30 October 2012 | Trade,
transportation and possession of endangered
species will all be considered crimes under
new legislation proposed by the Kremlin,
following discussions with WWF.
Tiger hunting is considered
by many to be the biggest single factor
in the decline of tigers this century -
resulting in the world losing 97 per cent
of its wild tigers, including four entire
sub-species which have been driven to extinction.
It is estimated that there may be as few
as 3,200 of the endangered animals now remaining
in the wild.
Unfortunately, until
now, law in the Russian Federation, home
to many of the world’s remaining tigers,
only considered the actual killing of an
animal to be a crime. Poachers who have
been apprehended carrying the animals, or
their parts, have attempted to avoid punishment
by claiming they had found the animals already
deceased.
“This new development
is a significant step towards protection
of tigers and other endangered species threatened
by trade and poaching,” said Igor Chestin,
CEO of WWF Russia, who was heavily involved
in negotiations on the issue with the government.
Russia has agreed for its Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment to prepare the
draft law in close cooperation with WWF.
Indicative of the problem,
a man who was recently found in possession
of the remains of six tigers, and another
with eight tiger skins, might only be be
eligible for an insignificant fine under
the current law.
WWF and its partner
wildlife monitoring organization TRAFFIC,
are currently conducting a global campaign
aimed at achieving greater protection for
tigers and other major threatened species,
such as rhinos and elephants.
Demand for ivory, rhino
horn and tiger parts from consumer markets
in Asia is driving wild populations of these
species dangerously close to extinction.
WWF is calling on governments to combat
illegal wildlife trade and reduce demand
for endangered species products.
“Elevating trade, transportation
and possession of endangered species to
a serious crime is a long-awaited measure
that we believe will dramatically reduce
poaching,” said Mr Chestin, who also added
that WWF is also happy to see steps being
made towards increased protection for tiger
habitats.
The Primorsky region,
where 90 per cent of the Russian tigers
live, wasidentified and promoted as one
location where no commercial timber harvest
should take place in its regional protected
areas and nut harvesting zones. The regional
administration was also ordered to prevent
any commercial logging in the upper and
middle stream sections of the Bikin River.
By the 1940s, hunting
had driven the Amur tiger to the brink of
extinction - with no more than 40 individuals
remaining in the wild.
The subspecies was saved
when Russia became the first country in
the world to grant the tiger full protection.
By the 1980s, the Amur
tiger population had increased to around
500. Continued conservation and antipoaching
efforts by many partners - including WWF
- have helped keep the population stable
at around 400 individuals. In 2010, the
Russian Government adopted the Strategy
for Tiger Conservation, making commitments
to double the number of wild tigers by 2022
and to stiffen punishment for those caught
smuggling tiger products.
