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NatureNews for the week ending February 29, 2008. To subscribe to NatureNews, please write to Library.
Environment - General
Stranded in the Sundarbans
Life on the remote inhabited islands of the Indian Sundarbans is far removed from the world of glitzy shopping malls, flyovers, jet-setting middle classes and highflying life that India Shining has come to be exemplified by. In fact, the basic amenities of life are yet to be available for the inhabitants of these islands. Yet, poorest on these islands are paying the price of global warming and rising sea levels as more than 10,000 environmental refugees struggle for survival here. Power has just come to G Plot and Sagar though electricity is available only for a few hours after dusk. Transport within the islands is by van-rickshaw. Because it is the venue of the Ganga Sagar Mela, Sagar is comparatively better endowed with larger vessels catering to its connectivity with the outside world. But where G Plot is concerned, the block headquarters on Patharpratima island are a full three hours away by motor boat. In Sagar, vessels do not move back to the mainland beyond late afternoon, since the tide changes direction. For more: http://www.hinduonnet.com/mag/2008/02/24/stories/2008022450230700.htm
Climate Change & Energy
Draft climate change report this month
The first contours of what would lead to India’s national policy on climate change are likely to be out soon as the much-awaited draft report by the prime minister’s council is being finalised by the month-end. According to former environment secretary Pradipto Ghosh, who heads the sub-committee finalising the draft report for the prime minister’s high-level council on climate change, “we are busy incorporating important suggestions offered by the members in the last meeting”. The report, Ghosh said, is likely to be finalised by the month-end. He said the national report on climate change, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said would be ready by June, would be based on the draft report. Singh had set up the high-level group comprising senior ministers and non-governmental experts to chronicle India’s share in the global warming and also for framing a domestic strategy to deal with it by June. For more: http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=3&autono=314119
Forest & Biodiversity
PIL challenges validity of Forest Act
In what could be a fresh headache for government, a petition challenging the constitutional validity of a pet UPA project, the Forest Rights Act aimed at giving land rights to traditional forest dwellers, has been filed by prominent wildlife groups in Supreme Court. If accepted, the case could be a spoke in the wheel for the government which has backed the forest law after considerable opposition from wildlife lobbies. The move by the Mumbai-based Bombay Natural History Society, Delhi-based Wildlife Trust of India and Bhubaneswar-based Wildlife Society of Orissa marks another chapter in this confrontation. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/PIL_challenges_validity_of
_Forest_Act/articleshow/2799419.cms
Marine & Oceans
Turtle target in state - Rampant smuggling from Orissa
The turtle population of India is under threat because Bengal will not stop consumption of turtle meat. The charge was levelled at a meet by officials of the Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO). “Freshwater turtles have become extinct in Bengal in the past 10 years. Now, every turtle consignment seized elsewhere is headed here,” says Biswajit Mohanty, the secretary of WSO and a member of the government’s National Board for Wildlife. The NGO works for the preservation of freshwater turtles in the Mahanadi basin. In Mohanty’s estimate, two to three quintals of turtles are transported out of Orissa every week. “Mind you, I am speaking only of the Mahanadi basin. The number will be more if we take into account the turtle population in the other rivers.” Poaching takes place round the year, except in monsoon. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080220/jsp/calcutta/story_8923252.jsp
Nine more shark species face extinction
Great sharks are disappearing from the world's oceans, the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Boston heard. Unregulated fishing has led to catastrophic declines - and nine shark species will be added this year to the official Red List of animals at heightened risk of extinction. Julia Baum of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California said there was particular concern about the scalloped hammerhead shark, "which will be listed as globally 'endangered' [by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature] due to overfishing and high demand for its valuable fins in the shark fin trade". To highlight the recently recognised threat to sharks, Ms Baum, who is on the IUCN's specialist shark group, obtained permission to preview this year's Red List, which will be released in October. For more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c0c805a-ddc3-11dc-ad7e-0000779fd2ac.html
Wildlife board to look after Ganges dolphins
Although called the sons of the Ganges, the number of freshwater dolphins has been falling due to pollution and poaching. The National Board for Wildlife (NBW) has now decided to come to the rescue of the endangered species. The NBW has, for the first time, selected freshwater dolphins for conservation along with five other endangered species - the snow leopard, Kashmiri stag, wild buffalo, great Indian bustard and Jerdon’s courser. Official sources said the NBW would be allocated funds for the conservation work under the next five-year plan. According to official estimates, India’s river dolphin population is a little over 1,500. Half of these are found in the Ganges in Bihar but their numbers have dropped drastically over the past few decades. In the 1980s, the Gangetic delta alone had around 3,500 dolphins. For more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/enviornment/wildlife-board-to-look-after-ganges-dolphins_10020940.html
Now, genetic study to save Chilika dolphins
For the first time ever, the famous Irrawady dolphins of Chilika lagoon would undergo a genetic study so that conservationists can have a better knowledge of this threatened Cetacean species. Hitherto scientists have little knowledge of the genetic make-up of the dolphins which are confined to certain pockets of Asia. With pressure on the mammals on the rise, need for a study appears timely. Chilika Development Authority (CDA)’s proposal for the study is awaiting clearance of the Environment Ministry. CDA plans to hire services of Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture to conduct the DNA finger- printing study. The genetic assessment would not only help CDA understand the gene structure of the porpoises but also make way for improved conservation strategies apart from knowledge on their reproductive biology. “In future, a need may arise to clone the Irrawady dolphins given their status,” CDA chief executive Dr Sudarshan Panda said. For more: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080228000408&Page=Q&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0
Dolphins better off in Chilika - Survey reveals dip in death toll of Irrawaddy school
They are friendly and funny and are perhaps finally protected — as the population of Irrawaddy dolphins have witnessed few casualties in the past year along the Orissa coast. Chilika Development Authority, which conducted a census of the rare dolphins along the brackish water lagoon, claimed that the number of casualties of this endangered species has dipped due to “effective” conservation measures. Their claim: Only five casualties were reported during 2007-08. The development panel’s chief executive, Sudarsan Panda, while releasing the survey results, conceded that among the five deaths, two were natural, one was caused by shark bite and the remaining two were due to mishaps caused by mechanised boats. Earlier, as many as 15 dolphins had died during 2003-04, 11 in 2004-05 and eight between 2005-06. The toll further reduced to five in 2006-07. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080228/jsp/frontpage/story_8956267.jsp
Census on dolphins
The latest census conducted with advanced Japanese technology as well as traditional methods revealed that Chilika is home to the largest concentration of the highly endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in the world. There are 138 of this species in Chilika and its population has not only stabilized but shown a marginal increase over the years. In 2006, the lake had 131 Irrawaddy dolphins , in 2007 it had 135 and now it has 138, informed Mr SK Panda, chief executive of Chilika Development Authority. Significantly, Mr Panda was flanked by Japanese experts and research scholars Prof Tamaki Ura and Dr Tomonari Akamatsu of University of Tokyo and National Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering Japan respectively, who explained in detail the methodology and technology adopted for the first time to enumerate Irrawaddy dolphins. Round the globe there are only 900 of the species. Lakes and rivers of Myanmar, Indonesia, Phillipines, Thailand, Australia, Cambodia are home to Irrawaddy dolphins but none of these places have more than 100 of them. The mortality rate elsewhere in the world is higher than that of Chilika where only five had died during 2007, they said. Importantly, over the last two years the Japanese researchers, CDA, WWF-India, IIT-Delhi and a host of other organizations have been monitoring the dolphins of Chilika lake, its behavioral pattern, conservation etc. For more: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192849
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Elephant numbers up by a thousand
After the grim news on the tiger this week, here is something positive. The population of elephants in the wild has jumped by more than a thousand. As per the latest 2007 survey, it stands at between 18,663 and 18,713. This is excluding figures from the N-E states for which the numbers are yet to be compiled.
Last survey conducted in 2002 had pitched the figure for the country, excluding the population east of Chicken Neck at 17,170. The total population of elephants was 26,413. The biggest jump seems to have come from the southern elephant population, where a critical and small but nebulously surviving land corridor for movement of the jumbo between the Eastern and Western Ghats has helped ensure a large contiguous patch for the giant. The southern population has risen from 12,814 to 14,005. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Elephant_nos_up_by_
1000/articleshow/2783978.cms
Elephant census begins in Assam
An elephant census has begun in Assam to determine the number of wild pachyderms in the state, a senior forest official said. The elephant census, which began all over the state, will go on for a week, state's Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) wildlife B S Bonal said. He said the census work will be carried out state-wide involving people from the forest department, conservationists and NGOs. "As the census work will be gigantic, everyone connected with conservation of wildlife including the NGOs, will be involved to determine the exact number of elephants through the direct visual contact basis," he said. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Planet_SOS/Flora__
Fauna/Elephant_census_begins_in_Assam/rssarticleshow/2804086.cms
Six tigers killed in six weeks
Tigers continue to die across India. Poisoned, being killed in road accidents or getting mortally wounded in alleged territorial fights — since January 1, 2008, at least six more tigers have been found dead in several wildlife sanctuaries ranging from Katerniaghat in UP to Wynad in Kerala. That’s not all. During the same period, wildlife officials have also seized two tiger skins and three bone pieces of the endangered animal, as per information collated by Wildlife Protection Society of India. Forest authorities say this reaffirms that poachers and wildlife traders continue to be active. According to them, man-animal conflict too has escalated in recent times. For instance, a top Karnataka police officer reveals that one of the villagers arrested last year for killing two female tigers in Chamrajnagar district was frank enough to own up the job since the tiger had killed one of his two bullocks and maimed the other. "There is a sense of revenge among them," says K S N Chikkerur, IGP (CID), Forest. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Six_tigers_killed_in_six_weeks/
articleshow/2790733.cms
Centre allocates Rs 600 cr for tigers in new plan
The Centre-sponsored Project Tiger Scheme has sent out a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to states as part of a new Five Year Plan that has allocated Rs 600 crore for the cause of the tiger. In keeping with the new-found urgency to preserve the dwindling numbers of tigers, the MoU has asked for all progress to be monitored through photo catalogues and videographing. There are 28 tiger reserves in 17 states. “So far, the states have not had any scope for reciprocal commitment in terms of tiger conservation. We have found that conservation of the tiger is a shared responsibility which the states have to commit to through the MoU. After the MoU has been signed, the Centre will release fund for Project Tiger in the new fiscal year in March,” said Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/277140.html
Tiger deaths: Wildlife body protests, writes to PM
The reasons for tiger deaths in the country are beginning to show. Members of the National Board for Wildlife, the apex conservation body chaired by the Prime Minister, wrote to him saying decisions approved by him, including the one on forming a sub-committee for the tiger, are not being followed and even minutes of meetings are not being properly recorded. The board has 15 independent members, who say that a sub-committee formed to look into the issue of tiger conservation has not actually been formed. “The National Board for Wildlife is failing the nation as the minutes of meetings are being erroneously recorded,” they said. In a meeting of the Standing Committee with Minister of Forests and Wildlife S Regupathy, the members said that they could no longer be a part of any decision until the ones taken in previous meetings were followed up. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/274949.html
81 lions dead in last 2 yrs
A total of 81 lions have died across the country from January 2006 to 2008, with nine of them becoming victims of poaching. Fifty two lions died a natural death, 1 because of an accident and 6 due to electrocution while 13 fell in a well and 9 lions died because of poaching in Gir protected area and surrounding habitats of Gujarat. Out of th 6 lions electrocuted, five of them died in Permpara village, outside the Gir Protected Areas in October 2007. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/81_lions_dead_in_last_2_yrs/
articleshow/2823223.cms
Birds
Winged visitors have a new destination — Delhi
If you were to choose between the UNESCO Heritage Site, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, and Delhi for bird watching, which one would you prefer? The answer could have been the former till a couple of years ago, but with more than 5,000 migratory birds visiting a tiny but carefully managed water body in the Capital now, the logical answer should be Delhi. Giving a miss to Bharatpur, migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia, which usually moved towards the Rajasthan bird sanctuary in the winter, have made their way to the Yamuna Biodiversity Park near Wazirabad — a little over two hectares by the Yamuna — this time, point out experts. Birds like the Red Crested Pochard have visited the park — a DDA project with the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) — in hundreds. For more: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Winged-visitors-have-a-new-destination-Delhi/276627/
Rapid survey to assess status of the peacock
Information gathering on the status of the India’s national bird, the peacock, is to be intensified in the wake of increasing concern over their numbers and the absence of any base data on them. The status assessment, initiated by the Endangered Species Management Department of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2004, is still underway. The National Board for Wildlife, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has approved a rapid survey to assess the current status of the peacock under the Save the National Bird campaign. The peacock is a pheasant species-- one of the 17 others found in India-- which include some of the most useful and colourful birds in the world such as Red Jungle fowl and Monal pheasant. “The peacock was once widely distributed and abundant in the Indian mainland except for the Himalayan ranges and the North-East. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about its declining status,” observe B.C.Choudhury and S.Sathyakumar of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, writing about the bird in a publication brought out on the occasion of the recent Jaipur Birding Fair which was dedicated to the peacock. “In the recent years there has been increasing concern about its declining status. The reports of peacock mortality due to poaching, increased use of pesticides in agricultural fields and retaliatory killing by farmers for crop damages need field verification,” Prof.Choudhury notes. In response to a questionnaire from WII to the authorities of 448 protected areas (PAs) in the peacock range in the country, till June 2007, 189 PAs reported the presence of peacock in their area. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/18/stories/2008021854080500.htm
Reptiles & Amphibians
US alligator fashion sneaks into Mumbai
The Mississippi just crept up on Mumbai. All for the sake of fashion. Skins of alligators trapped in the US river are arriving in Mumbai — often getting around several laws — in the form of watchbands, wallets and handbags. Neatly packed, most of these are high-value products finding place of pride in lifestyle stores to cater to a growing demand for ‘exotic’ accessories. While in 2006 there was not a single consignment of alligator skin, in 2007-08, there have been over 100 in Mumbai, according to Central Wildlife Crime Bureau data. Kolkata and Rajkot have also emerged as major transit points. Among the leading brands using alligator skin are Cartier and Jimmy Choo. Convention on International Traffic in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) demands clear declaration of where the animal was sourced, the genus, species and details of procurement. Many importers find it tedious — 20 out of 45 consignments, which landed in Mumbai over the last quarter, did not comply with these regulations. With prices ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh for a wristwatch to Rs 75 lakh for a handbag, importers couldn’t care less about the law. For more: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a6a9a642-da4b-4cff-8082-27f1929a0505&&Headline=US+alligator+fashion+sneaks+into+Mumbai
Contaminated fish killing Yamuna's gharials
Alarm has been raised over the death of 90 gharials in the Yamuna river recently after eating contaminated fish, says an expert from The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) after studying what killed these critically endangered animals. Crocodile expert Fritz Huchzemeyer said the gharials (Gavialias gangeticus, one of the two surviving members of the family Gavialidae, a group of reptiles, closely related to crocodiles, but with longer, narrower jaws) that died near the confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers could have damaged their internal organs after eating tilapia and the Japanese fugu — fish that contained high concentration of pollutants. These two fish species thrive in polluted waters. Toxins like lead accumulated in their body can be lethal if the fish are eaten, especially as lead concentration increases up the food chain. The gharial has been placed among critically endangered animals in the IUCN's 2007 Red List of Threatened Species. Even before the latest deaths, its population had declined from 436 breeding adults in 1997 to just 182 in 2006. For more: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14608067
EVENTS
National Conference on Environmental Degradation: Challenges and Remedies; 13 - 14 March 2008; Haryana, India, http://www.mmetmullana.com/edcr08/main1.html
International Conference on Issues in Public Policy and Sustainable Development; 26 - 28 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.ignou.ac.in
The Law of Climate Change; 27 - 28 March 2008; Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia; http://www.nela.org.au
Building a Low Carbon World; 17 April 2008; London, UK; http://lowcarbonworld.com
Environmental Toxicology 2008; 4 - 6 June 2008; Granada, Spain; http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2008/toxic08/index.html
Stranded in the Sundarbans
Life on the remote inhabited islands of the Indian Sundarbans is far removed from the world of glitzy shopping malls, flyovers, jet-setting middle classes and highflying life that India Shining has come to be exemplified by. In fact, the basic amenities of life are yet to be available for the inhabitants of these islands. Yet, poorest on these islands are paying the price of global warming and rising sea levels as more than 10,000 environmental refugees struggle for survival here. Power has just come to G Plot and Sagar though electricity is available only for a few hours after dusk. Transport within the islands is by van-rickshaw. Because it is the venue of the Ganga Sagar Mela, Sagar is comparatively better endowed with larger vessels catering to its connectivity with the outside world. But where G Plot is concerned, the block headquarters on Patharpratima island are a full three hours away by motor boat. In Sagar, vessels do not move back to the mainland beyond late afternoon, since the tide changes direction. For more: http://www.hinduonnet.com/mag/2008/02/24/stories/2008022450230700.htm
Climate Change & Energy
Draft climate change report this month
The first contours of what would lead to India’s national policy on climate change are likely to be out soon as the much-awaited draft report by the prime minister’s council is being finalised by the month-end. According to former environment secretary Pradipto Ghosh, who heads the sub-committee finalising the draft report for the prime minister’s high-level council on climate change, “we are busy incorporating important suggestions offered by the members in the last meeting”. The report, Ghosh said, is likely to be finalised by the month-end. He said the national report on climate change, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said would be ready by June, would be based on the draft report. Singh had set up the high-level group comprising senior ministers and non-governmental experts to chronicle India’s share in the global warming and also for framing a domestic strategy to deal with it by June. For more: http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=3&autono=314119
Forest & Biodiversity
PIL challenges validity of Forest Act
In what could be a fresh headache for government, a petition challenging the constitutional validity of a pet UPA project, the Forest Rights Act aimed at giving land rights to traditional forest dwellers, has been filed by prominent wildlife groups in Supreme Court. If accepted, the case could be a spoke in the wheel for the government which has backed the forest law after considerable opposition from wildlife lobbies. The move by the Mumbai-based Bombay Natural History Society, Delhi-based Wildlife Trust of India and Bhubaneswar-based Wildlife Society of Orissa marks another chapter in this confrontation. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/PIL_challenges_validity_of
_Forest_Act/articleshow/2799419.cms
Marine & Oceans
Turtle target in state - Rampant smuggling from Orissa
The turtle population of India is under threat because Bengal will not stop consumption of turtle meat. The charge was levelled at a meet by officials of the Wildlife Society of Orissa (WSO). “Freshwater turtles have become extinct in Bengal in the past 10 years. Now, every turtle consignment seized elsewhere is headed here,” says Biswajit Mohanty, the secretary of WSO and a member of the government’s National Board for Wildlife. The NGO works for the preservation of freshwater turtles in the Mahanadi basin. In Mohanty’s estimate, two to three quintals of turtles are transported out of Orissa every week. “Mind you, I am speaking only of the Mahanadi basin. The number will be more if we take into account the turtle population in the other rivers.” Poaching takes place round the year, except in monsoon. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080220/jsp/calcutta/story_8923252.jsp
Nine more shark species face extinction
Great sharks are disappearing from the world's oceans, the American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in Boston heard. Unregulated fishing has led to catastrophic declines - and nine shark species will be added this year to the official Red List of animals at heightened risk of extinction. Julia Baum of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California said there was particular concern about the scalloped hammerhead shark, "which will be listed as globally 'endangered' [by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature] due to overfishing and high demand for its valuable fins in the shark fin trade". To highlight the recently recognised threat to sharks, Ms Baum, who is on the IUCN's specialist shark group, obtained permission to preview this year's Red List, which will be released in October. For more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6c0c805a-ddc3-11dc-ad7e-0000779fd2ac.html
Wildlife board to look after Ganges dolphins
Although called the sons of the Ganges, the number of freshwater dolphins has been falling due to pollution and poaching. The National Board for Wildlife (NBW) has now decided to come to the rescue of the endangered species. The NBW has, for the first time, selected freshwater dolphins for conservation along with five other endangered species - the snow leopard, Kashmiri stag, wild buffalo, great Indian bustard and Jerdon’s courser. Official sources said the NBW would be allocated funds for the conservation work under the next five-year plan. According to official estimates, India’s river dolphin population is a little over 1,500. Half of these are found in the Ganges in Bihar but their numbers have dropped drastically over the past few decades. In the 1980s, the Gangetic delta alone had around 3,500 dolphins. For more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/enviornment/wildlife-board-to-look-after-ganges-dolphins_10020940.html
Now, genetic study to save Chilika dolphins
For the first time ever, the famous Irrawady dolphins of Chilika lagoon would undergo a genetic study so that conservationists can have a better knowledge of this threatened Cetacean species. Hitherto scientists have little knowledge of the genetic make-up of the dolphins which are confined to certain pockets of Asia. With pressure on the mammals on the rise, need for a study appears timely. Chilika Development Authority (CDA)’s proposal for the study is awaiting clearance of the Environment Ministry. CDA plans to hire services of Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture to conduct the DNA finger- printing study. The genetic assessment would not only help CDA understand the gene structure of the porpoises but also make way for improved conservation strategies apart from knowledge on their reproductive biology. “In future, a need may arise to clone the Irrawady dolphins given their status,” CDA chief executive Dr Sudarshan Panda said. For more: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEQ20080228000408&Page=Q&Title=ORISSA&Topic=0
Dolphins better off in Chilika - Survey reveals dip in death toll of Irrawaddy school
They are friendly and funny and are perhaps finally protected — as the population of Irrawaddy dolphins have witnessed few casualties in the past year along the Orissa coast. Chilika Development Authority, which conducted a census of the rare dolphins along the brackish water lagoon, claimed that the number of casualties of this endangered species has dipped due to “effective” conservation measures. Their claim: Only five casualties were reported during 2007-08. The development panel’s chief executive, Sudarsan Panda, while releasing the survey results, conceded that among the five deaths, two were natural, one was caused by shark bite and the remaining two were due to mishaps caused by mechanised boats. Earlier, as many as 15 dolphins had died during 2003-04, 11 in 2004-05 and eight between 2005-06. The toll further reduced to five in 2006-07. For more: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080228/jsp/frontpage/story_8956267.jsp
Census on dolphins
The latest census conducted with advanced Japanese technology as well as traditional methods revealed that Chilika is home to the largest concentration of the highly endangered Irrawaddy dolphins in the world. There are 138 of this species in Chilika and its population has not only stabilized but shown a marginal increase over the years. In 2006, the lake had 131 Irrawaddy dolphins , in 2007 it had 135 and now it has 138, informed Mr SK Panda, chief executive of Chilika Development Authority. Significantly, Mr Panda was flanked by Japanese experts and research scholars Prof Tamaki Ura and Dr Tomonari Akamatsu of University of Tokyo and National Research Institute of Fisheries Engineering Japan respectively, who explained in detail the methodology and technology adopted for the first time to enumerate Irrawaddy dolphins. Round the globe there are only 900 of the species. Lakes and rivers of Myanmar, Indonesia, Phillipines, Thailand, Australia, Cambodia are home to Irrawaddy dolphins but none of these places have more than 100 of them. The mortality rate elsewhere in the world is higher than that of Chilika where only five had died during 2007, they said. Importantly, over the last two years the Japanese researchers, CDA, WWF-India, IIT-Delhi and a host of other organizations have been monitoring the dolphins of Chilika lake, its behavioral pattern, conservation etc. For more: http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=192849
Wildlife & Endangered Species
Elephant numbers up by a thousand
After the grim news on the tiger this week, here is something positive. The population of elephants in the wild has jumped by more than a thousand. As per the latest 2007 survey, it stands at between 18,663 and 18,713. This is excluding figures from the N-E states for which the numbers are yet to be compiled.
Last survey conducted in 2002 had pitched the figure for the country, excluding the population east of Chicken Neck at 17,170. The total population of elephants was 26,413. The biggest jump seems to have come from the southern elephant population, where a critical and small but nebulously surviving land corridor for movement of the jumbo between the Eastern and Western Ghats has helped ensure a large contiguous patch for the giant. The southern population has risen from 12,814 to 14,005. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Elephant_nos_up_by_
1000/articleshow/2783978.cms
Elephant census begins in Assam
An elephant census has begun in Assam to determine the number of wild pachyderms in the state, a senior forest official said. The elephant census, which began all over the state, will go on for a week, state's Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) wildlife B S Bonal said. He said the census work will be carried out state-wide involving people from the forest department, conservationists and NGOs. "As the census work will be gigantic, everyone connected with conservation of wildlife including the NGOs, will be involved to determine the exact number of elephants through the direct visual contact basis," he said. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Planet_SOS/Flora__
Fauna/Elephant_census_begins_in_Assam/rssarticleshow/2804086.cms
Six tigers killed in six weeks
Tigers continue to die across India. Poisoned, being killed in road accidents or getting mortally wounded in alleged territorial fights — since January 1, 2008, at least six more tigers have been found dead in several wildlife sanctuaries ranging from Katerniaghat in UP to Wynad in Kerala. That’s not all. During the same period, wildlife officials have also seized two tiger skins and three bone pieces of the endangered animal, as per information collated by Wildlife Protection Society of India. Forest authorities say this reaffirms that poachers and wildlife traders continue to be active. According to them, man-animal conflict too has escalated in recent times. For instance, a top Karnataka police officer reveals that one of the villagers arrested last year for killing two female tigers in Chamrajnagar district was frank enough to own up the job since the tiger had killed one of his two bullocks and maimed the other. "There is a sense of revenge among them," says K S N Chikkerur, IGP (CID), Forest. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Six_tigers_killed_in_six_weeks/
articleshow/2790733.cms
Centre allocates Rs 600 cr for tigers in new plan
The Centre-sponsored Project Tiger Scheme has sent out a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to states as part of a new Five Year Plan that has allocated Rs 600 crore for the cause of the tiger. In keeping with the new-found urgency to preserve the dwindling numbers of tigers, the MoU has asked for all progress to be monitored through photo catalogues and videographing. There are 28 tiger reserves in 17 states. “So far, the states have not had any scope for reciprocal commitment in terms of tiger conservation. We have found that conservation of the tiger is a shared responsibility which the states have to commit to through the MoU. After the MoU has been signed, the Centre will release fund for Project Tiger in the new fiscal year in March,” said Rajesh Gopal, member secretary of National Tiger Conservation Authority. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/277140.html
Tiger deaths: Wildlife body protests, writes to PM
The reasons for tiger deaths in the country are beginning to show. Members of the National Board for Wildlife, the apex conservation body chaired by the Prime Minister, wrote to him saying decisions approved by him, including the one on forming a sub-committee for the tiger, are not being followed and even minutes of meetings are not being properly recorded. The board has 15 independent members, who say that a sub-committee formed to look into the issue of tiger conservation has not actually been formed. “The National Board for Wildlife is failing the nation as the minutes of meetings are being erroneously recorded,” they said. In a meeting of the Standing Committee with Minister of Forests and Wildlife S Regupathy, the members said that they could no longer be a part of any decision until the ones taken in previous meetings were followed up. For more: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/274949.html
81 lions dead in last 2 yrs
A total of 81 lions have died across the country from January 2006 to 2008, with nine of them becoming victims of poaching. Fifty two lions died a natural death, 1 because of an accident and 6 due to electrocution while 13 fell in a well and 9 lions died because of poaching in Gir protected area and surrounding habitats of Gujarat. Out of th 6 lions electrocuted, five of them died in Permpara village, outside the Gir Protected Areas in October 2007. For more: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/81_lions_dead_in_last_2_yrs/
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Birds
Winged visitors have a new destination — Delhi
If you were to choose between the UNESCO Heritage Site, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, and Delhi for bird watching, which one would you prefer? The answer could have been the former till a couple of years ago, but with more than 5,000 migratory birds visiting a tiny but carefully managed water body in the Capital now, the logical answer should be Delhi. Giving a miss to Bharatpur, migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia, which usually moved towards the Rajasthan bird sanctuary in the winter, have made their way to the Yamuna Biodiversity Park near Wazirabad — a little over two hectares by the Yamuna — this time, point out experts. Birds like the Red Crested Pochard have visited the park — a DDA project with the Centre for Environmental Management of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE) — in hundreds. For more: http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Winged-visitors-have-a-new-destination-Delhi/276627/
Rapid survey to assess status of the peacock
Information gathering on the status of the India’s national bird, the peacock, is to be intensified in the wake of increasing concern over their numbers and the absence of any base data on them. The status assessment, initiated by the Endangered Species Management Department of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in 2004, is still underway. The National Board for Wildlife, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has approved a rapid survey to assess the current status of the peacock under the Save the National Bird campaign. The peacock is a pheasant species-- one of the 17 others found in India-- which include some of the most useful and colourful birds in the world such as Red Jungle fowl and Monal pheasant. “The peacock was once widely distributed and abundant in the Indian mainland except for the Himalayan ranges and the North-East. In recent years, there has been increasing concern about its declining status,” observe B.C.Choudhury and S.Sathyakumar of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, writing about the bird in a publication brought out on the occasion of the recent Jaipur Birding Fair which was dedicated to the peacock. “In the recent years there has been increasing concern about its declining status. The reports of peacock mortality due to poaching, increased use of pesticides in agricultural fields and retaliatory killing by farmers for crop damages need field verification,” Prof.Choudhury notes. In response to a questionnaire from WII to the authorities of 448 protected areas (PAs) in the peacock range in the country, till June 2007, 189 PAs reported the presence of peacock in their area. For more: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/18/stories/2008021854080500.htm
Reptiles & Amphibians
US alligator fashion sneaks into Mumbai
The Mississippi just crept up on Mumbai. All for the sake of fashion. Skins of alligators trapped in the US river are arriving in Mumbai — often getting around several laws — in the form of watchbands, wallets and handbags. Neatly packed, most of these are high-value products finding place of pride in lifestyle stores to cater to a growing demand for ‘exotic’ accessories. While in 2006 there was not a single consignment of alligator skin, in 2007-08, there have been over 100 in Mumbai, according to Central Wildlife Crime Bureau data. Kolkata and Rajkot have also emerged as major transit points. Among the leading brands using alligator skin are Cartier and Jimmy Choo. Convention on International Traffic in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) demands clear declaration of where the animal was sourced, the genus, species and details of procurement. Many importers find it tedious — 20 out of 45 consignments, which landed in Mumbai over the last quarter, did not comply with these regulations. With prices ranging from Rs 1.5 lakh for a wristwatch to Rs 75 lakh for a handbag, importers couldn’t care less about the law. For more: http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=a6a9a642-da4b-4cff-8082-27f1929a0505&&Headline=US+alligator+fashion+sneaks+into+Mumbai
Contaminated fish killing Yamuna's gharials
Alarm has been raised over the death of 90 gharials in the Yamuna river recently after eating contaminated fish, says an expert from The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) after studying what killed these critically endangered animals. Crocodile expert Fritz Huchzemeyer said the gharials (Gavialias gangeticus, one of the two surviving members of the family Gavialidae, a group of reptiles, closely related to crocodiles, but with longer, narrower jaws) that died near the confluence of the Yamuna and Chambal rivers could have damaged their internal organs after eating tilapia and the Japanese fugu — fish that contained high concentration of pollutants. These two fish species thrive in polluted waters. Toxins like lead accumulated in their body can be lethal if the fish are eaten, especially as lead concentration increases up the food chain. The gharial has been placed among critically endangered animals in the IUCN's 2007 Red List of Threatened Species. Even before the latest deaths, its population had declined from 436 breeding adults in 1997 to just 182 in 2006. For more: http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14608067
EVENTS
National Conference on Environmental Degradation: Challenges and Remedies; 13 - 14 March 2008; Haryana, India, http://www.mmetmullana.com/edcr08/main1.html
International Conference on Issues in Public Policy and Sustainable Development; 26 - 28 March 2008; New Delhi, India; http://www.ignou.ac.in
The Law of Climate Change; 27 - 28 March 2008; Fremantle, Western Australia, Australia; http://www.nela.org.au
Building a Low Carbon World; 17 April 2008; London, UK; http://lowcarbonworld.com
Environmental Toxicology 2008; 4 - 6 June 2008; Granada, Spain; http://www.wessex.ac.uk/conferences/2008/toxic08/index.html
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