January 21, 2002

SHRI VAJPAYEE ASKS STATES TO TAKE STEPS FOR BETTER CARE 0F WILDLIFE

    The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has urged the State governments to quickly review the condition of wildlife in their respective areas and initiate effective remedial steps, wherever needed. Presiding over the 21^st meeting of the Indian Board for Wildlife, Shri Vajpayee said that the responsibility of the Centre in this regard is to strengthen its role of coordination monitoring and necessary corrective action. Shri Vajpayee asked the law enforcement agencies to ensure that those engaged in poaching, illicit trade in wildlife and wildlife products, destruction of their habitat, and such other illegal activities are caught and given quick and deterrent punishment. He added that Corruption in this area must not be tolerated. He said that the State Governments should increase the number of staff engaged in conservation activities and give them better training, facilities, and equipment.

    Talking on wildlife tourism, Shri Vajpayee said that the country is yet to fully tap its potential. He suggested that the revenue earned from increased tourism should be used to augment available resources for wildlife preservation. On protecting the interests of the poor and tribals living in or near protected areas, Shri Vajpayee suggested that their problems should be handled with utmost sensitivity and with maximum participation of the affected people. A distinction should be made between deforestation and harnessing of minor forest produce for employment and income generation by those people who instinctively know the value of preserving forests and wildlife. Where necessary, laws and procedures should be amended. Also, people should be encouraged to take up afforestation and conservation on new areas. He said that the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the newly created Ministry of Tribal Affairs should work together to address these issues. Shri Vajpyee called upon the Prasar Bharati and private TV channels in the country to telecast quality programmes on wildlife and ecology as are being done by the Discovery, the National Geographic and the Animals Planet, with increased original Indian content, in various languages.

    In his speech on the occasion, the Environment and Forests Minister, Shri T.R. Baalu, stressed the need to have a total landscape approach or eco-regional approach to protect wildlife. He said that this would be mean management of areas around protected areas also as natural forests or the environmental and ecological attributes. In this connection, he referred to the Joint Forests Management Programme being implemented through more than 63,000 Village Development Committees. In addition, for eco-development around national parks and sanctuaries, a separate central scheme is designed, among other things, to create alternative sources of bio-mass outside the forest areas so as to reduce the dependence of the people on forests and augment the income of the local communities, particularly landless labour, through activities that are compatible with the conservation of forest and wildlife.

    The meeting unanimously adopted the Wildlife Conservation Strategy for 2002. The salient features of the strategy are as under:

    Wildlife and forests shall be declared priority sector at the national level for which funds should be earmarked.

    Law enforcement agencies must ensure that those engaged in poaching, illicit trade in wildlife and wildlife products, destruction of their habitat, and such other illegal activities are given quick and deterrent punishment.

    We should fully tap the potential in wildlife tourism and at the same time take care that it does not have adverse impact in wildlife and protected areas. The revenue earned from increased tourism should be used entirely to augment available resources for conservation.

    Protecting interests of the poor and tribals living around protected areas should be handled with sensitivity and with maximum participation of the affected people. They should have access to the minor forest produce, in the forest outside the national parks and sanctuaries. Employment and means generation for these people is crucial for maintaining symbiosis between the forests, wildlife and the people. People should be encouraged to take up afforestation and conservation in new areas.

    While strengthening protective measures against traditional threats to wildlife, we should also respond to newer threats such as toxic chemicals and pesticides.

    There should be greater governmental as well as societal recognition and support for the many non-governmental organizations engaged in wildlife conservation. Main stream media to better highlight their activities as also successes of governmental initiatives that have worked.

    Creatively produced Television Programme on wildlife and ecology are widely appreciated by young and old as seen from the popularity of dedicated T.V. channels like, the Discovery, the National Geographic and the Animal Planet. It is proposed that Prasar Bharati and our private channels along with with agencies like WWF for Nature should collaborate and increase original Indian content in different languages on our television.

    Shri Vajpayee also released the National Wildlife Action Plan for the period 2002-2016. The highlights of the plan are:

    The wildlife Action Plan takes into account the close linkages between conservation of forest, wildlife and the National Food and Water Security.

    It highlights the importance of strategies of getting support of local communities to conservation.

    It recognizes that Man-animal conflict has increased over the years and suggests the measures that need to be taken.

    Restoration of degraded habitat outside National Parks & Sanctuaries is crucial because protection of National Parks & Sanctuaries alone cannot yield the desired results. Protection of species like black buck, chinkara, sarus, stork and other water birds need intersect oral coordination with Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Rural Development.

    Operation skills of Wildlife personnel need to be upgraded on priority basis.

    To get mass support, awareness and education has to be high priority area.

    Tourism has to be regulated in such a manner that the visits to sanctuaries are rewarding but do not have adverse effect on the habitat and wild animals.