Building Capacity To Curb Illegal Wildlife Trade

TRAFFIC has identified ‘Capacity Building’ as one of the significant components of its overall strategy in India. Under this programme, TRAFFIC provides training and inputs to a diverse group of officials working on wildlife enforcement related issues. The programme aims to improve understanding amongst the enforcement agencies about wildlife laws and their implementation.
Illegal wildlife trade is a threat that transcends borders. It involves an array of species-both wild animals and plants that travel illegally from India to markets in other countries. Therefore, without the active co-operation of the neighbouring countries it would be very difficult to curb this trade. TRAFFIC, through its trans-border training programmes aims to bring together agencies of different countries with a view to help them enhance their skills for responding adequately to wildlife crime and trade related issues. Such workshops also help participants to share experiences and learn from each other.
The key objectives of the ‘Capacity Building’ programme of TRAFFIC India are:

• To enhance awareness in order to mitigate illegal trade and poaching of wildlife.
• To promote improved co-ordination and co-operation in combating wildlife crime.
• To overcome the impediments to effective law enforcement.

The training programmes and modules are tailor-made keeping in mind the needs of diverse target groups. These programmes also enable TRAFFIC India to share knowledge about the new tools and technology that is required to combat the well armed poaching gangs and to break the wildlife trade nexus across regions.

An overview of the “Capacity building” workshops undertaken by TRAFFIC India since January 2007:

TRAFFIC India and WII organize an enforcement training workshop for officers from the govt. of Nepal

TRAFFIC India and the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun organized an enforcement training workshop for officials from the Govt. of Nepal. The workshop was held at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun from 13-14 May 2008 and was followed by a field trip to Corbett Tiger Reserve from 15-17 May 2008.

The objective of the workshop was to strengthen cross border co-operation and sharpen the skills of the participants to curb illegal wildlife trade in their country. The training included modules on wildlife forensics, role of CITES, evaluating scene of wildlife crime, setting up and handling information networks, conducting search and seizure and on developing the documentation to lead to successful prosecution in a court of law. Eleven officials from various Protected Areas of Nepal and the CITES Management Authority, Govt. of Nepal participated in this training.

The training was imparted mainly through case studies and group discussions. The key resource persons for the workshop were Mr. P.R. Sinha and Dr. S.P. Goyal from the Wildlife Institute of India, Mr. M.P. Singh – retired DIG from the Central Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Kumar Vishwajeet IPS, Uttarakhand Police Mr. S.K. Mukherjee (ex-Director WII) , Mr. Samir Sinha, Head and Mr. Khalid Pasha, Coordinator TRAFFIC India.

Samir Sinha, Head- TRAFFIC India who was present at the workshop said, “This is a good step forward in strengthening regional co-operation for curbing illegal wildlife trade. Hopefully the experiences gathered by the participants will be used effectively in their country and are also shared with their colleagues.” Wildlife Institute of India, as the premier research and training institution of the region has a lot to offer in supporting such collaboration and cooperation.
The training was followed by a 3 day field visit to the Corbett Tiger Reserve where participants had the opportunity to have a first hand experience of field level issues such as patrolling, fire protection, habitat management and visitor management.

This exchange programme was made possible through the initiative and support of the WWF Nepal office.

TRAFFIC is a joint wildlife trade-monitoring programme of WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature and IUCN-The World Conservation Union. Since its founding in 1976, it has grown to become the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring programme and a global expert on wildlife trade issues with a presence in over 30 countries. TRAFFIC actively monitors and investigates wildlife trade, and provides its information to a diverse audience world-wide, as a basis for effective conservation policies and programmes.

In India, TRAFFIC functions as a programme division of WWF and functions from the WWF India Secretariat in New Delhi.

TRAFFIC India collaborates with National Tiger Conservation Authority and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department for an enforcement training workshop

TRAFFIC India with support from WWF-India, collaborated with the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Government of India and the Forest Department, Madhya Pradesh to conduct a wildlife enforcement training workshop in Pench Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh from 24-25 May, 2008. The workshop provided training to officials from the largest tiger bearing areas of India, spread across 12 Protected Areas encompassing the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

During the workshop, knowledge and skills regarding wildlife forensic and implementation of CITES and the wildlife laws was shared with the field managers. The participants were also given an exposure to the use of latest tools and technologies in curbing illegal trade, by senior officials from Police and Narcotics Control Bureau present at the workshop.

A hands-on training session on the use of deep search metal detectors for detecting metal traps inside the forest areas was also conducted. The key resource persons for this workshop were Mr. PR Sinha and Dr. S.P Goyal from the Wildlife Institute of India; Mr. Mahendra Vyas, Advocate Supreme Court and member of CEC; Mr. Keshav Kumar IGP-CID, Gujarat; Mr. Sandeep Mittal, Zonal Director - Narcotics Control Bureau, New Delhi and Mr. Samir Sinha , Head - TRAFFIC India.

The forum provided the participants an opportunity for interaction and identification of common problems related to the illegal wildlife trade across the landscape.

Over 35 officials from 12 Protected Areas participated in the workshop.

Indo-Bhutan ‘Wildlife Enforcement Training Workshop’:

TRAFFIC India with support from WWF-India, Bodoland Territorial Council and the Assam Forest Department organized an Indo-Bhutan ‘Wildlife Enforcement Training Workshop’ at Manas Tiger Reserve from 7 - 9 January 2008. The main purpose of this workshop was to enhance skills of the enforcement agencies that are working to curb illegal wildlife trade and also to improve cross-border co-operation and co-ordination between the two countries on such issues.

The participants included officials from the Manas Tiger Reserve and the various Forest Divisions of Assam in India. From Bhutan, there were officials from the Forest Divisions, Royal Manas National Park, Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park and their Nature Conservation Division.

Training was imparted on the legal and technical aspects of fighting wildlife cases and curbing illegal wildlife trade. The modus of training involved case studies, group discussions and presentations. Mr. Sangay from the Nature Conservation Division-Bhutan, shared information about the nature and scale of wildlife trade issues in his country.

Indo-Nepal ‘Wildlife Enforcement Training Workshop’:

TRAFFIC India, WWF-India and the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department organized a trans-border training programme at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve from 13 - 15 December 2007. The workshop was attended by officials from India’s Forest Department, Customs, Seema Suraksha Bal, Police and Special Task Force as well as by officials from Nepal’s Army and its Wildlife Department.

Besides highlighting the various issues involved in curbing illegal wildlife trade, the participants were also given an exposure in the use of technology to fight wildlife crime, such as the use of mine sweepers to detect animal traps in the forests.

Workshops on 'Combating illegal wildlife trade with a focus on Asian Big Cats':

TRAFFIC India organized four workshops on 'Combating Illegal Wildlife Trade with a focus on Asian Big Cats' in the year 2007. These were held in Gangtok, Sikkim on 21-22 May 2007; at Guwahati, Assam on 24-25 May 2007; at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, Rajasthan on 13-14 July 2007 and in Mudumulai Wildlife Sanctuary, Tamil Nadu on 27- 28 July 2007. These workshops were organized in association with the respective State Forest Departments.