This archive report was first published on 28 August 2021.
On August 12, the Tanzanian Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries issued a letter revoking a provisional permit for Fang Hua Investment Company Ltd's donkey slaughterhouse in Ibadakuli, Shinyanga region.
The move comes after the company failed to establish donkey nucleus farms, a programme for donkey breeding, feeding, housing and disease control as promised in its original action plan.
Animal rights activists have hailed the government's decision as a 'colossal victory' for donkey welfare worldwide.
According to Network for Animals, many of the donkeys were being stolen in Kenya and Uganda and illegally smuggled across the borders.
A Lucrative Trade ¶
The donkey slaughterhouse in Shinyanga is one of two established by Chinese investors in Tanzania to enable a lucrative trade in donkey skins, which are used to extract gelatin for the production of ejiao, a traditional Chinese medicine.
Ejiao is also a key ingredient in Chinese-made tonics and face creams, making it a multimillion-dollar business.
Animal welfare charities have identified Tanzania as one of several African countries targeted by Chinese traders for this purpose.
According to the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency, the country's donkey population has declined significantly in recent years, from 1.5 million in 2016 to 595,000 in 2018.
