as 50 competitors and 21 boats battle in the 2013 Murchison Falls Fishing Competition which will now go in equal terms to the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Conservation Foundation, to allow these two organizations to fund projects with the proceeds.
 
The annual Murchison Falls Invitational Fishing Tournament, which was held last week, bringing together some 50 competitors in over 20 boats, produced some fine fishing results but also, once again, raised much needed funds for conservation. Over 10.000 US Dollars was raised from sponsorships, which will now go in equal terms to the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Uganda Conservation Foundation, to allow these two organizations to fund projects with the proceeds.
The winner produced an astonishing 96.7 kilograms combined catch, including the biggest single fish with 80 kilograms, being a giant Nile Perch, which the first and second runner up still clocked 92.4 and 90.4 kilograms respectively.

UWA also benefited from two donated motorcycles, to be used for mobile patrols by game wardens across the park. One of the winners of the motor bike, one Piet de Jong, spontaneously donated the motorbike to UWA when he was given the surprise prize from Toyota Uganda, the agents of Yamaha in the country, while the second bike was as a result of this gesture donated by the SAB Miller which had a team participate in the event.

Uganda is one of Africa’s ultimate fishing destinations with one third of the country covered by water. Sport fishing Uganda is carried out on Lake Victoria, Murchison Falls National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. Popular catches include; Nile Perch (Lates niloticus), Tilapia, Tiger fish, Ferocious fighter, Cat fish and Barbel.

Fishing on the Nile, between the falls and the Nile River delta on Lake Albert, is becoming a popular activity for tourists, who can obtain a daily or weekly fishing license from the Uganda Wildlife Authority, often facilitated by the lodge they are staying at, and boat and equipment hire is possible on site too, even though the aficionados of fishing regularly bring their own rods along. Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest part and geographically divided into the two sections above and below the Nile Falls, which have the entire river squeeze through a 7 metre wide gap and fall 48 metres down, before the river then meanders along towards Lake Albert where it changes name from the Victoria Nile to the Albert Nile, before again being renamed into the White Nile when entering South Sudan at Nimule. Congrats to the winners and visit www.ugandawildlife.org for more information about Uganda’s 10 national parks.

New bird sightings in Murchison Falls National Park

Goods News reaching us here from a bird guide George Kafu at Murchison Falls is the presence of Pel's Fishing Owl and African Finfoot at Chobe River near Chobe Lodge.

He has just seen the Owl a few minutes ago on a walk around the Lodge area. The records for this bird at Murchison Falls have been reducing and making if very rare. 

Any one going there can give it a try. 

Chobe River is on the eastern part of the Park and is easily accessible.