THE SÜNDARBANS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN: CONSE&VATIOK IN THE BANGLADESH COASTAL ZONE A World Wildlife Fund Report supported by the World Wildlife Fund, Gland, Switzerland (lUCN/WWF Project No. 1011: 'Operation Tiger', Bangladesh - Sundarbans Forest Division), and National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Gland, Switzerland 1983 THE SUNDAEBANS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT PLAN conservation in the Bangladesh coastal zone From: Government of the People's Republic of Batsgladesh, Forest Department, Dhaka and World Wildlife Fund, 1196 Gland, Switzerland Prepared by: John Seidenstlcker, Ph.D. Md. Abdul Hal, B.Sc.F. The Authors: Dr. Seldensticker is a Wildlife Ëcologlst, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C, 20008 (U.S.A.). Mr. Hal is in the Bangladesh Forest Department. He has been Wildlife Superintendent and has many years experience working in the Sundarbans. These proposals express the views of the consultants, which are not necessarily those of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources or World Wildlife Fund. Frontispiece: Wildlife and man in the Sundarbans - Otters (Lutra perspiclllata) are used by some fishermen to drive fish schools into their nets (Seldensticker: March, 1980), Cover by: Judy Gradwohl ICBN; Z-88032-802-0 (g) 1983 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources World Wildlife Fund COKTBNTS SYNOPSIS 9 SCHEDULING OPERATIONS 10 INTRODUCTION 14 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 16 THE SUNDARBAHS ECOSYSTEM 18 The Setting 18 Physiographic Expression 18 Land and Water 22 Tides 26 Aquifers 30 Climatic System 30 Storms 33 Matigroves and Estuaries 35 Wildlife Ecology 44 An Area of Environmental Concern 47 MANAGING TIGERS 62 Toward a Strategy for Tiger Conservation: Components 62 The Objectives 62 The Information Base 62 Deriving Management Principles 63 Developing a Basis for Integrated Management 56 Problem Tigers - 66 Key Species, Key Processes 67 MANAGEMENT, MAN, AND THE SüNDARBANS 69 Goods and Services 69 Ecosystem Integrity and Management 69 Human Needs, Sundarbans Values 71 The Forest Management System 75 Structuring the Management Response 77 About Coaservation 80 STRATEGY, OBJECTIVES, TIME TABLE 81 Strategy 81 The Goal and Objectives o£ Management 82 Period of the Plan 82 MANAGEMENT PRESCRIPTIONS 83 Authority 83 Wildlife Sanctuaries 84 Organization 85 Programme Functions 85 Policy Committee 85 Programme Management 86 Operations; The Staff and Their Duties 88 Staff Development and Training 90 Skills Required 90 Methods 90 Long-Term Considerations 91 Law Enforcement 97 The Problem 97 The Law Enforcement System 97 Tourism 98 Problem Animals 98 Summary nq Research IQQ Basic Studies j^Ol Detailed Studies 3^03 Coordination -J^Q^J Visitor Use -.Qg Programme Guidelines j^OS A Tourism Development Scenario 105 Public Information 2Q7 The Audience lOy Themes -¡Q-. Design Materials, Methods 208 The Staff ^QQ Facilities and Equipment HQ Transport IIQ Communications 110 Facilities 111 GLOSSARY 112 LITERATURE CITED 113 FIGURES 1 Approximate forested areas of Bangladesh (dark areas). 19 2 LADÎDSAT image of the Ganges Delta. 21 3 The Sundarbans Forest Division: a) LANDSAT image of the Sundarbans Forest Division. b) Place names. 23 4 Sand banks and leesdows In the Sundarbans: a) The Sundarbans East Sanctuary, b) Some sand banks are used seasonally as bases for fishing in the Bay of Bengal and at the mouths of the big tidal rivers. 27 5 Sundarbans Forest quality classes and the land development units in the Southern Region of Bangladesh, 31 6 Cyclonic storm tracts in the Bay of Bengal, 1960-1970. 34 7 Vegetated tidelands of the Sundarbans: a) An extensive forest tract showing the complex vegetatlonal mosaic, b) There is not the strong zonation in the Sundarbans mangrove communities that is apparent in many of the world's mangrove forests. 37 8 The northern edge of the Sundarbans Forest Division. 68 9 People in the forest: a) "Country boats" are the main mode of transportation and commerce in the Sundarbans. b) People waiting for permits to collect firewood. 73 TABLES : 1 Monthly discharge of Ganges water before Farakka. 25 2 Characteristics of tides in the Sundarbans. 29 3 Average rainfall at Khulna. 32 4 Mean precipitation budget at Khulna. 32 5 Frequency of severe tropical storms In Bangladesh. 34 6 Sundarbans Forest Division site quality class areas. 36 7 Plant list for the Sundarbans. 49 8 Birds in the Sundarbans and adjacent areas. 51 9 Matomals in the Sundarbans and adjacent areas. 57 10 Reptiles and amphibians in the Sundarbans and adjacent areas. 59 11 The endangered species of Bangladesh, 61 12 Staff organization, Sundarbans Wildlife Management Programme. 86 13. Skills required by Programme staff. 93 14. Categories of specific skills required by advanced level personnel. 94 15. Categories of specific skills required by mid-level personnel. 95 16. Job qualifications for Programme staff. 96 SYHOFSIS The survival in the wild of the powerful metaphysical symbol of Bangladesh, the Royal Bengal tiger, hinges upon the capability and the will of man. The only remaining habitat of the tiger in Bangladesh's Bengal Basin is the 6,000 km^ coastal zone area, the Sundarbans Forest Division. There is a chance for the tiger to survive on these harsh, storm-laehed tidelands. The area is large enough to harbor a viable population. But the tiger must be protected and its habitat needs must be met. In the Sundarbans, tigers, deer, forest, and men are linked inseparably and so must be their management. Any attempt to separate the tiger from its prey, the deer from the forest, or people from their needs will surely fail. The tiger must be managed with all wildlife as an Integral part of forest management that assures the sustainable production of forest products and maintains this coastal zone at the level of best achievable ecosystem function to provide for the needs of the people of Bangladesh. Developing the capability to manage the wildlife resource of the Sundarbans is a process. Protection is the first requirement. Habitat needs must be assessed on the basis of sound ecological data. The means of translating these into the forest management framework must evolve. This plan outlines technical guidelines which assure the future survival needs of the Royal Bengal Tiger and all wildlife in the Sundarbans. But the capacity to realize this Plan and the successful husbandry of the wildlife in Bangladesh depends upon the professionals entrusted with the task, their skill and dedication. It depends upon the support they receive from the citizens of Bangladesh and people everywhere. SCHEDULING QPERATIOMS The summary following, for Management and the Policy Committee, sets out the orchestration of the broad elements of the Programme in accordance with the Plan. Preliminary Action - Appointment of the Policy Committee Government approval of the Plan Financial projects prepared" and submitted • Ap^proval of the proijeccs: Year One Government approval to commence executlûû o£ the Progrannaê • Manager and Section Reads appoiratea - Sundarbans East Samttuary declared ~ Sundarbans wildlife protected by Gazette notification - Staff selection and appointments completed • Design of Khulna facilities instigated • Ftfrchase of tteces,sary land completed- - Ord'érs p-laced- for launches • All other equipment ordered and placed in service - Protection Stations designed and constructed ~ Organized paitrtuîiing comsiences First group of staff goes for in-service cra-ining in- wildlife management Man^eer goes abroad for three month training course Basic studies prcgramme implemented Initial repo-Et prepared on vital areas 10 Public Relations Officer and staff work with Conservation Education Specialist; plan and basic materials prepared Year Two - Operations continue - Construction of Khulna facilities Wildlife Superintendent, Research Officer, and Publications Officer go abroad for three month training course In-service training course continues • Law Enforcement Specialist works with the Law Enforcement staff for two months - All launches in service Revised vital area report prepared Tourism potential plan prepared; preliminary tourism operations started Year Three - Operations continue - In-service training continues Conservation Education Specialist assists Public Relations Officer in assessment and infusion of new materials and more sophisticated techniques - Tourism operation expanded Tiger ecology study at.âCts Year Four ~ Operations continue - Mid-term appraisal In-servics training continues - Tourism operations expand Public relations work expands Law Enforcement Specialist assists for two months 11 Year Five - Operations continue In-service training continues " Tourism operations expand Conaarv^tLou Education. Specialist assists Public Relations Officer in assessment and infusion of new materials - Crocodile ecology project starts Year Six - Operations continue - Tourism operations continue - Preparation of the second plan started - Public relations work continues Year Seven - Operations continue Second five-year plan completed Final Report for the programme prepared Detailed Operation Plans - 'Sundarbans Wildlife Management Programme: Requirements for Future Staff Training and Development' by Section Heads; year 1 - 'Sundarbans Law Enforcement Plan for Wildlife' by Wildlife Superintendent; year 1 and revised in years 2 and 4 with assistance of the Law Enforcement Specialist 'Visitor Protocol' by Section Heads; year 1,