THE INSCRUTABLE BUSHY CAWT

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Putting a check on wildlife trafficking

India has agreed to join a global forum on wildlife law enforcement.

But will it help to stem trafficking in endangered species, asks

Anirban Das Mahapatra

 

Fearsome issue: India has done almost nothing to prevent trafficking

in tiger parts

George W. Bush has never really been toasted as the saviour of Indian

wildlife. But the US President came all armed with a proposition to

save the creatures of the wild during his India visit last month. And

India, in a responsive mood, agreed to join the Coalition Against

Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT), a global forum pioneered by the US for

finding solutions to the growing threats of poaching and the illegal

wildlife trade. Considered a fit supplement to the nuclear deal, the

move was largely lauded.

 

But was it really a cause worth popping the champagne for? Those in

the know think not. Given India's alleged lack of initiative in

following up ceremonial inductions, wildlife experts are not too sure

if joining the CAWT will do India any good in the long run.

 

The coalition, to begin with, is all of six months old. In July 2005,

G-8 leaders recognised the catastrophic effects of illegal wildlife

trafficking. Washington followed this up in September by giving shape

to the global coalition. The main purpose of the initiative was " to

focus political and public attention on the issue and facilitate

action for effective wildlife law enforcement and regional

cooperation, " says an online release issued by the US department of

state.

 

Seven of America's leading environmental organisations — Conservation

International, Save the Tiger Fund, Smithsonian Institution, Traffic

International, WildAid, Wildlife Conservation Society and the American

Forest & Paper Association — are the coalition's founding members.

While it urges nations to become members, CAWT also has provisions for

independent organisations to join its global platform.

 

Much of CAWT's activities are reportedly being focused on Asia. And

India, being home to several endangered species, is undoubtedly within

the frame of operations for the coalition.

 

However, CAWT is not the first agreement of its kind that India has

d to in the past. But despite signatures and counter

signatures, illegal wildlife trafficking has, unfortunately, continued

unabated. The reason, say experts, is the reluctance of the government

to implement policies on the field.

 

" India, for example, has a long-standing anti-poaching protocol with

China, " says P.K. Sen, director, tiger and wildlife programme,

Worldwide Fund for Nature, India. And China is the biggest market for

tiger parts trafficked out of India. " However, India has not used the

protocol to address the issue of illegal wildlife trade between the

two countries, " says Sen.

 

Wildlife experts stress that China, in fact, seems more keen to fight

the illegal market than India. An insider in wildlife circles claims

that China had sent several letters to the ministry of environment and

forests (MoEF), wishing to further talks on the protocol, but these

elicited no response from the ministry.

 

Further proof of India's hesitant approach in this regard lies in the

fact that the Convention for International Trade in Endangered Species

(CITES) — a global treaty that lays down guidelines — had, a couple of

years ago, imposed sanctions on India for failing to meet

international standards. " The sanctions were removed only after India

assured the body that it would revamp its system and come up with a

wildlife crime cell, " says Tito Joseph, project officer, Wildlife

Protection Society of India. " Little progress, however, has been made

in that direction since the sanctions were removed. "

 

But while the experts are worried about India's lack of initiative,

they are also concerned over the lack of movement on the CAWT front.

" The coalition does not have a charter for itself as yet, " says an

official in the MoEF. " And details of the charter will only emerge in

the days to come. " In other words, India has shown interest in joining

a forum that still does not have a definitive set of house rules to go

by.

 

Amid such circumstances, certain concerns have been raised by

officials. First, the coalition hints at exchange of forest personnel

between member states for training and orientation purposes. " But we

don't know if this would be of an intrusive nature, " says a wildlife

expert. Next, the coalition doesn't make it imperative for all nations

to be its members.

 

The ministry, however, says that India has not wholly pledged its

allegiance to the coalition yet. " If later developments indicate that

the coalition is not poised to benefit India, we will not sign on the

dotted line, " says an MoEF official. In that case, the fuss about

joining CAWT during the US President's visit would be tantamount to

much ado about nothing.