(Indo- Bhutan): Lack of understanding compounding woes

[Guest guest]

Link: http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/details.asp?id=jan2308/at010

 

 

By A Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Jan 22 – While wildlife crimes including organised poaching are

assuming alarming proportions in the State, lack of understanding among the

enforcement agencies about wildlife laws and implementation continues to be

a major irritant in curbing the flourishing illegal wildlife trade. The

current conviction rate of the wildlife cases is less than two per cent in

the country, despite it having a stringent legal framework. Lack of in-depth

knowledge and understanding of wildlife laws seems to be one of the primary

reasons for this.

 

These issues came up for discussion at a workshop, 'Indo-Bhutan Wildlife

Enforcement Training Workshop', organised by TRAFFIC India in collaboration

with WWF-India, the State Forest Department and Bodoland Territorial Council

(BTC) at Bansbari, Manas National Park, recently.

 

The main aim of this workshop was to build capacity of the enforcement

agencies to curb illegal wildlife trade and also to improve cross-border

cooperation and co-ordination between the two countries on such issues.

 

" Illegal wildlife trade is one of the most severe threats to wildlife today.

It has led to over-exploitation of the targeted species, to the point where

the very survival of these species is becoming difficult. This has been well

publicised in the case of tigers, rhinos, elephants, star tortoises and

others, " a WWF-India official said. Officials from the Forest Departments of

both the countries were present for the sessions. The training was attended

by frontline forest staffs from all the ranges under Manas Tiger Reserve

including Manas National Park and Orang National Park. About nine officials

from the adjoining forest divisions of Bhutan including Royal Manas National

Park and Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park also participated in the

programme.

 

Training was imparted on the legal and technical aspects of fighting

wildlife cases. The modus of training was case studies, group discussions

and presentations. Ritwick Dutta, a Supreme Court lawyer, talked about the

legal implications of wildlife laws and Dr SP Goyal, scientist from Wildlife

Institute of India (WII), threw light on wildlife forensic. Sangay from the

Nature Conservation Division, Bhutan, spoke on illegal wildlife

trade-related issues in his country.

 

TRAFFIC, a joint global programme of WWF and International Union of

Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose mission is to ensure that trade in wild

plants and animals does not emerge a threat to conservation of nature, has

identified lack of understanding among the enforcement agencies about the

wildlife laws and its implementation as one of the major gaps in curbing

illegal wildlife trade.

 

" The efforts of these training workshops are focused on helping enforcement

agencies sharpen their skills related to implication of wildlife laws.

TRAFFIC India is also planning to bring in new tools and technology much

required to combat the well-armed poaching gangs and to break the wildlife

trade nexus across the regions, " the official said, adding that the training

programmes and modules were tailor-made keeping in mind the needs of the

target group.

 

The training ended with a field trip within the two trans-boundary parks,

where the participants enjoyed the stunning landscape offered by Manas and

also caught a glimpse of the abundant wildlife.

 

It is expected that the training would help forge closer enforcement

activities between the forest officials of both the countries. The training

is also expected to gear up the forest personnel in Manas in view of the

Indian Rhino Vision (IRV) 2020, a programme aimed at restocking rhinos in

the wild in Manas and bring it back to its full glory.

 

The workshop at Manas was part of TRAFFIC India's nationwide programme. Over

250 officials have been trained through these workshops all over India last

year.

 

--

United against elephant polo

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com