Mankessim (C/R), Aug 12, GNA - Hunters in the Central Region have appealed to the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission to make acquisition of licence for hunting accessible to hunters.

A spokesman for the hunters and traders in bush meat, Mr Patrick Essuman, said restricting the issuance of the licence to the National Parks and the few offices of the Wildlife Division was encouraging hunting without permit.

Making the appeal at the launch of 2010 close season for hunting organised by Wildlife Division at Mankessim, Mr Essuman suggested involving District Assemblies in the issuing of the licence just as the Assemblies were allowed to issue permit for bush meat trading.

First August to 1st December every year has been set aside by the Division to ban hunting and killing of wild animals except grass cutters.

Mr Daniel Kwamena Ewur, Kakum National Park Manager, said the four-month ban on hunting was to protect the animals when they breed.

Nana Kofi Adu-Nsiah, Executive Director, Wildlife Division said the Forests Service Division managed 280 reserves countrywide which covers 26,700 kilometres squared of 11 per cent of the country's land surface.

He said the Wildlife Division managed 22 protected areas of over 13,489.6 kilometres squared.

In addition to the state managed protected areas, large numbers of traditionally managed sacred groves and burial groves are found throughout the country.

The Wildlife Division has an estate of 18 terrestrial sites and five coastal Wetlands or Ramsar sites as protected areas for conservation of the country's biological resources.

He said the Terrestrial sites include seven National Parks, six Resource Reserves, one strict Nature Reserve and four Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Nana Adu-Nsiah said the annual volume of bush meat harvested by hunters was estimated at 384,992 tons worth 350 million dollars, whilst total annual bush meat consumption stood at 225,287 tons valued at 205 million dollars.

He cautioned against the use of poisonous chemicals for hunting and said the Division was considering game ranching, game farming and wildlife domestication as a way of sustaining and development of the bush meat trade.