National Tiger Conservation Authority and Traffic India Collaborate to Fight Wildlife Crime
Date:10/16/2008

New Delhi: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and TRAFFIC India signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) yesterday, for collaborating efforts on issues related to wildlife conservation and enforcement, particularly in reference to the Tigers in India. The MOU was formalized between Dr. Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary & IGF-National Tiger Conservation Authority and Mr. Samir Sinha, Head-TRAFFIC India at the NTCA office in New Delhi. Shri S.P Yadav, Joint Director-NTCA was also present at this meeting.

Under this newly signed MOU, NTCA and TRAFFIC India have agreed to primarily work on various aspects of conservation including the following:
1. Development of a comprehensive database on wildlife trade and crime, especially with reference to the Tiger, to support effective on-ground enforcement action.

2. Conducting capacity building programmes for various enforcement agencies to meet emerging and existing challenges of wildlife enforcement.

3. Developing training materials for field practitioners that addresses issues such as preventing poaching, scene of crime, development of informant networks, field identification of wildlife species & derivatives, legal issues, criminal profiles, handling organized crime etc.

4. Conducting awareness campaigns targeting various groups to raise awareness about the significance and implications of wildlife trade.

5. Any other related activities to support and strengthen wildlife conservation.

“Wildlife crime in India has taken a heavy toll on our precious flora and fauna. Over the years, this crime has transmuted itself into a fully fledged nexus of poachers and wildlife traders that operate not only in India but also have well established trans-border connections. This is especially true for tigers, our national animal. This organized crime requires an organized response” said Dr. Rajesh Gopal, Member Secretary, NTCA. He further added, “This collaboration with TRAFFIC India should give us an edge in fighting wildlife crime in India. We are looking forward to working together on these issues”.

Mr. Samir Sinha, Head-TRAFFIC India said, “We are positive that this collaboration will lead to better on the ground support for conservation of Tigers in India and will help curb their illegal trade”. He further added, “TRAFFIC has considerable international reputation for helping to identify and address conservation challenges linked to wildlife trade. We hope to bring this experience to this collaboration and contribute to conservation of wild tigers.

Notes:
1. Illegal wildlife trade is widespread globally, and is probably second in value behind the illegal narcotics and arms trades. The most commonly known products in illegal wildlife trade in India are: Mongoose hair, snakeskin, Rhino horn, Tiger and Leopard claws, bones, skins, whiskers, Elephant tusks, deer antlers, turtle shells, musk pods, bear bile, medicinal plants, timber and caged birds such as parakeets, mynas and munias.

2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body of the Govt. of India constituted under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 as amended in 2006, mandated to carry out various activities and responsibilities for the conservation of Tigers and associated wildlife species and their habitat across India. For information please visit www.projecttiger.nic.in

3. TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network is a joint programme of WWF, the Global Conservation Organisation and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. It has grown to become the world’s largest wildlife trade monitoring network and a global expert on wildlife trade issues. TRAFFIC actively monitors and investigates wildlife trade and provides its information to a diverse audience world-wide, as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes presently working on wildlife trade issues in over 25 countries and territories, with ongoing research and activities in several others. In India, TRAFFIC functions as a division of WWF-India (World Wide Fund for Nature – India), New Delhi. TRAFFIC India works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature in India.