SAARC body to devise ways for curbing wildlife trade
Monday, 17 March 2008
FE Report
SAARC countries have pledged to enhance cooperation in curbing wildlife trade in the region.
According to an Environmental News Network (ENN) report, wildlife trade officials from all the SAARC countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - met in Nepal recently and planned a number of actions under the new South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative (SAWTI).
The direction for the initiative was given by SAARC ministers at the Tenth Meeting of the Governing Council for the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) last year.
South Asia is home to rare and prized wildlife species such as tigers, Asiatic lions, snow leopards, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses. International organised wildlife crime networks are often known to target these animals.
SAWTI has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing a South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Wildlife Trade for the period 2008-2013.
The Nepal meet also agreed on the establishment of a South Asia Experts' Group on Wildlife Trade. The group will examine cooperation and coordination between countries and agencies, effective legislation, policies and law enforcement, the sustainability of the legal trade and livelihood security for those engaged in it, and improving intelligence networks and early warning systems.
The meeting by wildlife experts in Nepal felt that the greatest challenge was combating the highly organised illegal trade networks between poachers, domestic traders and international traders of wildlife products, which used the highly porous borders between some of the countries to pursue their illegal activities.
As it is difficult for a single country to control illegal activities, the meeting stressed the need for international cooperation, in particular, regional cooperation, to tackle the challenges of wildlife trade.
SAARC countries have pledged to enhance cooperation in curbing wildlife trade in the region.
According to an Environmental News Network (ENN) report, wildlife trade officials from all the SAARC countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - met in Nepal recently and planned a number of actions under the new South Asia Wildlife Trade Initiative (SAWTI).
The direction for the initiative was given by SAARC ministers at the Tenth Meeting of the Governing Council for the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) last year.
South Asia is home to rare and prized wildlife species such as tigers, Asiatic lions, snow leopards, Asian elephants and one-horned rhinoceroses. International organised wildlife crime networks are often known to target these animals.
SAWTI has been entrusted with the responsibility of developing a South Asia Regional Strategic Plan on Wildlife Trade for the period 2008-2013.
The Nepal meet also agreed on the establishment of a South Asia Experts' Group on Wildlife Trade. The group will examine cooperation and coordination between countries and agencies, effective legislation, policies and law enforcement, the sustainability of the legal trade and livelihood security for those engaged in it, and improving intelligence networks and early warning systems.
The meeting by wildlife experts in Nepal felt that the greatest challenge was combating the highly organised illegal trade networks between poachers, domestic traders and international traders of wildlife products, which used the highly porous borders between some of the countries to pursue their illegal activities.
As it is difficult for a single country to control illegal activities, the meeting stressed the need for international cooperation, in particular, regional cooperation, to tackle the challenges of wildlife trade.