MAPUTO, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The Mozambican government said on Wednesday that it seized 4,394 kg of ivory, 190 kg of rhino horns, and other trophies from the year 2014 to 2019.
Minister of Land and Environment Ivete Maibase announced the figures during the launch of a campaign against poaching in Maputo, a day after the World Wildlife Day.
"There is a need to combat poaching fiercely, as part of preserving wildlife species," she said.
Over the past five years, the minister said, 1,682 offenders were "neutralized," 30,916 traps deactivated, and around 500 weapons confiscated, Maibase said.
The campaign, "Poaching steals from all of us," was designed to raise public awareness for the prevention and fight against poaching, to combat trafficking in wildlife products, and to boost ecotourism.
Mozambique's conservation areas cover about 25 percent of its territory, including seven national parks and seven national reserves.
