DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania on Sunday announced that it will not issue new hunting permits to tourist hunting firms that failed to settle payments with villages in their areas of activities.

Constantine Kanyasu, the Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, said in the northern tourist city of Arusha that no hunting permits will be renewed for firms that defied the regulation.

Kanyasu was reacting after residents of 23 villages in Longido district had complained that some hunting firms breached their contracts by failing to settle their dues with local authorities.

Speaking during a joint meeting with the minister, representatives of the 23 villages claimed that about 143,000 U.S. dollars was owed to them by a hunting firm which conducted hunting activities in their areas but has not been paying the villages their stipulated dues.

A total of 47 firms have been granted hunting licences in various parts of the country and they are supposed to pay 25 percent of their earnings from tourist hunting to the surrounding villages.

The government would only renew operating licences for hunting firms and photographic safari firms after they pay their arrears, which is supposed to be invested in community development projects, to the villages from previous years' activities, said Kanyasu.

He warned if a company fails to pay hunting fees to the villages, then it automatically disqualifies itself from operating in the country. Enditem

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