PM gets a pat for save-tiger push - INDIA

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The Telegraph, Calcutta, India, Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Link:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1051011/asp/nation/story_5344337.asp

 

PM gets a pat for save-tiger push

OUR CORRESPONDENT

 

New Delhi, Oct. 10: Wildlife activists who exposed the flourishing

trade in tiger skin across the Tibetan plateau have welcomed the

Prime Minister's move to push for the creation of a National

Wildlife Crime Bureau when the cabinet meets in the third week of

this month.

 

Tiger conservationist Belinda Wright of the Wildlife Protection

Society of India and activists of the Environmental Investigation

Agency, an international NGO, had caught on camera evidence of a

huge open market of tiger and leopard skin, which are used as

trimmings in traditional Tibetan garments called chuba.

 

Travelling extensively through the Tibetan plateau in August, the

activists had documented the open sale of the skin of big cats in

the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

Traders there categorically stated that the tiger skins were from

India.

 

" We are delighted the Prime Minister is taking a lead role on the

international stage and look forward to seeing effective enforcement

and co-operation between India, Nepal and China to stop the trade.

It's critical, however, that India reminds China how a revived trade

in tiger bone would spell doom for our tigers, " Wright said.

 

The activists are concerned that the Chinese government is

reportedly considering re-opening domestic trade in tiger bone.

 

The wildlife crime bureau would be tasked to investigate poaching

cases and catch poachers.

 

The Prime Minister's Office said the Centre is planning to entrust

three border forces — the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Sashastra

Seema Bal and the Border Security Force — along with customs

officers at the China and Nepal borders with the detection of cross-

border smuggling of wildlife articles.

 

Manmohan Singh has also directed that the matter be taken up through

diplomatic channels with China and Nepal. Namo Narain Meena, the

Union minister of state for environment, would hold talks with

Chinese authorities during his visit to the country.

 

The creation of the National Wildlife Crime Bureau was mooted at a

meeting of the National Wildlife Board, convened by Singh last year,

after news of tigers disappearing from the Sariska wildlife

sanctuary made headlines.

 

But while the steps taken by the Prime Minister are commendable, it

is essential that domestic enforcement is also improved, with

emergency action on the ground to protect tigers, Wright said.

 

Organised criminal networks run the tiger skin and bone trade and

India needs to use professional crime fighters to stop them, she

added.

 

Debbie Banks, a senior campaigner with the Environmental

Investigation Agency, said: " It is vital that the police, customs

and intelligence agencies play a lead role in directing enforcement

operations. In China, we need to see a massive awareness drive among

consumers and targeted enforcement against smugglers and dealers. "