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Planning Meeting of TRC’s GTRP IMPLEMENTATION PLAN for 2013 - 2014

RUSSIA

10 March 2013, Bangkok, Thailand

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

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The Main Directions for GTRP implementation

In accordance with the St. Petersburg Declaration on Tiger Conservation (St.Petersburg, Russia, 2010), the main directions for GTRP implementation are:

Conservation of tiger habitat, including making critical tiger breeding area, creating corridors, systematic patrolling, trans-boundary cooperation

Increasing the effectiveness of tiger and habitat management, basing on innovative technologies; regular monitoring; adaptive management practice; and building capacity of institutions

Eradication of poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers, their parts, and derivatives through strengthening national legislation, regional arrangements, international collaboration, specialized expertise

Engaging with indigenous and local communities to reduce the incidence of human-tiger conflict and providing sustainable and alternative livelihood

Monitoring of NTRPs and the GTRP implementation

Building tiger conservation awareness by celebrating annual Global Tiger Day

Exploring and mobilizing domestic funding

Providing and mobilizing financial and technical support from international financial institutions

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

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Implementation the Thimphu Agenda: Priority Implementation Actions for 2013-2014

In accordance with the “Thimphu Agenda” (2012), Priority Implementation Actions are:

•Actively strengthen FRONTLINES

•Diligently conserve tiger HABITAT, inside and outside protected areas, against current and future threats

•Significantly enhance engaging and sharing the benefits of conservation with COMMUNITIES

•Enhance and mainstream COLLABORATION among TRCs

•Support TRCs with low tiger densities to launch tiger RESTORATION programs

•Significantly accelerate the FLOW OF national and external FUNDS to support actions on the ground

•Develop a new partnership with BUSINESS and INDUSTRY

•Develop and implement comprehensive national AWARENESS strategies and Initiatives

•Develop national action plans … to MONITOR NTRP/GTRP implementation

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Conserve tiger HABITAT inside and outside Protected Areas

Creating new Protected Areas:

1. National Park ‘Land of Leopard’ in Primorsky Province (82,000 ha) – 05 April 2012 was created

2. State Nature Refuge 'Sredneussuriysky' in Primorsky Province (72,700 ha) –

18 October 2012 was created

 Broadening the State Nature Reserve 'Sikhote-Alinsky‘

Establishing Buffer zones for National Park ' Land of Leopard' (82,000 ha) – 15 January 2013 was created

Restrict commercial logging in refuges and cedar-walnut zones within tiger critical habitat including refuges Birski, Matajsky, Taezhny, Verkhnebikinsky

We plan to include Mongolian oak in Annex III of CITES convention. 4

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Actively strengthen FRONTLINES

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Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Amendments to the Federal Laws for strengthening Russian legislation. Amendments to the Crime Code are prepared and 2 March provided to the State Parliament by President Putin V. V.

Prevention of poaching of tigers is carried out by: •Ministry of Internal Affairs (police) •Federal Security Service •Hunting departments •Administrations of federal protected areas that is subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology.

Square of Amur tiger range 180 thousand per km. Population in tiger range 3,4 million people. 175 rangers from federal Protected Areas and 142 rangers hunting departments and organizations.

In 2012—2013, 7 criminal cases were opened in regards to poachers and Individuals involved in the transport and trade of tigers and their parts. From these individuals 6 tiger carcasses, 3 full tiger skeletons, 12 pelts, and bones from two separate skeletons. According to expertise, these parts came from minimum 19 tigers.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Actively strengthen FRONTLINES

Аll new cars equipped GPS/Glonass tracker and video registration system

Type “Vepr” or “Sadko” (3-4 rangers)

Type “UAZ” (2-3 rangers)

snowmobile

ATV

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

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Prevention of poaching of Amur tiger prey base

2012. Quantity of detected violations — 2688; confiscated 411 illegal firearms (of which 78 were rifles) and 94 ungulates carcasses. For example, the Hunting Department of Primorsky Province uncovered 1393 violations. According to official data 1141 of these cases resulted in administrative penalties. In 22 cases materials were presented to authorities for the opening of criminal cases, 15 of which accepted for trial and 8 of which resulted in sentences.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Equipment for mobile group of rangers: case with special equipment for criminal cases; satellite phone; GPS; lop-top with database and GIS; shot gun; metal detector and other.

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Enhance engaging and sharing the benefits of conservation with COMMUNITIES

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Two Special groups (3 rangers each group) were founded for the resolution of conflict situations . One of the group based in Khabarovsk (north of tiger range) another group based in Ussurisk (south of tiger range).

They were organized within the Hunting Department of Primorsky Province and the Ministry of Natural Resources of Khabarovksy Province. Control is carried out by the federal agency Rosprirodnadzor.

Square of Amur tiger range 180 thousand per km. Population in tiger range 3,4 million people.

Equipment of Special group: vehicle 4x4; special transporter box for tiger; equipment for immobilization; equipment for veterinary car ; satellite pfone; GPS and etc.

Methods resolve conflict human-tiger situations.

1. Propaganda. Work with local communities with the purpose of prevention conflict situations2. Catch and rehabilitation malnourished tiger cubs or injured adult tiger . After providing professional veterinary treatment they transferred to a special rehabilitation center.

3. Translocation adult tiger. Last year a young female tiger was caught, which had attacked domestic dogs within the limits of a town. After providing necessary treatment - moved to another territory. According to official observations that tiger successfully adapted and is leading a normal existence there.

4. Special activities on scaring tigers from villages.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

2013. 9 confirmed conflict situations, in one case a tiger attacked domestic dogs, in 4 cases tiger cubs were detected and in 1 case a tiger was caught in a trap.

4 malnourished tiger cubs (3 females, 1 male) were found and caught.

After providing veterinary treatment they were transferred to a special rehabilitation center in Khabarovsky Province. Two other were placed under special care for exposure in Primorsky Province. One of the tiger cubs has experienced trauma of the limbs. After treatment they will be sent to a special center.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Develop a new partnership with BUSINESS and INDUSTRY

To support initiative of natural resources users (hunters and

fishers) on reproduction of threatened species (including water

biological resources). Providing the system of privileges and

preferences in the hunting and fishing for users of natural

resources (hunters and fishers), which are working in practice

of reproduction of threatened species (including water

biological resources).

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

To increase tiger’s prey numbers in key habitat of tigers.

To create 'Strategy on development of the hunting

economy in Russia' for improving game management

and increasing prey capacity; provide economic incentives

to game management units.

PIAs for 2013-2014 in Russia: Development of national action plans to MONITOR NTRP/GTRP implementation

To provide monitoring and total accounting of the tiger and prey

1. To conduct annual monitoring in 16 monitoring

sites with tiger and prey surveys

2. To organize Total Accounting of the tiger in the

whole area in winter 2014 – 2015 (once in 10 years)

To provide scientific research is continuing, including:

- Studying spatial structure of population and movements with using satellite collars and camera -trapping

- Studying molecular-genetic research

Providing individual identification of tigers in the wild by DNA analysis to:- estimate numbers and kinships of tigers; - create genetic database of tigers from Primorsky and Khabarovsk Provinces;- remain individual identification of the tigers for forensic tasks.

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation

Thank you for attention!