Survey by Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards

Why in news?

The Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) recently published a report titled 'Safe Havens for Wild Tigers'.

What is the report on?

• CA|TS report was on the results of a survey of site-based tiger conservation across Asia.
• The survey assessed the current management methodologies at 112 sites located in 11 tiger-range countries, including India.
• The survey is the first and largest rapid assessment of site-based tiger conservation across Asia.
• It has been driven by 11 conservation organisations and tiger-range governments that are part of the CA|TS coalition.
• The results show whether or not governments are investing sufficient funds into tiger conservation.
• This study also shows the reality of the progress made under the St Petersburg Declaration.

What are the key findings?

• Only 13% of the tiger conservation areas met the global standards of an accreditation system.
• Of the 112 global sites surveyed, only 12.5% was currently able to meet the full CA|TS criteria.
• Nearly half of the assessed sites reported fairly strong management, although improvements are needed.
• South Asian and East Asian countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Russia had management plans.
• The remaining 35% did not have management plans and showed relatively weak management.
• Notably, a majority of these are in Southeast Asia, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand.
• Three of the 13 tiger range countries, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia have lost all their tigers.

What are the concerns?

• Basic needs remain weak for all tiger conservation areas surveyed.
• These include enforcement of laws against poaching, engaging local communities and managing conflicts between people and wildlife.
• Staff capacity to patrol the sites effectively and anti-poaching enforcement remain weak, despite the serious threat of poaching.
• Only 16 of 112 sites had intelligence-driven anti-poaching processes in place.
• Ineffective management of tiger conservation areas had led to the extinction of tigers from certain key areas.

What are the accredited sites?

• To date, only three sites have been awarded CA|TS Approved status.
• These are

1. Lansdowne Forest Division in Uttarakhand, India
2. Chitwan National Park in Nepal
3. Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve in Russia

• Lansdowne Forest Division, Uttarakhand, accredited in May 2017, is the third CA|TS accredited site globally and the first in India.
• It is significant since it is a crucial link between the Rajaji and Corbett tiger reserves.

What does it call for?

• Low investment from governments in Southeast Asia was one of the reasons for the lack of management.
• Thus, long-term investment in tiger conservation areas is called for.
• This is absolutely essential to halt and reverse the decline of wild tigers.
• The tiger-range governments should thus take the lead responsibility.

Source: Business Line, Indian Express

Quick Facts

Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS)

• CA|TS is an important tool in the achievement of the Convention on Biological Diversity - CBD’s Global Aichi Targets.
• CA|TS is a management tool which sets basic criteria such as the minimum standards for effective management of tiger conservation reserves.
• It also applies to other conservation reserves and protected areas which have tiger populations.
• It contributes to the implementation of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas.
• The CA|TS team has been working closely with the IUCN.

St Petersburg Declaration

• In November 2010, the first “Tiger Summit” in St Petersburg, Russia, endorsed a Global Tiger Recovery Programme.
• The programme aimed at reversing the rapid decline of tigers, and doubling their numbers by 2022.
• India was one of the 13 tiger range countries that participated in the gathering.
• The leaders committed to drawing up action plans to -

1. strengthen the tiger reserves
2. crack down on poachers
3. provide financial assistance to maintain a thriving tiger population

Tiger Range Countries

• The Tiger Range Countries (TRC) are the countries where tigers still roam free i.e. in the wild.

• The 13 tiger range countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Sometimes North Korea is also included.
• While there have been no recent tigers sightings in North-Korea, it is the only country listed which has not ratified CITES.