LUSAKA. Environmental conservationists have petitioned members of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to boycott the general assembly scheduled to be hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe in August this year if the Zambian government allows mining activities in a national park, the Post of Zambia reported on Friday. Conservationist have opposed the Zambian government’s decision to award a mining license to an Australian firm, Zambezi Resources Limited, to conduct mining activities in the lower Zambezi National Park, saying it will have negative implications not only on the animals but a river which passes through the park.  According to the petition sent to all 154 UNWTO members and posted on www.change.org, the petitioners have reminded the UNWTO members, including Zambia and Zimbabwe, to abide by the organization’s code of ethics that recognize ecotourism as key in the fight against poverty.The petition has accused the government of President Michael Sata of failing to uphold the rejection of a massive open-pit mining project in the national park through the country’s environmental regulator, the Zambian Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA).