21
Apr 2009 - Ussuriisk, Russia – Police are
investigating the killing of an Amur Leopard
– one of the rarest animals on earth with
only a few dozen left in the wild – after
officers discovered the skin of an adult
leopard in a private car.
Internal Police Service
officers found the dead animal’s pelt on
3 April while inspecting a car and the skin
was then sent to the Institute of Animal
Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of the
Primorsky State Agricultural Academy for
examination.
Specialists from the
academy and experts from the Primorsky province
Hunting Department and WWF-Russia identified
the skin as belonging to an adult Amur leopard,
most likely male. The experts concluded
that the leopard, also known as the Far
East leopard, likely died of a gunshot wound.
“This finding is another
tragic loss for the Far Eastern Leopard
population,” said Sergey Aramilev, WWF Russia
Amur branch biodiversity conservation coordinator,
who participated in the examination. “The
animal was evidently killed on purpose most
probably in order to make money on his skin.
From the point of view of ordinary person
this killing of the most peaceful predator
in Russia is an act of outspoken barbarism,
because even in the crisis period there
are other easier ways to make one’s living.”
The skin showed that
the leopard most likely died last year,
in the spring or autumn of 2008, Aramilev
said.
“We took pictures that
will allow us to compare the skin’s spots
pattern with an available database of Far
Eastern Leopards skins,” Aramilev said.
“This will help to identify the individual
and the place of his death.”
The Amur leopard (Panthera
pardus orientalis) is the most northern-living
leopard subspecies with only 30-40 individuals
left in the world, according to Natalia
Pervushina, co-ordinator of TRAFFIC’s Russian
Far East programme. The animal is listed
by the International Union for Conservation
of Nature and the Russian Red data book
as critically endangered, as well as in
Appendix I of the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species, meaning all
commercial trade is totally prohibited.
According to the Russian
Federation Criminal Code, killing of a Red
listed leopard is punishable by up to two
years in prison and a fine up to 500, 000
rubles (approx. 15,100 USD).
“WWF Russia and TRAFFIC
hope that the Internal Police Service will
succeed in tracing the criminals and identifying
the animal’s killer,” Pervushina said.
+ More
Honest EU analysis points
to fisheries failure
22 Apr 2009 - Brussels,
Belgium – A “commendably honest” green paper
on reform of European fisheries policy shows
that radical reform of the policy and a
serious commitment from governments is needed
to save Europe’s fish stocks and create
a profitable fisheries sector, WWF said
today.
The Green paper on the
Reform of the EU Common Fisheries Policy
presented today by the European Commission
is the product of an exhaustive inquiry
into Europe’s failing fisheries management,
accused of allowing massive overfishing
and wastage to continue.
“The Commission have produced an admirably
honest critique of a dysfunctional fisheries
policy. EU countries and the Commission
have let the opportunity of the 2002 reform
slip away and failed to deliver on what
they signed up to,” said Aaron McLoughlin,
Head of European Marine Programme at WWF.
“They have failed our
fisheries and failed our industry. But now
they can no longer preach an agenda of reform
and ignore their own words when hard choices
need to be made.”
At present in Europe,
nearly two thirds of fish stocks are in
decline – including some of the most popular
species like cod, plaice and sole.
Mediterranean Bluefin
tuna is probably the most visible example
of misguided fisheries policy and practice,
with a recent WWF analysis showing the population
of breeding tunas will disappear by 2012
if current mismanagement of the fishery
continues.
WWF believes that reform to deliver a profitable
and sustainable fisheries for Europe is
possible.
“Long term management
plans, that look ahead to future years'
catches, show how leaving more fish in the
sea today will increase profitability tomorrow,”
said McLoughlin.
“It is essential to
de-politicize the setting of annual quotas.
The successful fisheries of Alaska, New
Zealand and Norway, where long term management
plans for fish stocks are in place and the
capacity of the fleet has been reduced,
are good examples that could be replicated
in Europe.”
WWF urges European governments
and the Commission to craft a new policy
for European fisheries, and in the meanwhile,
act for implementing control and enforcement
to tackle illegal fishing and setting sustainable
quotas for bluefin tuna and all commercial
fish stocks in the North Sea and Baltic.
The Green paper opens
a consultation with all involved parties
that will last until 31 December 2009. Following
the consultation, the EU Commission will
present a proposal for a reformed policy
that should be finally adopted in 2012 and
enter into force in 2013.
Further information
Stefania Campogianni, Press Officer, WWF
European Policy Office
