Recommendations for curbing rhino poaching

The Assam Tribune , Sunday, August 14, 2016
Correspondent :
GUWAHATI, Aug 13 - With the one-horned rhino facing an unprecedented threat to its existence, something testified to by as many as 49 rhino fatalities including 32 deaths in the recent floods within the current year, conservation NGO Aaranyak has submitted a set of recommendations for protection of rhinos and urgently curbing the growing incidents of poaching.

The recommendations were submitted at a workshop, ‘National Level Expert Consultation for Developing a Stronger Strategy for Protection of Rhinos in Assam’ organised by the State Forest department here on Thursday.

The event was organised in collaboration with the Assam Project on Forest and Biodiversity Conservation (APFBC) Society.

Some of the key recommendations from Aaranyak included involving Village Defence Parties (VDPs) in rhino protection; setting up community-based vigilance systems using modern tools like GPS outside national parks for monitoring stray rhino movement, and flood and intelligence gathering; preparing risk matrix for rhino-bearing protected areas (e.g., how to protect rhinos during flood, civil unrest, etc.); undertaking perception studies in order to find out knowledge and attitude of people towards the rhino; preparing a stakeholders’ matrix for rhino-bearing protected areas to educate local communities on ecosystem services of protected areas and rhino conservation; involving RMSA/SSA for developing schools as resource centres around the protected areas; and developing baseline data on the socio-economic status of fringe villagers living adjacent to PAs.

Some other suggestions concerned identification and addressing issues and problems of villagers at the fringe of rhino-bearing protected areas; providing training, resources, equipment, technical support and market linkage to members of community-based institutions and individuals on different diversified livelihood and monitor over the time; making formation process of the Eco Development Committees (EDCs) more transparent; declaring fringe villages around PAs as special development zones, where line departments like agriculture and veterinary could join hands and come forward to provide support towards community development. Unemployed youths should be trained under the Skill India Programme, it added.

Aaranyak has also taken several measures to ensure effective rhino conservation. Some of the salient initiatives of Aaranyak towards rhino conservation include supporting wireless communication system in the Kaziranga National Park for enhancing rhino protection; contributions towards strengthening anti-poaching infrastructure of the forest department; introducing for the first time in North East India a K-9 dog squad for rhino anti-poaching operations; legal orientation programme for the forest officials working in the wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Assam, etc.

 
SOURCE : http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=aug1416/state056
 


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