The Political Wilderness India’S Tiger Crisis
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the political wilderness india’s tiger crisis UK 15 Bowling Green Lane London EC1R 0BD tel (44) 171 490 7040 fax (44) 171 490 0436 email [email protected] US 3b-1611 Connecticut Avenue NW Washington DC 20009 tel (1) 202 483 6621 fax (1) 202 483 6625 email [email protected] aa reportreport byby thethe EnvironmentalEnvironmental InvestigationInvestigation AgencyAgency Contents Introduction The Political Wilderness - India’s Tiger Crisis Introduction hree sub-species of tiger have become extinct this © Tiger Link This report pulls together information gathered throughout India and other parts of the world. century without a whisper and only five remain. T India is home to two thirds of the world population It portrays a country rapidly losing its remaining wildlife and forests and destroying the unique of tigers. The immediate threat to their survival is from poaching to supply the Asian markets for tiger bones and culture of tribal people who have lived in the forests for hundreds of years. body parts. In India the Royal Bengal tiger edges towards extinction because of a complete lack of political will to save it. Indian experts know the problems, are aware of some of the solutions and advocate them daily. But they are routinely ignored. Executive summary 1 Case history: Kaziranga National Park 26-29 This report stands as a plea to the office of the Indian Prime Minister to act to reverse the rapid loss of India’s Introduction 1-3 Case history: Manas Tiger Reserve 30-31 wildlife and forests. International trade 4-5 Local communities & ecodevelopment 32-33 The political wilderness Indian Bengal tigers are being poached at the rate of one a Indian tiger poaching 6-9 Enforcement of wildlife law 34-35 day.1 In the last few years some of the highly endangered one-horned rhinoceros have disappeared from areas Other illegal wildlife trade in India 10-11 Indian Ngos fighting apathy with action 34 previously considered protected. Male elephants have been so heavily poached for tusks that in one of the most famous Project Tiger lost its way 12-13 Tourism 35 sanctuaries the ratio of males to females is a staggering 1:200.2 These species are some of the most visible and Politics of poaching 14-17 Conclusions & Recommendations 36 revered in the world, and India, to its credit, has more tigers, more one-horned rhinos and more Asian elephants The environment vs. economic liberalisation 18-23 References 37 remaining than any other country. But not for long. The highest wildlife body in India, chaired by the The front line - protecting wildlife in the field 24-31 Acknowledgements 37 Prime Minister - the Indian Board for Wildlife - has not even met for the past eight years.3 Environmental protection and wildlife conservation have been relegated to the political wilderness. No trees or forests were destroyed to produce this report, which is printed on tree-free paper produced from hemp and corn fibre. India has faced a huge onslaught on its wildlife before. Executive summary In the early 1970s field surveys revealed that tigers were ● rapidly disappearing, mainly because of the international The primary factor threatening the Indian tiger, its habitat and other wildlife, is the skin trade and hunting. The Government, recognising complete lack of political will on the part of the Prime Minister of India’s office to that strong leadership and swift action were required, act. Expert committee reports recommending strong, effective action are filed away on Ministry shelves. The Indian Board for Wildlife - supposedly India’s highest wildlife © Tiger Link acted decisively: new legislation was enacted, new protected areas, including Tiger Reserves with special advisory body chaired by the Prime Minister - has not even met for eight years. Government support, were created and bans on hunting ●Poaching for bones for Chinese medicine, for skins, penises, teeth and nails is and trading were imposed with new Government responsible for the death of at least one tiger each day in India. Poachers and structures and increased resources. Although some funds dealers, when they are occasionally apprehended, are routinely released on bail and came from abroad, India provided most of the financing re-offend. itself because it was unacceptable to its Government and ●Tiger Reserves, National Parks and Sanctuaries can no longer be seen as “Protected people that their tigers, and the forests in which they Areas”. Economic liberalisation has opened all areas to development and tiger lived, would be gone forever. habitat across India is being encroached upon, polluted and destroyed by industrial The tiger was rescued from extinction because Indian concerns. politicians, led by the Prime Minister, recognised that ●Committed conservation staff are treated with complete indifference. They are poorly future generations would forever blame them if the tiger trained, poorly equipped, and many go long periods without pay. Wildlife positions “burning bright” was extinguished forever. India became are often regarded as “punishment postings”. In some areas the situation is so bad a world leader in wildlife conservation and deservedly that staff have no boots and are stranded at guard posts because of lack of enjoyed a respected and distinguished voice in the transportation. Forest Department elephants have been found starving with some of international community. them having suspected cases of TB due to malnutrition. The legislation and Government structures remain. There are still some Government officers who go beyond ●The Government’s Project Tiger has lost its direction and failed to deal with the the call of duty to fight for India’s wildlife despite the various crises as they have developed. At the time of going to print, the post of huge political pressures against them. In the forests some director of Project Tiger had lain vacant for two months because the Prime Minister of the poorly paid forest guards and rangers still fight on had not signed the necessary documents for the new director to be appointed. against poachers, illegal loggers and illegal industrial ●Other wildlife trade is also out of control in India including the trade in leopard developments. Extraordinarily, despite some of the most skins, elephant ivory and rhino horn. India is also the main consumer of the difficult conditions and, in some cases the non-payment of protected and endangered Tibetan Antelope. India has failed to crack down on wages for months, some of these people are still willing to illegal sales of the wool from these animals (known as “shahtoosh”) by the risk their lives to protect the forests. Some of them have Government of Kashmir and private dealers. been killed. Others, after years of exemplary and effective ●The solutions to the crisis are known within India, have been repeatedly expressed service, are moved to areas where they can no longer be by Indian tiger experts and have been accepted by Ministry of Environment and effective, seemingly as a disincentive to others who may Forests expert committees. They await implementation. still take pride in their work. Cover picture © Tiger Link The Political Wilderness - India’s Tiger Crisis The Political Wilderness - India’s Tiger Crisis 1 Introduction Introduction “Really strong The laws set up to protect India’s wildlife and developed before Independence and followed by the consumer demand for their tigers must be applied. It Without political environment are strong but, unenforced and open to Government of India, are now profoundly questioned. can be done and much has been achieved in the last political will is the flagrant abuse, they have become useless. If poachers The debate is about people and wildlife, so often pitted three years, but not enough. leadership India’s and major wildlife traders are caught, they are usually © Damien Lewis against each other in former policies. Forest people The Indian Government cannot force China to act one single factor released on bail the next day and rarely face any were evicted from their land as protected areas were set and stop demand for Indian tigers because of the very tigers, rhinos and punishment. Even India’s most notorious wildlife up across India. Promises of relocation and support real fear of its increasingly powerful and populous that can really trader remains free and apparently unpunishable, were broken. Protected areas became seen as neighbour. But the international community can take elephants, together protected in the courts by expensive lawyers.4 Diligent playgrounds for the wealthy as foreigners and Indian on this responsibility with leadership and real concern. change everything.” and committed wildlife enforcement officers from the VIPs were seen visiting ancestral forests. However, this can only be effective if the Indian with many less State of Uttar Pradesh who have worked so hard to put Enlightened conservationists understand that there Government deals with its own responsibilities to its - S. Deb Roy, him in jail for decimating the State’s wildlife, are has to be a balance between helping local communities own environment. visible species, will transferred from their posts - seemingly “punished” for and enlisting their help to conserve the forests and The new Indian Government has a real former Addl. their loyalty to wildlife and the law.5 A Government wildlife. Abuse of the local people is an abuse of the opportunity to give genuine priority to reverse its disappear within the commission reports that 90% of dams completed or environment. In an effort to right some of the past serious neglect of India’s remaining wilderness. It will Inspector General of under construction in its survey of 319 dams have wrongs, schemes have been set up which are known as need to harness support from State Governments, next few years. failed to comply with mandatory conditions laid down “ecodevelopment”.