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Organisations |
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All Rhino Species |
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Meeting Kaziranga NP, 21-27 Feb 1999. The ASRSG conducted the first of its new system of regional meetings at Kaziranga National Park the week of 21 to 27 February, 1999. The host of the meeting was the Forest Department of Assam. Over 70 persons attended various portions of the meetings, including: the Assam Minister of State for Forests, Aminul Islam; the Chief Secretary of the Government of Assam, AK Bora; other top level officials of the Assam Forest Department, particularly the wildlife officers, including Principal Chief Conservator of Forests P Lahan who is also the Principal Range State Representative for India on ASRSG; SK Sen, who coordinated the meeting for the Forest Department; S Doley, the Chief Conservator of Forests for Wildlife; directors or heads of all the major rhino areas in Assam, especially Kaziranga; BS Bonal, who was the local host for the meeting; representatives of West Bengal (AK Raha) and Uttar Pradesh (SP Sinha); Nardyan Paudel representing the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in Nepal; representatives of local NG0s, incluchng Anwaruddi C'houdury of the Rhino Foundation of Northeast India and now also the Deputy Secretary of the Forest Department; R Emslie, Scientific Otficer of the afRSG; AsRSG member EB Martin who has been the most active non-range-state AsRSG member for this region; SC Dey, the Deputy Chair of the ASRSG for India and Nepal; the Chair, Mohd Khan; Programme Officers T Foose and N van Strien of the AsRSG; and representatives of some past and potential external donors, eg., EIA (D Banks), IRF (T Foose), SOS Rhino (N Schaffer), NorthAmerican Zoos (M Dee). The main objectives and topics for the meeting were to review and revise action plans for Rhinoceros unicomis in India and Nepal and to develop a viable (adequate and sustainable) funding strategy for implementation.
Points of agreement and recommendations from the meeting include:
1. The primary funding priority for rhino conservation is in situ activities, especially anti-poaching and habitat management combined with eco-development.
2. Rhino conservation success achieved in India and Nepal has been possible due to the extraordinary dedication and commitmentof the field staff. The service conditions need to be adequately upgraded to be commensurate with their selfless struggle.
3. The intelligence gathering systems for rhino conservation in India and Nepal are inadequate. External funds should be used to support intelligence gathering until an effective government-supported system can be developed.
4. The meeting reaffirmed that the minimum viable population of Rhinoceros unicomis in the wild is 2,500 in at least 10 populations with a minimum of 100 rhino each, with the optimal level being a total wild population of 5,000 individuals.
5. To develop more recognition and support for rhino conservation, the ASRSG recommends that the Government of India establish a Project Rhino, similar to Project Tiger and Project Elephant.
6. The Governments of India and Nepal are providing considerable funds to conserve rhinos and their habita, and these efforts have been very successful for in situ rhino conservation. However, because of the human demographic pressures in both of these countries, to carry this success forward into the next millennium, government efforts for both India and Nepal should be augmented with significant funds from international/ external sources.
7. The AsRSG should have more interfaces with the Rhinoceros unicornis range state governments, so that rhino conservation receives continuing and increasing support.
8. The asRSG will sponsor a technical management advirsory group comprising representatives from all major rhino areas in India and Nepal, which will be a first step towards achieving objective seven above.
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Chairman's report: Asian Rhino Specialist Group
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