The third Asian meet on tiger conservation concluded on Thursday with commitment to help non-tiger countries with re-introduction and conservation of the animal in the wild through cooperation in all aspects which may include lending the big cats for breeding.
New Delhi Tiger Resolution adopted three R’s viz. Restoration, Reintroduction and Rehabilitation which includes habitat improvement and anti-poaching surveillance through modern technology, align development and tiger conservation by ensuring intensive participation of locals. It was attended by 13 tiger range countries in Asia, including 700 delegates and experts.
The Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar pointed out that conservation of tiger is not a choice, it is an imperative. The benefits of tiger conservation are enormous, but intangible and regional cooperation is essential for combating wildlife crime.
While the mood was upbeat with 22 per cent rise in tiger population since 2010, the participating countries observed that their problems are still far from being over. The meeting observed that tigers have become critically endangered or locally extinct in some of the countries.
The members discussed that extent and quality of habitat has also diminished in many of their countries. This is a serious impediment to achieving the goal of doubling the number of wild tigers range wide (Tx2) by 2022, the timeline envisaged in the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation in 2010. The meeting called for a renewed impetus is required to achieve the goal.
The participants agreed to work together on seven fronts which include accelerated implementation of agreed actions, declarations and priorities under Global Tiger Recovery Programme/ National Tiger Recovery Programme.
Such programmes will specifically be emphasised in areas having low density of tiger population by using successful programmes of tiger reintroduction and rehabilitation of their habitats and prey. The members decided to strengthen cooperation at the highest levels of government to combat wildlife crime, address the demand for tiger products, and increase formal and informal transboundary coordination.
The countries would align development and tiger conservation, in a mutually complementary manner by re-orienting development strategies to mainstream the concerns of tiger conservation, such as by integrating tiger and wildlife safeguards in infrastructure at the landscape level.
The tiger range countries would enhance knowledge sharing and capacity development for all stakeholders and increase the use of technology, including smart tools, monitoring protocols, and information systems, to improve management effectiveness.