The St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation (Saint Petersburg, Russia, November 23, 2010) Acknowledge and appreciate the presence their prey, and habitats, and reduce the incidence and support of other governments, international of human-tiger conflict by providing sustain- We, the Heads of the Governments organizations, non-governmental organizations, and able and alternative livelihood options through of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the Kingdom other supporters of tigers. financial support, technical guidance, and other of Bhutan, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People’s measures. Republic of China, the Republic of India, the Because it is our obligation to future generations, Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic and because we must act now, we hereby declare 4. Increasing the effectiveness of tiger and habitat Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union the following: management, basing it on: of Myanmar, Nepal, the Russian Federation, the a. The application of modern and innovative Strive to double the number of wild tigers across Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic science, standards, and technologies; of Vietnam, being custodians of the last remaining their range by 2022 by tigers in the wild, having gathered at an unprec- b. Regular monitoring of tigers, their prey, and edented International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, 1. Doing everything possible to effectively man- habitat; Russian Federation, from 21–24 November 2010, age, preserve, protect, and enhance habitats, c. Adaptive management practices; and including: with the common goal of tiger conservation; d. Building capacity of institutions involved in a. Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in science and training and creating a platform Recognize that Asia’s most iconic animal faces planning and development processes in tiger for interactive knowledge exchange at all imminent extinction in the wild. In the past cen- habitat; levels. tury, tiger numbers have plummeted from 100,000 b. Making critical tiger breeding habitats invi- to below 3,500, and continue to fall. Tiger numbers olate areas within the larger tiger conser- 5. Exploring and mobilizing domestic funding, and habitat have declined by 40 percent in the last vation landscapes where no economic or including new financing mechanisms based on decade alone, lost largely to habitat loss, poaching, commercial infrastructure development or forest carbon financing including REDD+, pay- the illegal wildlife trade, and human-tiger conflict. other adverse activities are permitted; and ment for ecosystem services (PES), ecotourism, Three subspecies have already disappeared, and maintaining the landscapes and creating cor- and private sector, donor, and nongovernmental none of the other six is secure; ridors around and between them where all organization partnerships. permitted development activities are tiger- that the tiger is one of the Acknowledge and biodiversity-compatible; 6. Appealing for the commitment of international important indicators of healthy ecosystems and a financial institutions, such as World Bank, Global failure to reverse these trends will result in not only c. Improving protection by using systematic Environment Facility, Asian Development Bank, the loss of tigers but also a loss of biological diver- patrolling to safeguard tigers, their prey, and bilateral and other donors and foundations, sity throughout the entire Asiatic region, together habitats; and CITES Secretariat, non-governmental organiza- with the tangible and intangible benefits provided d. Working collaboratively on transboundary tions, and other conservation partners to provide by these magnificent predators and the ecosystems issues, such as the uninhibited movement of or mobilize financial and technical support to they inhabit; tigers and the management of tiger conserva- tiger conservation. tion landscapes. Note that whilst the conservation of the tiger is 7. Looking forward to the establishment of a multi- primarily a national responsibility and that increased 2. Working collaboratively to eradicate poaching, donor trust fund or other flexible arrangements cooperation and coordination of efforts among the smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers, their parts, to support tiger conservation. tiger range countries is essential, the reversal of this and derivatives through: crisis is additionally dependent upon financial and a. Strengthened national legislation, institu- 8. Requesting financial institutions and other part- technical support from the international community, tions, and law enforcement to combat crime ners, including the Global Tiger Initiative, to bearing in mind that most Tiger Range Countries are directed against tigers; assist in identifying and establishing a mechanism developing countries. The crisis facing the tiger has to coordinate and monitor the use of the multi- yet to receive the international attention it deserves b. Strengthened regional law enforcement donor trust fund allocated for tiger conservation and saving this species is a common responsibility; activities through bilateral and multilateral and the implementation of the GTRP, including arrangements such as Association of South its Global Support Programs for capacity build- Understand the role of international agree- East Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement ing and knowledge sharing, combating wildlife ments on the conservation of biological diversity and Network (ASEAN-WEN), South Asia crime, demand reduction, and the GTRP prog- protection of rare and endangered species, includ- Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), ress report. In the interim, we request the Global ing the tiger, such as the Convention on Biological and the Protocol between the Government Tiger Initiative to fulfill this role. Diversity, the Convention on International Trade of the People’s Republic of China and the in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Government of the Russian Federation on 9. Agreeing to convene high-level meetings on a (CITES), and the Convention on the Conservation Tiger Protection; regular basis to review the progress of NTRPs of Migratory Species of Wild Animals; c. Strengthened international collaboration, and the GTRP and to help ensure continued high coordination, and communication; levels of political commitment to tiger recovery. the work to date of the Global Acknowledge d. Specialized expertise, where relevant, from Tiger Forum and encourage its revitalization and 10. Building tiger conservation awareness by cel- international organizations including the more active role; ebrating Global Tiger Day annually on 29 July. CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, the UN Recall and endorse The Manifesto on Combating Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank, 11. Welcome and sincerely appreciate the pledges Wildlife Crime in Asia, adopted in Pattaya, Thailand, and the World Customs Organization (rec- made during the Tiger Summit; we also appre- in April 2009; the Recommendations of the Global ognizing that some of these agencies may, ciate the continued support of the Global Tiger Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal, October themselves, require additional resources); Environment Facility, Save the Tiger Fund, 2009; the Hua Hin Declaration on Tiger Conservation and Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Fish and Wildlife at the First Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger e. Long-term national and global programs to Service, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, Conservation (1st AMC) in Hua Hin, Thailand, create awareness of the value of wild tigers and other partners in the Global Tiger Initiative, January 2010; and the Work Plan of the Pre Tiger and their ecosystems and thus eliminate the and welcome the participation of new ones. Summit in Bali, Indonesia, July 2010; illicit demand for tigers and their parts. By the adoption of this, the St. Petersburg Declaration, Welcome the adoption of National Tiger Recovery 3. Engaging with indigenous and local communities the Tiger Range Countries of the world call upon Priorities (NTRPs) and the Global Tiger Recovery to gain their participation in biodiversity con- the international community to join us in turning Program (GTRP); and servation, minimize negative impacts on tigers, the tide and setting the tiger on the road to recovery.