Posted on 03 July 2010
New Delhi, India
- At a meeting of the Global Tiger forum
(GTF) this week, government representatives
of GTF member tiger range countries and
other member countries showed a greater
desire to make stronger commitments to tiger
conservation.
There are 13 countries
worldwide that still have tigers in the
wild, although the numbers are very low.
Without immediate strong action, the next
few years will be catastrophic for wild
tigers.
GTF is the only inter-governmental
body representing countries that still have
wild tigers, and it is responsible for facilitating,
coordinating and strengthening these governments’
commitments and actions towards saving tigers
in the wild.
The two day meeting
in New Delhi focused on developing a new
strategy for the GTF, learning from conservation
approaches across range countries and focusing
on issues that can be replicated and strengthened,
in efforts to galvanize the political will
needed to save the iconic species from extinction.
Representatives from eight tiger range countries
including India and renowned tiger experts
from organizations such as Wildlife Trust
of India (WTI), Wildlife Protection Society
of India (WPSI), Wildlife Institute of India
(WII) were present.
“GTF can play a lead
role through close collaboration with tiger
range countries and other organizations
to check international hotspots of tiger
trafficking, besides evolving a regional
roadmap to strengthen global tiger conservation
through respective National Action Plans,
said Indian Minister of Environment, Shri
Jairam Ramesh in his message. “The commitment
from Tiger Range Countries is important
at this juncture to revitalize and strengthen
the forum. I appeal to all Tiger Range Countries
for their active participation in this regard,”
he added.
Standardizing the methodology
of conservation approaches on monitoring
and habitat management, increasing law enforcement,
linking critical area systems and looking
at the issue of habitat fragmentation are
the common issues that the countries addressed
at the meeting. Urgent points also discussed
included the need for new awareness-raising
campaigns, greater capacity and solutions
to transboundary issues such as trade.
“Development of a revised
strategy for the GTF and a plan on governance
and implementation are the two outcomes
that will mark the success of this meeting,”
said HE Shri Deepak Bohara, Chairperson
of GTF and Minster for Forests and Soil
Conservation, Government of Nepal.
WWF-India, an organization
that has a long history of initiatives for
tiger conservation, dating back to the launch
of Project Tiger in 1973, welcomed these
new commitments for tiger conservation.
“The GTF being the only
inter-governmental body for Tigers is ideally
suited to offer a new paradigm for conserving
this species among its range countries.
We have no time to lose since the wild tiger
population is at its tipping point,” said
Mr. Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO,
WWF-India. “WWF remains committed to supporting
range state governments as they take on
this challenging task.”
The GTF was started
in 1993 by tiger range states as a conduit
for those countries to collaborate on a
global plan for tiger conservation. Seven
tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam)
are members of the GTF as well as the UK
along with non-governmental organizations,
including WWF and TRAFFIC.
Tigers are particularly
in the spotlight during this year which
also happens to be the Year of the Tiger
in the Chinese lunar calendar. With possibly
as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild,
WWF’s focus is on securing political commitments
to double the wild tiger population by the
next Year of the Tiger in 2022.
