Posted on 29 January
2010 - Hua Hin, Thailand – Governments from
across Asia’s tiger range
countries (TRCs) sent a powerful message
that new efforts to save wild tigers from
extinction would begin immediately and called
for total protection of critical tiger habitats
as the 1st Asia Ministerial Conference on
Tiger Conservation concluded today at the
resort of Hua Hin, Thailand.
The Royal Government
of Thailand hosted the meeting. Thailand’s
Minister of Environment and Natural Resources
Suwit Khunkitti pointed to commitments in
the Hua Hin Declaration, and urged other
TRCs to follow through with consolidated
technical recommendations that resulted
from an earlier meeting in Kathmandu on
tiger conservation: “We shall reach up to
the highest levels of our governments for
support at the Year of the Tiger Heads of
State Summit in Russia. Let us join together
boldly to save the wild tiger.”
Thailand made a number
of new commitments at the conference:
• Expansion of its SMART
wildlife area patrolling program in its
Western Forest Complex (WEFCOM) at Huai
Kha Khaeng-Thung Yai
• Assistance to its neighbor countries to
repatriate tigers when the population of
tigers in WEFCOM and Kaeng Krachan/Kuiburi
becomes large enough to act as a donor source
• Announcement that it would make funding
for the ASEAN Wildlife Enforcement Network
a permanent item in its budget
Seven ministers, along
with senior delegations from 13 tiger range
countries, gathered with top wildlife conservation
experts and representatives from international
organizations and donor institutions such
as the World Bank, Global Tiger Initiative,
WWF, Save the Tiger Fund, Wildlife Conservation
Society, USAID, FREELAND, and TRAFFIC, to
energize the wildlife conservation agenda,
update national action plans, and announce
specific proposals to reverse the continuing
decline of tiger populations.
President of the World
Bank Group Robert B. Zoellick, who launched
the Global Tiger Initiative (GTI) in June
2008 together with the Smithsonian Institution,
Global Environment Facility, and other partners,
delivered a video message to the ministers
and delegations, promising support for the
range countries’ efforts and to spearhead
sustainable development in Asia: “The World
Bank stands ready to support regional projects
in the tiger range countries and to mobilize
the donor community and develop innovative
financial instruments to support tiger conservation
funds.”
Populations of wild
tigers have declined to only 3,200 worldwide,
according to latest estimates, from 100,000
a century ago. The GTI is one of the drivers
of the World Bank’s commitment to new strategies
that balance economic development with nature
conservation, biodiversity and environmental
protection.
Another significant
development in Thailand came from Prime
Minister Vladmir Putin and the Government
of the Russian Federation, who officially
announced plans to host the Heads of State
Summit in September.
The Hua Hin Declaration
reflected agreement among the TRCs to redouble
efforts on the ground to halt the decline
of tigers and assist in recovery of habitats.
An international donor conference is also
planned later this year to support the countries
to bring increased resources for integrated
game-changing policy to save the species
from extinction.
Michael Baltzer, Leader
of WWF’s Tiger Initiative, said: “We are
delighted to see a ray of hope for the tiger
as represented by the tiger range countries’
commitment to work together to double wild
tiger numbers by 2022. We look forward to
seeing their pledges turn into firm actions
in Vladivostok.”
All 13 tiger range countries
were represented in Hua Hin. They include
Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India,
Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
