OREANDA-NEWS.   Mantra Tanzania, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mantra Resources Pty Limited, the stake in which is managed by Uranium One Holding, and the Wildlife Division of Tanzanian Ministry of National Resources and Tourism signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which calls for both sides to cooperate closely in combating illegal elephant poaching in the southern part of the Selous Game Reserve in the immediate vicinity of the Mkuju River project.

The MOU establishes a committee composed on a parity basis and responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring joint anti-poaching programs, as well as for liaising with a wide variety of stakeholders, including representatives from all levels of government, local communities, hunting concessions, and non-governmental organizations.

The parties have agreed that Mantra will invest USD 800,000 in 2014 in anti-poaching activities, with further programs developed and approved annually.

“This MOU is an important part of our broader, system-wide campaign to combat poaching in the Selous Game Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage site, implemented in cooperation with the Tanzanian government,” said Vadim Jivov, President of Uranium One Holding. “We believe that our joint efforts will help to protect the country's unique wildlife, making the Mkuju River project a model of responsible approach to mining.”

Since the launch of its anti-poaching initiative in 2013, Mantra has provided funding to train and equip 20 game wardens who regularly patrol the assigned area of 20,000 km2 adjacent to the Mkuju River project site. Aerial surveillance of the area using unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with night vision cameras, GPS navigation, and video transmitters is also in place, with light aircraft or gyrocopters planned to be used in the future.

Mkuju River is a uranium development project in southern Tanzania. The project’s mineral resource base totals approximately 58.5 thousand tons of uranium. Uranium One Inc. is the operator of the Mkuju River project.