Union Minister for Forests, Wildlife and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav has stressed the need for a comprehensive review of India’s tiger conservation policy.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Conference of Chief Wildlife Wardens of Tiger Range States and Field Directors of Tiger Reserves here Saturday, Yadav said, “India has completed 50 years of tiger conservation; this is an appropriate time for a comprehensive policy review.” All policy decisions taken in the 28 meetings of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) held so far, to identify decisions that have become outdated, those that could not be implemented and those that have been fully executed,” he noted.
Yadav suggested that the policy decisions taken over the last five decades should be consolidated into a formal policy statement, with the issue placed as the first agenda item in the next NTCA meeting. This, he highlighted, would help Tiger Conservation policy to adapt with the challenges being encountered in present times and ensure efficient implementation of conservation measures on ground.
Yadav further said that issues related to tiger population estimation, rescue, and rehabilitation infrastructure, human-wildlife conflict, utilisation of the Tiger Reserve Fund and the need to strengthen tiger conservation foundations require focused deliberation.
He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has floated the International Big Cat Alliance, which has 24 member countries so far, while several others have sought observer status. He said that international agencies such as UNDP, IUCN, FAO, CCF, GTF and GSLEP have also expressed interest in entering in association with IBCA. The Minister said that the Union Budget has announced that the first Global Big Cat Summit will be held in India.
Through IBCA, he said, the three major global challenges – increasing warming, desertification of land and loss of biodiversity – can be addressed.
Rajasthan Forests and Wildlife Minister Sanjay Sharma, senior officials of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, NTCA, Chief Wildlife Wardens of tiger range States, and Field Directors of tiger reserves from across the country attended the session.