?Steady progress is being made towards meeting the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers,? said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF?s Tigers Alive Initiative. ?But tiger range governments must urgently and seriously step up action to eliminate poaching if they do not want their investments to go to waste.?
In November 2010 at the ?Tiger Summit? in St. Petersburg hosted by the Government of Russia and the World Bank, the 13 Tiger Range Governments and partners committed to doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022 (TX2). They presented the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP), which represents the plans towards meeting this goal.
The meeting in New Delhi, held from 15-17 May 2012, was the first time since the Tiger Summit that senior government officials from all 13 countries have met to review progress on implementation of the GTRP and plan the next steps.
Before the meeting, WWF released results of a preliminary assessment of 63 legally protected areas in seven tiger range countries that showed only 22, or 35%, maintain WWF?s minimum standards of protection. This indicated that tigers in most of the protected areas are still very vulnerable to poaching.
Poaching of tigers, to feed consumer demand for their body parts and products, is now the main factor reversing the gains made by governments, donors and other partners working towards the 2022 goal. Nearly all tiger range countries spoke of the poaching problem and efforts they are taking on the ground to tackle it. These include strengthening capacity and introducing new, innovative law enforcement monitoring tools, such as M-STrIPES and SMART, to better manage protected areas with tigers. They also considered new approaches to reduce consumer demand for tiger derivatives.
?We are pleased that the approaches we recommended on demand reduction are being considered to support implementation of the GTRP,? said Sabri Zain, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, TRAFFIC International. ?It is critical that we implement new approaches to changing consumer behaviour if we are to successfully stem out poaching in the long run and therefore in achieving TX2.?
During the meeting, TRAFFIC also presented new figures from its latest research into the rising number of tiger part seizures taking place in Asia. With 53 seizures occurring each year, levels remain high. The analysis also identified persistent tiger trade hot-spots such as Kathmandu, Hanoi and the Russia/Northeast China border. It is essential that a tiger trade monitoring system be established as information such as this can assist enforcement efforts in the field where it is most needed.
In a sign indicating tiger range countries are increasingly working together to save the tiger across their borders, the meeting witnessed the signing of a bilateral agreement on trans-border cooperation between India and Nepal and another between India and Russia.
''This gathering of tiger range states shows that the momentum to save tigers is indeed building, but the pressure on the species continues,? said Ravi Singh, Secretary-General and CEO, WWF-India. ?Coordinated anti-poaching measures across tiger range states are called for. These need to be scaled up and implemented urgently to achieve zero poaching."
WWF is supporting tiger range countries in their enforcement efforts through both training and helping to develop computer-based, law enforcement monitoring systems. It has also identified three actions tiger range governments can take immediately to launch an elevated operation towards Zero Poaching. These include identifying and delineating the most important sites requiring good protection from poaching, and ensuring these sites have sufficient numbers of enforcement staff who are well trained to monitor and improve their effectiveness by using monitoring systems. WWF also suggests that the police and judiciary need to help to ensure strict punishment on poaching and to actively engage local communities living adjacent to important tiger conservation areas.
For further information:
Soh-Koon Chng, WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, +65 9772 2552, skchng@wwf.org.my
Dilpreet B. Chhabra, TRAFFIC India, +91-98990-00472, dchhabra@wwfindia.net
WWF and partners celebrate Coral Triangle Day on June 9 WWF and its partners are celebrating the first-ever Coral Triangle Day on June 9 at several locations around the Coral Triangle region to highlight the importance of marine conservation and to raise awareness on this global center of marine biodiversity.
An interpretation of World Oceans Day in this part of the world, the Coral Triangle Day brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments from different parts of the region on one special day to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of this region and to promote the importance of oceans through varied activities including: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners; educational exhibitions; marine-themed bazaars; and beach parties.
?WWF, along with its partners are encouraging everyone to do one special thing, no matter how small, that will contribute to saving the Coral Triangle and let the world know how we care about it by sharing it on the Coral Triangle online platform www.thecoraltriangle.com/day,? says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.
The Coral Triangle is a six million square-kilometer ocean expanse that contains the highest number of reef building corals on the planet. Its spectacular coral reefs systems are home to thousands of whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world?s seven species of marine turtles.
Spanning across six countries in Asia and the Pacific including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is also a nursery ground for highly valuable tuna species and much sought-after reef fish species. It directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people who heavily depend on marine resources for food and income.
However, coastal development, destructive fishing, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, the illegal harvest and trade of endangered species, and climate change, among many others, are taking a heavy toll on this fragile marine ecosystem.
The Coral Triangle Day, envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event, hopes to empower individuals to take specific action to help protect and conserve this globally-significant marine ecoregion.
?This unprecedented event aims to build a critical mass of supporters for the Coral Triangle on different levels of society by using a fun and exciting way for people in this part of the world to learn more about the significance of oceans,? adds Pet-Soede.
Individuals, organizations, and establishments celebrating the Coral Triangle Day are encouraged to post their videos or photos on www.thecoraltriangle.com/day to show the world what they are doing for the oceans during this day and to help create a truly regional community of Coral Triangle supporters.
Brussels, Belgium ?The Agriculture and Fisheries Council discussion this morning was the death knell for many of the greening measures contained in the original Commission proposal for the Common Agricultural Policy reform.
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?It is truly depressing to see the direction that negotiations are taking at such an early stage. Member States should be taking stronger environmental measures, rather than working at forming a consensus behind closed doors that will sink the Commission?s proposal. The Council is intent on sacrificing the 7% of Ecological Focus Areas*(see editorial note), despite the best scientific advice. They are contravening all logic.? said Tony Long, Director of WWF?s European Policy Office.
?Citizens will not stand by in these difficult economic times and allow farm payments which directly or indirectly lead to the destruction of nature, the contamination of the atmosphere with greenhouse gases and the over-abstraction and pollution of water. Member States have to listen to public sentiment and start taking serious strides in protecting the environment,? Mr Long concluded.
Background
There was wide spread agreement amongst Member States that the 7% Ecological Focus Areas are too ambitious and should be reduced. However scientific opinion already suggests that we need a minimum of 10% of land dedicated to Ecological Focus Areas if biodiversity and environmental connectivity is to be optimally supported, less than 7% is insufficient.
In addition to this, Luxembourg?s proposal for a menu of greening options, from which Member States could pick and choose, is reckless. This means that not all measures will be applied evenly, and Member States will probably employ the options that have the lowest financial cost rather than what is best for nature and society. European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolo? recognizes the danger of a ?pick and mix? policy and is right to defend against it.
Notes to the Editor
Ecological Focus Areas are a part of farmland that is dedicated to environmental rather than agricultura usel. The aim of this land includes reversing biodiversity loss, reversing the loss of birds and insects, reducing water pollution and soil erosion.
Produced in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and Global Footprint Network, this year?s report was launched today from the International Space Station ? by ESA astronaut André Kuipers, who provided a unique perspective of the state of the planet from his European Space Agency mission.
?We only have one Earth. From up here I can see humanity?s footprint, including forest fires, air pollution and erosion ? challenges which are reflected in this edition of the Living Planet Report,? said Kuipers in launching the report during his second mission into space. ?While there are unsustainable pressures on the planet, we have the ability to save our home, not only for our benefit, but, above all, for generations to come,? he said.
The Living Planet Report uses the global Living Planet Index to measure changes in the health of the planet's ecosystems by tracking 9,000 populations of more than 2,600 species. The global Index shows almost a 30 per cent decrease since 1970, with the tropics the hardest hit ? where there has been a 60 per cent decline in less than 40 years. Just as biodiversity is on a downward trend, the Earth?s Ecological Footprint, one of the other key indicators used in the report, illustrates how our demand on natural resources has become unsustainable.
?We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal. We are using 50 per cent more resources that the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast ? by 2030 even two planets will not be enough,? said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International.
The report reinforces the impact of human population growth and over-consumption as critical driving forces behind environmental pressure.
?This report is like a planetary check-up and the results indicate we have a very sick planet,? said Jonathan Baillie, Conservation Programme Director with the Zoological Society of London. ?Ignoring this diagnosis will have major implications for humanity. We can restore the planet?s health, but only through addressing the root causes, population growth and over-consumption.?
Impact of urbanization
The report also highlights the impact of urbanization as a growing dynamic ? by 2050, two out of every three people will live in a city; and the need for humanity to develop new and improved ways of managing natural resources.
?We can create a prosperous future that provides food, water and energy for the 9 or perhaps 10 billion people who will be sharing the planet in 2050,? added Leape. ?Solutions lie in such areas as reducing waste, smarter water management and using renewable sources of energy that are clean and abundant ? such as wind and sunlight.?
The difference between rich and poor countries is also underlined in the report. High income countries have an Ecological Footprint on average five times that of low-income countries.
Countries with biggest Ecological Footprint
The top 10 countries with the biggest Ecological Footprint per person are: Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Denmark, United States of America, Belgium, Australia, Canada, Netherlands and Ireland.
Yet according to the global Living Planet Index, declines in biodiversity since 1970 have been most rapid in the lower income countries ? demonstrating how the poorest and most vulnerable nations are subsidizing the lifestyles of wealthier countries. Decreasing biocapacity (a region?s capacity to regenerate resources) will require a country to import essential resources from foreign ecosystems ? potentially to the long-term detriment of the latter.
?Growing external resource dependencies are putting countries at significant risk. The ecological crisis is becoming a driver for our growing economic pains,? said Mathis Wackernagel, President of Global Footprint Network. ?Using ever more nature, while having less is a dangerous strategy, yet most countries continue to pursue this path. Until countries begin tracking and managing their biocapacity deficits, they not only put
the planet at risk, but more importantly, themselves.?
The Living Planet Report outlines a number of solutions needed to reverse the declining Living Planet Index and bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits. These are set out as 16 priority actions, and include improved consumption patterns, putting an economic value on natural capital, and creating legal and policy frameworks that manage equitable access to food, water and energy.
The report is launched just five weeks before nations, businesses and civil society gather in Rio de Janeiro for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20 ). Twenty years on from the last Earth summit, this meeting is a key opportunity for global leaders to reconfirm their commitment to creating a sustainable future.
?The challenges underlined in the Living Planet Report are clear,? said Leape. ?Rio+20 can and must be the moment for governments to set a new course towards sustainability. The meeting is a unique opportunity for coalitions of the committed ? of governments, cities and businesses ? to join forces and play a crucial role in keeping this a living planet.?
Indonesia is 90% Muslim, but Bali is the exception, which is 90% Hindu. The Hindu community of Bali has traditionally used marine turtles for religious ceremonies for decades. Consumption of these turtles summed between 10,000 and 20,000 a year.
It is no secret that changing a tradition, specially a religious one is no easy task; but WWF-Indonesia was determined to do so. The local veterinarian and Hindu, I.B. Windia Adnyana, was aware of the problem and took matters into his own hands. He joined forces with his brother, a local religious leader to talk to the Hindu community and let them know that the turtle ritual could have dire consequences for the survival of the local populations.
The religious leaders listened and wanted to help, but could not eliminate a practice that was still intrinsically knit into their customs. Besides, the whole village of Serangan Island depended mainly on the sales of adult turtles to the Hindu community.
None the less, the local government joined in, and in 1999, measures were agreed on. Only 300 marine turtles per year would be culled for religious purposes. These turtles would be provided only through a permit authorized by the local government. The turtles would only come from the Turtle Education Centre, to be built by the government in Serangan Island.
The Turtle Education Centre would only use five Olive Ridley turtle nests a year, to raise the turtles for Hindu religious ceremonies. This is because adult nesting turtles have a much higher value for the future of their population. In nature only 1 out of every 1000 hatchlings born survives long enough to achieve sexual maturity.
Since 2006 the Turtle Education Centre has been up and running. It provides the Serangan village with more income than they ever had when dedicated to the illegal turtle trade. Students and tourists go to the Centre to see and learn about marine turtles. Though this is not the ideal solution, we?re in the process of getting there. WWF and its local partners were able to make a difference for Indonesia's marine turtles, one turtle at a time.
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