Friday, March 9, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
National Tiger Conservation Authority
The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganized management of Project Tiger. and the many Tiger Reserves in India.
Tiger conservation
In June 2007, a detailed survey by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), which used accurate camera traps for counting tigers rather than the more traditional method of counting footprints (pug marks), reported that previous estimates of tiger numbers in India may be hugely optimistic. The landmark report, Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India, published by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, estimates only 1411 adult tigers in existence in India (plus un censused tigers in the Sundarbans).
For example, in the 16 reserves of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh there may be only 490 tigers – a 60% reduction from the 1,233 tigers previously estimated for these areas in 2002. Indeed, the same 2002 survey had claimed that in total, India had 3,500 tigers, whilst the new survey claims that just 1,400 remain.Although India does have good laws governing tiger conservation, there is frustration amongst those working in tiger conservation that these laws are not being adequately implemented. However, initiatives such as Born Free’s community and education work in India are getting good results.
Trans locating villagers out of tiger reserves can be effective too, if sensitively done. The villagers get access to schools and health care and can farm without risk of attack, the tigers’ prey flourishes in the absence of disturbance, and poachers’ activities are harder to disguise. In China, the domestic trade in tiger body parts was banned 14 years ago. However, there are at least 5,000 tigers in tiny cages in China, reportedly just for display.
Nevertheless, farmers seem quite open about the fact that tigers are killed so their body parts can be used for Traditional Medicine. At the CITES conference in June, there was a proposal from China to amend the Convention text governing the trade in tiger parts. This would have effectively given China the go-ahead to trade in ‘parts and derivatives’ from captive bred tigers. Thankfully this proposal was rejected by the CITES Parties, and instead a landmark decision taken, which states that ‘tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts and derivatives.
The most recent audit of wild tigers by the Authority (in early 2008) has estimated the number at 1411 wild tigers - 1165 - 1657 allowing for statistical error - a drop of 60% in the past decade.
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006
The Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 (No. 39 of 2006) has come into force on 4 September 2006. The Act provides for creating the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau).
The implementation over the years has highlighted the need for a statutory authority with legal backing to ensure tiger conservation. On the basis of the recommendations of National Board for Wild Life, a Task Force was set up to look into the problems of tiger conservation in the country. The recommendations of the Task Force, inter Alia include strengthening of Project Tiger by giving it statutory and administrative powers, apart from creating the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. It has also recommended that an annual report should be submitted to the Central Government for laying in Parliament, so that commitment to Project Tiger is reviewed from time to time, in addition to addressing the concerns of local people.The National Tiger Conservation Authority would facilitate MoU with States within our federal set up for tiger conservation. It will provide for an oversight by Parliament as well. Further, it will address livelihood interests of local people in areas surrounding Tiger Reserves, apart from ensuring that the rights of Scheduled Tribes and such other people living nearby are not interfered or adversely affected. The core (critical) and buffer (peripheral) areas have been defined, while safeguarding the interests of Scheduled Tribes and such other forest dwellers.
The functions and powers of the Authority, inter Alia include : approval of Tiger Conservation Plan prepared by States, laying down normative standards for tiger conservation, providing information on several aspects which include protection, tiger estimation, patrolling, etc., ensuring measures for addressing man-wild animal conflicts and fostering co-existence with local people, preparing annual report for laying before Parliament, constitution of Steering Committee by States, preparation of tiger protection and conservation plans by States, ensuring agricultural, livelihood interests of people living in and around Tiger Reserves, establishing the tiger conservation foundation by States for supporting their development.
The Notification of the National Tiger Conservation Authority has been issued on 4 September 2006, for a period of three years, with the Minister for Environment and Forests as its Chairperson and the Minister of State for Environment and Forests as the Vice-chairperson. The official members include Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Chairperson, National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes, Chairperson National Commission for the Scheduled Castes, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Director, Wildlife Preservation, Ministry of Environment and Forests and six Chief Wildlife Wardens (in rotation from Tiger Reserve States) (Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttaranchal). Three Members of Parliament would be nominated by the Parliament. The Ministry of Law and Justice would also be nominating an officer. The Ministry of Environment and Forests is in the process of selecting the eight non-official experts or professionals having prescribed qualifications and experience, of which at least two shall be from the field of tribal development. The Inspector General of Forests in charge of Project Tiger shall be the Member Secretary of the Authority.
The Ministry is in the process of creating the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, invoking the provisions created after the recent amendment. The Bureau would collate intelligence relating to wildlife crime, ensure coordination with State Governments and other Authorities through its set up, apart from developing infrastructure and capacity building for scientific and professional investigation into wildlife crimes and assist the State Governments in successful prosecution of such crimes.
The penalty for an offense relating to the core area of a tiger reserve or hunting in the reserve has been increased. The first conviction in such offense shall be punishable with imprisonment not less than three years but may extend to seven years, and also with fine not less than fifty thousand rupees but may extend to two lakh rupees. The second or subsequent conviction would lead to imprisonment not less than seven years, and also with fine not less than five lakh rupees, which may extend to fifty lakh rupees.
WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)
The WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI) was founded in 1994 by Belinda Wright, its Executive Director, who was an award-winning wildlife photographer and filmmaker till she took up the cause of conservation. From its inception, WPSI's main aim has been to bring a new focus to the daunting task of tackling India's growing wildlife crisis. It does this by providing support and information to government authorities to combat poaching and the 
escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. It has now broadened its focus to deal with human-animal conflicts and provide support for research projects.
With a team of committed environmentalists, WPSI is one of the most respected and effective wildlife conservation organisations in India. It is a registered non-profit organisation, funded by a wide range of Indian and international donors. The Society’s Board Members include leading conservationists and business people.
escalating illegal wildlife trade - particularly in wild tigers. It has now broadened its focus to deal with human-animal conflicts and provide support for research projects.With a team of committed environmentalists, WPSI is one of the most respected and effective wildlife conservation organisations in India. It is a registered non-profit organisation, funded by a wide range of Indian and international donors. The Society’s Board Members include leading conservationists and business people.
THEIR WORK
They collaborate with state governments to monitor the illegal wildlife trade and provide them with hands-on training and support to combat poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
They also conduct Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshops for enforcement agencies. More than 8,000 forest, police and customs officers have received training in more than 200 workshops which have been held in 17 states across India. They have also given specialist presentations to the National Police Academy, the Indian Institute of Criminology, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Customs and Excise, the Wildlife Institute of India, tiger reserve authorities, and enforcement training centres.
Their Wildlife Crime Database is the most comprehensive in India, with details of over 20,000 wildlife cases and 16,000 alleged wildlife criminals. It is constantly analysed and updated with inputs from a number of sources including our country network of investigators. The information plays a critical role in the development of new strategies to protect Indian wildlife.
They have pioneered investigations into the trade in tiger parts and other endangered species valued in the illegal wildlife trade, and exposed widespread tiger poaching and its links to the use of tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine. The death of a wild tiger no longer goes ignored and people now know how and why tigers are killed.
They were the first organisation to expose the workings of the shahtoosh trade and its links with the trade in tiger parts. We uncovered this trade in the mid-1990s, while investigating the smuggling of tiger bones, and produced a path-breaking report on the subject in 1997 - “Fashioned for Extinction: An Expose of the Shahtoosh Trade”.
Over the years, They have assisted in the arrests of hundreds of wildlife criminals and the seizures of huge amounts of illegal wildlife products, particularly tiger parts. In 2011 they provided information and assistance to enforcement agencies to register 39 wildlife cases, in which a total of 97 alleged wildlife criminals were arrested.
Their Legal Programme supports the prosecution of a number of important wildlife cases. These include poaching and trade cases that involve tiger and other endangered species. They also file petitions on important wildlife conservation issues, including encroachments in protected areas. On the policy front, WPSI provides inputs to the central and state governments for the development of better policies governing forests and wildlife.
They support Conservation Projects for species as varied as the tiger, elephant and sea turtle in the States of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Utarakhand and West Bengal and work with other critical issues such as human-animal conflict involving tigers, leopard and elephants.
Their Community Support projects include a program on the fringes of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, where They have a tiger conservation centre, 51 self-help groups with a micro credit scheme and a kindergarten school. Here and in other areas we also work on the critical issue of human-animal conflict.
They constantly liaise with policy makers and international conservation agencies, particularly on issues concerning poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. WPSI has also been in the forefront of media campaigns to highlight the importance of wildlife protection.
In 2005 and 2006, WPSI and the UK- based Environmental Protection Agency (EIA) carried out a joint investigation into the tiger and leopard skin trade in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other provinces in China. Our findings revealed a hitherto unknown scale of trade in Asian big cat skins that were being traded and worn as status symbols in Tibet. Our investigations were compiled in a report – “Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade”, published in 2006. The results of the investigation and condemnation of the trade by the Dalai Lama have since sparked a massive movement by Tibetans to end the use of wild animal skins
They collaborate with state governments to monitor the illegal wildlife trade and provide them with hands-on training and support to combat poaching and the illegal wildlife trade.
They also conduct Wildlife Law Enforcement Workshops for enforcement agencies. More than 8,000 forest, police and customs officers have received training in more than 200 workshops which have been held in 17 states across India. They have also given specialist presentations to the National Police Academy, the Indian Institute of Criminology, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Customs and Excise, the Wildlife Institute of India, tiger reserve authorities, and enforcement training centres. Their Wildlife Crime Database is the most comprehensive in India, with details of over 20,000 wildlife cases and 16,000 alleged wildlife criminals. It is constantly analysed and updated with inputs from a number of sources including our country network of investigators. The information plays a critical role in the development of new strategies to protect Indian wildlife. They have pioneered investigations into the trade in tiger parts and other endangered species valued in the illegal wildlife trade, and exposed widespread tiger poaching and its links to the use of tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine. The death of a wild tiger no longer goes ignored and people now know how and why tigers are killed. They were the first organisation to expose the workings of the shahtoosh trade and its links with the trade in tiger parts. We uncovered this trade in the mid-1990s, while investigating the smuggling of tiger bones, and produced a path-breaking report on the subject in 1997 - “Fashioned for Extinction: An Expose of the Shahtoosh Trade”. Over the years, They have assisted in the arrests of hundreds of wildlife criminals and the seizures of huge amounts of illegal wildlife products, particularly tiger parts. In 2011 they provided information and assistance to enforcement agencies to register 39 wildlife cases, in which a total of 97 alleged wildlife criminals were arrested. Their Legal Programme supports the prosecution of a number of important wildlife cases. These include poaching and trade cases that involve tiger and other endangered species. They also file petitions on important wildlife conservation issues, including encroachments in protected areas. On the policy front, WPSI provides inputs to the central and state governments for the development of better policies governing forests and wildlife. They support Conservation Projects for species as varied as the tiger, elephant and sea turtle in the States of Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Utarakhand and West Bengal and work with other critical issues such as human-animal conflict involving tigers, leopard and elephants. Their Community Support projects include a program on the fringes of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, where They have a tiger conservation centre, 51 self-help groups with a micro credit scheme and a kindergarten school. Here and in other areas we also work on the critical issue of human-animal conflict.They constantly liaise with policy makers and international conservation agencies, particularly on issues concerning poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. WPSI has also been in the forefront of media campaigns to highlight the importance of wildlife protection.
In 2005 and 2006, WPSI and the UK- based Environmental Protection Agency (EIA) carried out a joint investigation into the tiger and leopard skin trade in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other provinces in China. Our findings revealed a hitherto unknown scale of trade in Asian big cat skins that were being traded and worn as status symbols in Tibet. Our investigations were compiled in a report – “Skinning the Cat: Crime and Politics of the Big Cat Skin Trade”, published in 2006. The results of the investigation and condemnation of the trade by the Dalai Lama have since sparked a massive movement by Tibetans to end the use of wild animal skins
All Their activities have been possible thanks to the generous support of a number of Indian and international organisations, foundations and individuals.
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