Russian
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has signed
the decree which will put into effect a
long-sought protected area that will house
half of all remaining Far-Eastern leopards.
The leopards, the only
species in the world able to survive long
cold periods, are on the brink of extinction
with only about thirty surviving members.
Continuing threats include
habitat loss from logging, forest fires
and unregulated tourism. Poaching remains
a severe problem and the small population
raises concerns of inbreeding as a further
threat.
The new reserve will join two small protected
areas into one, called Leopardovy Zakaznik
(Leopard nature sanctuary), and will be
managed by the Ministry of Nature Resources
of Russia. According to the decree, the
ministry will also manage neighbouring Kedrovaya
Pad nature reserve.
Before the decree, all
three protected areas had been managed by
different state agencies whose differing
mandates meant that a unified Leopard conservation
strategy was not in place. The transfer
of jurisdiction to a single authoritiy will
allow for a single strategy that places
the restoration of the leopard population
at the heart of its operations in the area.
WWF proposed this change
as early as 1999, in its Strategy for conservation
of the Far Eastern leopard in Russia. “We
are happy that finally, after all these
years, the government has addressed this
issue”, says WWF-Russia CEO Igor Chestin.
“We hope that the Ministry will immediately
start improving management of the protected
area to ensure effective leopard conservation.
WWF is ready to provide help and advice
to the new sanctuary”.
To ensure Far-Eastern
leopard protection, WWF created anti-poaching
groups in the region. WWF also cooperates
with Chinese conservation agencies to create
a trans-border system of protected areas
that sought to save the leopards habitat
from industrial pollution. Education programs
to inform locals of the threats facing this
extremely rare cat species were set up,
while customs agents were trained to track
poachers who illegally sell leopard parts
to China.
In 2007, WWF built a
visit centre for the future protected area,
which now will finally be given to the Leopardovy
zakaznik, and will hope to create revenue
that can go towards making the sanctuary
commercially viable.
+ More
WWF congratulates President-elect
Obama
05 Nov 2008 - Washingon
D.C., USA: WWF-US CEO Carter Roberts urges
renewed US leadership on climate crisis,
high-level participation in Poznan Climate
Talks
Carter Roberts, CEO
WWF-US, issued the following statement following
the election of Senator Barack Obama as
President of the United States:
“On behalf of WWF and
our five million members throughout the
world, we want to congratulate Senator Barack
Obama on his election as President of the
United States of America and Senator Joe
Biden on his election as Vice President.
“This historic day comes
at a time when profoundly difficult issues
confront our nation and the world, challenging
our resolve to make the tough decisions
that will provide long-term solutions rather
than easy, short-term fixes. But where others
see obstacles, great leaders perceive opportunities.
We are confident President-elect Obama will
view these challenging times as an opportunity
to reverse the ill-chosen policies of the
past and chart a new course that will lead
America and the world to a healthier, safer,
more sustainable and prosperous future.
We look forward to working with the new
President and his administration to implement
the progressive environmental policies which
he championed throughout his campaign—policies
that will not only help us avoid catastrophic
climate change, but will jumpstart the global
economy and restore America’s reputation
as a leader in solving the most serious
problems confronting our world and future
generations.
“Our climate is changing
far more rapidly than scientists projected,
making it imperative that our new President
maintains his commitment to policies that
will sharply reduce greenhouse gas pollution
and help prepare for the impacts of climate
change that the world is already experiencing.
We hope the President-elect will also send
a strong message to the international community
that the US is now committed to working
closely and cooperatively on this issue
and intends to play a leadership role in
the upcoming international climate talks
in Poznan, Poland
“The next administration
must address climate change in the context
of a broader environmental, economic, and
social agenda. We can no longer continue
to consume natural resources at a rate that
far exceeds the Earth’s regenerative capacity
and borrow from the ‘natural capital’ of
future generations. We must take a green
approach to rebuilding the economy, focusing
efforts on developing new energy technologies
and promoting energy efficiency.
“We hope the Obama Administration
will take under strong consideration the
need to ensure food security, the availability
of freshwater, the sustainable use of the
world’s resources, and the creation of economic
opportunity that ensures fairness for countries
of all economic standing—policies described
in detail in WWF’s ‘Greenprint’ for the
next administration.
“For too long, the world
has looked to the US for leadership on the
climate crisis, only to be met with shallow
excuses and indifference. With today’s historic
election, we are optimistic that those days
are behind us.”
ABOUT WWF
WWF is the world’s largest conservation
organization, working in 100 countries for
nearly half a century. With the support
of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF
is dedicated to delivering science-based
solutions to preserve the diversity and
abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation
of the environment and combat climate change.
Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.
