Phoenix Fund Wildlife Conservation in the Russian Far East in 2010: Western anti-poaching team Final report January – December 2010 Phoenix Fund Suite 409, 2 Petra Velikogo Street, Vladivostok 690091, Russia Phone: +7-4232-205053 , Fax +7-4232-205048 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.phoenix.vl.ru Phoenix Final Report __________________________________________________________________________________________ January1 – December 31, 2010 I. Project Overview Fund Raising Foundation, the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and 21st Century Tigers, which numbered 100,000 Tiger, we took measures to reinforce worldwide a century ago, are now capacity of the Western anti-poaching estimated at just 3,200, mostly in India, team of regional Game and Rare Species Russia and Indonesia. A drastic fall in tiger Department (also known as Primorsky numbers was caused by rapid economic Hunting Management Department). The growth, poaching and habitat loss. team has been operating in five northern districts of Primorye, still rich in wildlife and The Amur tiger (also known as the cedar forests and representing historic Siberian tiger) once roamed the forests range of Amur tigers. and mountains of the Russian Far East by the hundreds. But hunting and trade During the reported period the Western destroyed them, and by 1940, when Lev team achieved good results, but the Kaplanov, the director of a Russian nature team's leader Alexander Samoilenko preserve, did the first scientific count, he believes that the outcomes could have found only 20 to 30. By 1948, the Soviet been much better. According to him, low government had outlawed tiger hunting fines for wildlife crimes (up to $33) reduce and there was little means or reason to to zero their protection efforts. “A hunter violate the law. Guns were strictly can pay a low fine and poach again”, controlled, the border with China was very Alexander says. “As a rule, nowadays much closed, preventing trafficking, and poachers are equipped with all-terrain the sale of tiger parts was prohibited. As vehicles (4WD jeeps, snowmobiles, the Soviet Union slowly crumbled into paragliders), firearms and communication chaos, however, those controls devices much better than law enforcement disappeared, replaced by poverty that officers. And for such poachers a fine of encouraged hunting and a ready market in $33 is a mere thing. More drastic nearby China, where tiger parts are valued measures need to be taken. We need for folk medicine. From 1995 to 2005 the tougher sanctions such as revocation of number of Amur tigers was increased to hunt permit or imposition of high fines for 500 thanks to comprehensive tiger wildlife crimes. And there has to be strong conservation measures. political will to conserve tigers“. However, in October 2009, the Wildlife Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Conservation Society (WCS) reported knows well that there is a need for tougher about Amur tiger’s decline. Given that sanctions for tiger poaching and its prey to tigers reflect the health of the ecosystems preserve the royal beast. Speaking at a in which they live and on which people conference organised by his United Russia depend, it was necessary to take party in Khabarovsk Putin agreed that the immediate and urgent actions, otherwise fine of $33-48 for tiger poaching was too wild tigers would disappear forever. small. Deputy Prime Minister Sergei "Tigers need three things," said Dale Ivanov, who was accompanying Putin on Miquelle, Director of WSC-Russia. "They the tour, told reporters that Russian need space. They need their habitat and Ministry of Natural Resources had already prey protected - deer and wild boar. And tabled a bill providing for harsher they need laws against poaching punishment for poaching and illegal vigorously enforced. It's a very simple hunting. "It includes separate articles on formula. It's very doable." tigers and leopards, stipulating harsher punishment for poaching, including arrest In this regard, thanks to timely support and imprisonment," Ivanov said. kindly provided in 2010 by the Kolmarden 2 Phoenix Final Report __________________________________________________________________________________________ January1 – December 31, 2010 We are hopeful that after a tiger protection possible to recruit more officers (up to 43) program has been taken under personal with money from regional budget. control by Putin, Amur tigers have more Alexander Samoilenko, leader of the chances for survival in Russia. Western team, applied to be included as a staff member of the new fauna protection Below, we present our final report on anti- department. And due to bureaucratic poaching activities conducted by the procedure for getting approval of his Western team from January through candidacy for leader of GRSD’ anti- December 2010. poaching unit, Alexander was included in II. Project Implementation Support for Western wildlife managers’ team Initially, the Western wildlife managers’ team was headed by Rosselkhoznadzor1 and was responsible for preventing and revealing poaching and illegal logging. Unfortunately, since the 1st of January 2008, as a result of an administrative reform in Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor partly © Phoenix Team found poached prey in a car lost its law enforcement rights. The local Primorsky Krai government became the department and received law enforcement rights only in the beginning of the year 2009 and could start working in February 2009. From January 1st through December 31st 2010, the team patrolled five districts of Primorye, namely Dalnerechensky, Pozharsky, Krasnoarmeisky, Kirovsky and Terneisky, and showed good results: it conducted 98 patrols, revealed 63 violations of nature protection regulation, confiscated three poached roe deer, two red deer and two Himalayan bears, two ducks and a pheasant, and seized 15 © Phoenix illegal rifles and 13 traps. Five criminal Checking hunter’s documents proceedings were initiated (see Table 1). responsible for protection of both forests From January through April the Western and fauna within the province. And team in cooperation with police officers Rosselkhoznadsor was empowered to patrolled in Dalnerechensky, Pozharsky control the new Game and Rare Species and Krasnoarmeisky administrative Department (GRSD) and check how districts of Primorye, conducted 18 many- inspectors protect forest and wildlife day patrols, revealed 23 violations, resources. When the GRSD was including 19 hunting violations and four established in January 2008, it had only unauthorized logging, seized three illegal 19 staff members, but later it became rifles, and initiated five criminal proceedings. Sometimes representatives 1Rosselkhoznadzor – Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Monitoring Service 3 Phoenix Final Report __________________________________________________________________________________________ January1 – December 31, 2010 of local media joined the team to cover its 8,000-ruble ($272) restitution value for anti-poaching work. wildlife. On January 3, while patrolling hunting In the evening one more violation was grounds near Salskoye village, revealed close to Tayozhnoye village. A Dalnerechensky district, the team detained local was detained for illegal hunting. a man with a 16-gauge smoothbore When searching his car the inspectors firearm for hunting without a hunt permit, found red deer meat. The man did not hunt license and gun license. The have a hunt license. The inspectors issued inspectors issued an administrative an administrative citation and imposed a citation, seized the shotgun to hand it over fine of 2,000 roubles ($68). to Dalnerechensky police station and imposed a fine of 2,000 roubles ($68). Besides anti-poaching activities, the team members also participated in wildlife During a patrol on January 22, in census that took place in January – Dalnerechensky district the team February on hunting grounds of Polyana apprehended a man with a 12-gauge and Dalnerechensky hunting leases. shotgun for hunting without a hunt permit and license. The violator was made to pay On March 15, during a routine patrol in a fine of 1,000 roubles ($34). Dalnerechensky district the team revealed an authorized cutting of Korean pine and On February 10, when patrolling along the oak trees. Four loggers were apprehended boundaries between Dalnerechensky and and taken to Dalnerechensky police Kirovsky districts, the team revealed an station for further investigation. A criminal unauthorized cutting of oak. Violators tried proceeding was initiated. to disappear from the scene by DT-74 tractor, which was shortly found 8 km away from the logging site. Later, a tractor’s owner and organizer of the illicit logging was apprehended and taken to Kirovsky police station for further investigation. On February 20, a man with a rifle was detained on hunting grounds of Krasnoarmeisky district, 30 km away from Tayozhnoye village, for deer hunting during a closed season. The inspectors issued an administrative citation and made © Phoenix the violator pay a fine of 2,000 roubles An illegal logging site discovered ($68). On March 20, when patrolling near The same day later the team apprehended Malinovo village, Dalnerechensky district, a man from Spassky district who came to the team discovered an illegal logging site. hunt near Tayozhnoye village by van. A Following footprints left on the snow the search inside revealed fresh meat of red inspectors managed to detain a man with and roe deer and a rifle. It was obvious a wireless station. The man was taken to that