K J M Varma
Beijing, Aug 31 (PTI) India and China are set to ratify a key pact on tiger conservation and combat poaching of the big cats as an Indian delegation today held talks here to deepen cooperation with Beijing in wild life management.
A five-member Indian delegation of Indian forest officials headed by A K Shrivastava, which is on a five-day visit here, today held talks with their Chinese counterparts in the department of import and export of endangered species.
The talks aims to ratify the 1995 protocol inked by the two countries for tiger conservation. The protocol, which is to be ratified every five years, would be discussed in the talks scheduled for September 2 between the two delegations, officials here told PTI today.
It calls for joint measures to crack down on poaching of tigers and body parts, education programmes to stop poaching, captive breeding and releasing them into the wild.
Indian officials regard the talks important as much of the poaching on tigers in India was blamed on the demand for tiger bones used in Chinese traditional medicine.
China has banned trading in tiger parts but its wide spread medical usage in traditional medicines spurs demand for the bones of the big cats. India has underlined the need for China not to yield to pressures from the owners of tiger farms to lift the ban.
Talks would also focus on promoting cooperation between the two countries in the field of wild life management and capacity building in critical areas of conservation. PTI KJV
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Pilibhit ‘tigers’ declared maneaters
Eight casualties later, the Uttar Pradesh forest department has declared the Pilibhit tigers as maneaters. The state forest department has sent a team of experts to the Deoria range of Pilibhit, to tranquilise the animals.
On Sunday, tiger attack claimed its eight victim since May this year. The incident occurred in the Khutani range of Shahjehanpur district.
According to Divisional Forest Officer, Pilibhit, VK Singh: “The incident now makes it clear that these tigers — it may be just one of them or more than one — have become maneaters. And the recent incident shows that they are now moving towards human habitat, although the earlier incidents were reported deep inside the forest areas.”
While six of the victims were killed in Deoria Kalan range in Pilibhit district, two have been killed in Khutar range in Shahjehanpur district on the borders of Pilibhit. Although the laser cameras have captured photographs of three adult tigers, the department will match pugmarks to determine whether it is just one tiger or more than that who have turned maneaters.
The forest officials have set up a big cage for the carnivores in Sarriayya village. A team of tranquilising experts, led by Conservator (Rohilkhand division) Sunil Chaudhary, is also camping in the area and two machans have been set up to keep track of the animal.
Talking to The Indian Express, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, B K Patnaik, meanwhile, said: “In case there is a decline in human deaths or the tiger is not spotted in the human habitation, it will be considered that the animal has retreated towards the forest area.”
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Pilibhit--tigers--declared-maneaters/674829/
Veerappan lair turns tiger park
A dense Tamil Nadu forest that used to be the late notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan's favourite refuge will soon become the country's 39th tiger reserve. The Centre has asked the Tamil Nadu government to submit a proposal on how the Sath-yamangalam wildlife sanctuary
can be converted into a tiger park, after World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reported 10 tigers had been spotted there.
The move will also lead to a clampdown on illegal mining in the area.
Environment minister Jairam Ramesh also wants Tamil Nadu to conserve Segur plateau, adjoining the Sathyamangalam sanctuary, as a buffer for the Madumalai tiger reserve — which has the largest tiger population for a reserve in India.
"The Madumalai tiger reserve is an important tiger source area, which has a potential for populating the northern and eastern parts of the Western Ghats landscape complex," Ramesh wrote in a letter to Tamil Nadu chief minister Karunanidhi on August 26. In July, he had asked the state government to submit a proposal to declare Sathyamangalam forest as a tiger reserve.
As per the latest tiger census, four tiger reserves — Madumalai, Bandipur, Nagarhole and Wayanad — form a landscape, where big cat population has almost peaked.
"These tigers need more space," said Ravi Chellam, director of Bangalore-based NGO World Conservation Society, which has been working in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves in Karnataka.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Veerappan-lair-turns-tiger-park/Article1-593989.aspx
India to urge China to curb illegal trade in tigers
The fourth India-China financial dialogue to be held after a 3-year hiatus
Mechanism to share information on wildlife crime to be discussed
NEW DELHI/BEIJING: Defence ties between India and China may be strained in the wake of the visa denial row, but the two countries hope next week will see increased cooperation in both wildlife conservation and global financial issues as two delegations from New Delhi travel to Beijing.
On Monday evening, a delegation from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and the National Tiger Conservation Authority arrived in Beijing for a five-day visit, to urge Chinese counterparts to strengthen enforcement and curb illegal trade in tigers and other endangered big cats. Poaching in Indian forests is largely resorted to for meeting the raging demand for tiger parts in traditional Chinese medicine.
And, on Thursday, the fourth India-China financial dialogue will be held in Beijing after a three-year hiatus, during which the two countries will discuss coordinating their positions on the reforms of international financial institutions.
This week's dialogue, Indian officials said, would underscore the expanding breadth of bilateral relationship. The talks come even as Indian and Chinese officials looked to play down renewed tensions following China's decision to refuse a visa for the Army's Northern Command chief, Lt. Gen. B.S. Jaswal. Officials in both Defence Ministries said military exchanges would go ahead, despite specific disagreements, as would other areas of engagement.
During the first ever round of talks on wildlife conservation and management that will take place this week, India will urge China to continue its ban on any internal trade in tiger parts. Beijing was reportedly considering the lifting of the ban under pressure from “tiger farm” owners. Wildlife experts say China has fewer than 20 tigers left in the wild, but almost 5,000 on these farms, which cater for tourists and want to cater for the demand for tiger parts as well.
There is a fear that lifting the ban will allow the sale of parts of poached wild tigers under the guise of parts from the farms.
Another item on the agenda will be a recent controversial move by China to register the skins of all big cats. While some have warned that this could also allow the trade in illegally poached animals under cover of legal trade, India is merely seeking more details for now. The two countries will also discuss ways to set up a mechanism to share information on wildlife crime, and coordinate enforcement efforts.
This week will also see the fourth round of the bilateral financial dialogue being held in Beijing, when Finance Secretary Ashok Chawla, along with officials from the Reserve Bank of India, meets Chinese Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao. The dialogue was set up following Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in 2005. The last round was held in December 2007.
The dialogue, officials said, would give both sides an important opportunity to exchange notes on the global financial situation, as well as their roles and objectives in reforming the international financial architecture.
On the agenda were coordination of tariff policies and macroeconomic policies, global financial regulatory reforms, as well as coordination of policies on multilateral fora such as the G20 and BRIC, they said.
http://www.hindu.com/2010/08/31/stories/2010083164781500.htm
Tiger panel seeks report on forest road
Guwahati, Aug. 30: The Delhi-based National Tiger Conservation Authority — the apex body for tiger conservation in the country — today asked the Assam forest department for a status report on the road-widening project on Balipara-Bhalukpong which cuts into the buffer area of the Nameri tiger reserve.
The tiger organisation was reacting to a report, “Road work threat to wildlife”, published in The Telegraph on August 21.
The member secretary of the tiger conservation authority, Rajesh Gopal, said a letter has been sent to the Assam forest department asking for information about the status of the project.
“We have received information in this office regarding a road-widening project in the buffer area of Nameri tiger reserve. It has been stated that the said area forms part of the Sonitpur elephant reserve and work is on without the mandatory clearance from the ministry of environment and forests,” Gopal said in his letter to the Assam forest department.
He said the forest department has replied that since today was a holiday in Assam, the information would be sent tomorrow.
Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, former member of the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife and a member of Project Elephant Steering Committee, said: “What is important is to follow the procedure as mandated by existing laws with regards to forest clearance. The Forest Conservation Act 1980 clearly mentions that the state should get prior approval from the ministry of environment and forests if forestland is required to be used for non-forestry purpose.”
“Further, the area falls within the Sonitpur elephant reserve and also Nameri tiger reserve, stressing the fact that the area is of high importance for wildlife conservation. The ministry of environment and forests may kindly investigate the matter with the state government to uphold the sanctity of existing laws with regard to wildlife conservation,” Talukdar told The Telegraph.
Anwaruddin Choudhury, honorary chief executive of Rhino Foundation for Nature in Northeast India, said the proposed road should be of minimum width.
“The park authorities should ensure this as otherwise movement of animals would be affected. The National Tiger Conservation Authority has also constituted a committee to examine proposals of infrastructure development and other industries on projects falling in the buffer/corridor areas of tiger reserves.”
A source said the pressure on the forest department was immense from defence authorities to clear road projects such as this one, as they are of strategic importance.
The Balipara-Bhalukpong road is being widened for movement of heavy armoured vehicles to the Sino-Indian border in the wake of reported security threat.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100831/jsp/frontpage/story_12876396.jsp
Bhopal photo exhibition on tiger conservation
Wildlife activists organised a photo exhibition on tigers in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal city to make people aware of the importance of tigers in the eco system.
The exhibition sought to draw attention of people towards alleged carelessness of the State government to preserve tigers.
They claimed that a Jhurjhura tigress was found dead in the Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh in May. The reasons for her death are not yet clear.
"The main aim to organise this exhibition at this particular time is, that the killers of Jhurjhura, who was killed on May 18, are still free. The investigations are on since four months. When she died on May 18, she left three cubs behind with us," said Shahla Masood, Secretary of Uday organisation, which organised the exhibition.
"The administration, the forest officials said that they would take care of the three cubs. Ten days ago, even a cub died, and we do not know the reason for his death as well," she added.
The visitors said that this exhibition made them aware of the plight of tigers in India.
"The way humans have a right to live; tigers too have the full right to live.
They are a gift to us by nature. They are such a beautiful creatures. Their absence can misbalance our entire ecosystem, and we should understand that. They are a very important link in our ecosystem after us, and it is our duty to protect them," said Aruna Bandhavar, a visitor.
The activists claimed that there are around 254 tigers left in the state and the exhibition was also aimed at creating awareness among the wildlife officers.
As per a new survey there are just 1,411 tigers left in India, almost half the number since 2002 census. (ANI)
http://sify.com/news/bhopal-photo-exhibition-on-tiger-conservation-news-national-ki4quffjehd.html
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