Lok Sabha Question No. 1419 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-25
Subject: Tiger Population
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA, RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1419 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2017

## Tiger Population

## 1419.  SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA: SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the total population of tigers in the country;
- (b) whether it is a fact that India subscribes to the goal of doubling the tiger population by 2020;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the initiatives being taken by the Government under the project Tiger programme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) As per the assessment of the Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey, 2014 using the refined methodology, the tiger number has shown 30% increase countrywide with an estimated number of 2226 (range 1945-2491).
- (b) & (c) India is a signatory to the St. Petersburg declaration of 2010 which strives to double the number of wild tigers across their range by 2022 at the global level, and the same is at Annexure-I.
- (d) There  are  50  tiger  reserves  in  the  country  with  notified  core/  critical  tiger  habitat (40145.30 sq.km), and the buffer / peripheral area (32603.72 sq. km). To make the core / critical tiger habitat inviolate exclusively for the tiger, as many as 173 villages having 12327  families  have  been  voluntarily  relocated.    Under  the  Centrally  Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger, funding assistance is provided to the tiger reserves, based on their  Annual  Plan  of  Operations  for  various  activities  which inter  alia include  antipoaching measures, habitat development, staff welfare, eco-development etc.

Besides, Government of India, through Project Tiger / National Tiger Conservation Authority, has taken a number of initiatives towards tiger conservation, which  has  resulted  in  substantial  growth  in  tiger  number.  These, inter  alia, include creation of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF), All India Tiger, Co-Predators and Prey Estimation and Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) of Tiger Reserves done  once  in  every  four  years,  implementation  of  a  Standard  Operating  Procedure (SOP)  for  dealing  with  tiger  deaths,  straying  of  tigers,  active  management  towards rehabilitation  of  tigers  from  source  areas  at  landscape  level  and  other  aspects,  esurveillance  project  in  some  of  the  identified  tiger  reserves  and  intensification  of international cooperation to control trans-boundary illegal trade in wildlife etc.

***

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (b)  &  (c)  OF  THE LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  1419  ON  TIGER  POPULATION  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON 25.07.2017

## The St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation

We, the Heads of the Governments of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Kingdom of Bhutan, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, the Republic of India, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Nepal,  the  Russian  Federation,  the  Kingdom  of  Thailand,  and  the  Socialist  Republic  of  Vietnam, being  custodians  of  the  last  remaining  tigers  in  the  wild,  having  gathered  at  an  unprecedented International Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from 21-24 November 2010, with the common goal of tiger conservation;

Recognize that Asia's most iconic animal faces imminent extinction in the wild. In the past century, tiger numbers have plummeted from 100,000 to below 3,500, and continue to fall. Tiger numbers and habitat have declined by 40 percent in the last decade alone, lost largely to habitat loss, poaching, the illegal wildlife trade, and human-tiger conflict. Three subspecies have already disappeared, and none of the other six is secure;

Acknowledge that the tiger is one of the important indicators of healthy ecosystems and a failure to reverse  these  trends  will  result  in  not  only  the  loss  of  tigers  but  also  a  loss  of  biological  diversity throughout the entire Asiatic region, together with the tangible and intangible benefits provided by these magnificent predators and the ecosystems they inhabit;

Note that whilst the conservation of the tiger is primarily a national responsibility and that increased cooperation and coordination of efforts among the tiger range countries is essential, the reversal of this crisis is additionally dependent upon financial and technical support from the international community, bearing  in  mind  that  most  Tiger  Range  Countries  are  developing  countries.  The  crisis facing the tiger has yet to receive the international attention it deserves and saving this species is a common responsibility;

Understand the  role  of  international  agreements  on  the  conservation  of  biological  diversity  and protection of rare and endangered species, including the tiger, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity,  the  Convention  on  International  Trade  in  Endangered  Species  of  Wild  Fauna  and  Flora (CITES), and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals;

Acknowledge the work to date of the Global Tiger Forum and encourage its revitalization and more active role;

Recall and  endorse  The  Manifesto  on  Combating  Wildlife  Crime  in  Asia,  adopted  in  Pattaya, Thailand, in April 2009; the Recommendations of the Global Tiger Workshop in Kathmandu, Nepal, October  2009;  the  Hua  Hin  Declaration  on  Tiger  Conservation  at  the  First  Asian  Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation (1st AMC) in Hua Hin, Thailand, January 2010; and the Work Plan of the Pre Tiger Summit in Bali, Indonesia, July 2010;

Welcome the adoption of National Tiger Recovery Priorities (NTRPs) and the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP); and

Acknowledge and appreciate the presence and support of other governments, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other supporters of tigers.

Because it is our obligation to future generations, and because we must act now, we hereby declare the following:

Strive to double the number of wild tigers across their range by 2022 by

1. Doing  everything  possible  to  effectively  manage,  preserve,  protect,  and  enhance  habitats, including:
- a. Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation in planning and development processes in tiger habitat;
- b. Making critical tiger breeding habitats inviolate areas within the larger tiger conservation landscapes  where  no  economic  or  commercial  infrastructure  development  or  other adverse activities are permitted;  and maintaining the landscapes and creating corridors around  and  between  them  where  all  permitted  development  activities  are  tiger  and biodiversity-compatible;
- c. Improving protection by using systematic patrolling to safeguard tigers, their prey, and habitats; and
- d. Working collaboratively on transboundary issues, such as the uninhibited movement of tigers and the management of tiger conservation landscapes.
2. Working  collaboratively  to  eradicate  poaching,  smuggling,  and  illegal  trade  of  tigers,  their parts, and derivatives through:
- a. Strengthened  national  legislation,  institutions,  and  law  enforcement  to  combat  crime directed against tigers;
- b. Strengthened  regional  law  enforcement  activities  through  bilateral  and  multilateral arrangements  such  as  Association  of  South  East  Asian  Nations  Wildlife  Enforcement Network  (ASEAN-WEN),  South  Asia  Wildlife  Enforcement  Network  (SAWEN),  and the  Protocol  between  the  Government  of  the  People's  Republic  of  China  and  the Government of the Russian Federation on Tiger Protection;
- c. Strengthened international collaboration, coordination, and communication;
- d. Specialized  expertise,  where  relevant,  from  international  organizations  including  the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, the World Bank, and  the  World  Customs  Organization  (recognizing  that  some  of  these  agencies  may, themselves, require additional resources); and
- e. Long-term national and global programs to create awareness of the value of wild tigers and their ecosystems and thus eliminate the illicit demand for tigers and their parts.
3. Engaging  with  indigenous  and  local  communities  to  gain  their  participation  in  biodiversity conservation,  minimize  negative  impacts  on  tigers,  their  prey,  and  habitats,  and  reduce  the incidence of human-tiger conflict by providing sustainable and alternative livelihood options through financial support, technical guidance, and other measures.
4. Increasing the effectiveness of tiger and habitat management, basing it on:
- a. The application of modern and innovative science, standards, and technologies;
- b. Regular monitoring of tigers, their prey, and habitat;
- c. Adaptive management practices; and
- d. Building capacity of institutions involved in science and training and creating a platform for interactive knowledge exchange at all levels.
5. Exploring  and  mobilizing  domestic  funding,  including  new  financing  mechanisms  based  on forest carbon financing including REDD+, payment for ecosystem services (PES), ecotourism, and private sector, donor, and nongovernmental organization partnerships.
6. Appealing  for  the  commitment  of  international  financial  institutions,  such  as  World  Bank, Global  Environment  Facility,  Asian  Development  Bank,  bilateral  and  other  donors  and
20. foundations,  CITES  Secretariat,  non-governmental  organizations,  and  other  conservation partners to provide or mobilize financial and technical support to tiger conservation.
7. Looking forward to the establishment of a multidonor trust fund or other flexible arrangements to support tiger conservation.
8. Requesting financial institutions and other partners, including the Global  Tiger  Initiative,  to assist  in  identifying  and  establishing  a  mechanism  to  coordinate  and  monitor  the  use  of  the multidonor trust fund allocated for tiger  conservation and the implementation of the GTRP, including its Global Support Programs  for capacity building and knowledge  sharing, combating wildlife crime, demand reduction, and the GTRP progress report. In the interim, we request the Global Tiger Initiative to fulfill this role.
9. Agreeing to convene high-level meetings on a regular basis to review the progress of NTRPs and  the  GTRP  and  to  help  ensure  continued  high  levels  of  political  commitment  to  tiger recovery.
10. Building tiger conservation awareness by celebrating Global Tiger Day annually on 29 July.
11. Welcome  and  sincerely  appreciate  the  pledges  made  during  the  Tiger  Summit;  we  also appreciate  the  continued  support  of  the  Global  Environment  Facility,  Save  the  Tiger  Fund, Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Conservation Society, WWF, and other partners in the Global Tiger Initiative, and welcome the participation of new ones.

By the adoption of this, the St. Petersburg Declaration, the Tiger Range Countries of the world call upon the international community to join us in turning the tide and setting the tiger on the road to recovery

***