WWF - WWF Indonesia office

Sumatran rhino footprints found in Borneo

2013-03-31

Sendawar, Indonesia -- A team from WWF-Indonesia has found fresh footprints resembling those of a critically endangered Sumatran rhino in the Heart of Borneo (HoB) area of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, the first time in over two decades that traces of the elusive rhino have appeared in the area.

To confirm the presence of the rare animal, a second team comprised of WWF-Indonesia, the West Kutai Forestry Agency, Mulawarman University and local observers launched a follow-up survey that found more evidence of rhino footprints, active mud wallows, marks on tree trunks, and signs that the rhinoceros species had been feeding in the area.

The survey team also identified more than 20 plant species rhinos feed on in abundance in the area, including Dillenia supruticosa, Glochidion glomemerulatum and Nblia Japanica. The abundant food and the overall natural conditions of the area further support the findings.

"This is a very important finding to the world, and especially to Indonesia's conservation work, as this serves as a new record on the presence of Sumatran rhinos in East Kalimantan and especially in West Kutai," said Bambang Noviyanto, the director for biodiversity conservation at the Forestry Ministry.

"Information surrounding the presence becomes important to draft strategies to protect the population, if it is found to be viable and breeding, and to educate [people living around] the habitat where [traces] of rhinos have been found," continued Bambang.

Experts taking part in the survey stated that no visual sighting has been made to date, and also cautioned that it is still too early to confirm whether the signs were made by a group of rhinos or just one remaining individual.

Sumatran rhinos in Kalimantan were presumed extinct in early 1990s. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified the rare animal as Critically Endangered, with a population of fewer than 275 individuals now living in the wild.

Commenting on the findings, WWF-Indonesia conservation director Nazir Foead said, "WWF-Indonesia together with all stakeholders will conduct a follow-up and more comprehensive survey to map rhinos' habitat preference and their population in West Kutai."

"Based on the result of this survey, joint strategies and comprehensive and holistic action plans need to be immediately formulated."

Nazir further stated that the conservation plan and efforts for Sumatran Rhinos needed to be long-term, and therefore sustainable funding was needed, partly to ensure that the work also benefit people living around the rhinos' habitat.

The head of the West Kutai district, Ismael Thomas SH. M.Si, said, "Rhinos, dolphins, clouded leopards and local buffalo are among God's creations that are getting rare, but apparently they're still alive in West Kutai". Ismael added, "We must protect them, and the communities must live in harmony with nature."

According to Ismael, the West Kutai administration is committed to protecting rhinos, and will immediately issue a law on Endangered Animal and Plant Protection.

In partnership with WWF Indonesia, the local government will form a team to study and investigate the presence of the animals, to decide on precise conservation policies and programs, as well as sources of funding to support efforts to protect rhinos.

APP suppliers pulping new bid for sustainability credentials in Kalimantan?

2013-03-27

Pontianak, West Kalimantan – NGO observers have claimed that pulp timber suppliers to controversial paper giant Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) are continuing to log tropical forest and dig drainage canals through peat soils in Kalimantan, regardless of the new Forest Conservation Policy (FCP) launched with much fanfare by APP and parent group Sinar Mas last month.

APP, noting that the suppliers have denied breaching requirements of the FCP, is investigating a complaint lodged by the Consortium of Kalimantan's Forest Monitoring NGOs (RPHK)

Over the same period that heavy machinery was apparently engaged in logging and dredging on the two concessions , representatives of both APP and the two supplier companies hosted a meeting 80 km away in provincial capital Pontianak to convince sceptical local NGOs that the FCP was not yet another company greenwashing stunt.

APP has previously announced an end to tropical forest pulping in 2004, 2007 and 2009. On February 5 it hosted a gala announcement that it had halted tropical forest clearing on its own and independent supplier concessions throughout Indonesia on January 31, with heavy equipment impounded pending independent assessment of conservation values and above ground carbon.

RPHK members, who were among those present at the February 26 meeting in Potianak, lodged a complaint on the basis of extensive photographic and video evidence of the work on concessions of PT Asia Tani Persada (ATP) and PT Daya Tani Kalbar (DTK), two of the four companies disclosed by APP as West Kalimantan suppliers to its mills in devastated Sumatra.

RPHK observers familiar with the areas of the two concessions said they contained orang-utan habitat. The promised assessments would have examined whether and where orang-utans are still present.

"We are really concerned to see how heavy equipment is still actively clearing natural forest, digging peat canals and clearing the land in the two supplier's concessions in West Kalimantan. This is a clear violation of the APP's FCP that APP socialized in Pontianak on 26 February," said Baruni Hendri, a spokesperson of the RPHK consortium.

"Our findings showed that APP is not taking their conservation policy seriously, thus making RPHK doubt APP's seriousness on the implementation of their commitment."

APP has issued a statement that "Our policy is clear - there would be no natural forest clearance anywhere in our supply chain and every supplier has been advised of he policy details."

"We contacted the suppliers and both have strongly indicated that they are not in breach of our policy and that the likely cause is concession boudaries that overlap with other industries."

WWF-Indonesia, a member of RPHK with local NGOs, has called on APP and its parent, the giant Sinar Mas Group, to quickly close a loophole allowing mills to continue accepting "stockpiled" mixed tropical hardwoods for an indefinite period, nominating May 5 as giving ample time to clear stockpiles. The evidence of current clearing vindicates concerns that freshly cleared timber will continue to be "laundered" into pulp mills.

"We call on global buyers of pulp and paper to remain skeptical and await independent verification by independent NGOs of the credible field implementation of APP's FCP before making any new purchasing decision," said Anton P. Wijaya, Director Executive of WALHI (Friends of Earth Indonesia) chapter West Kalimantan.

Member groups of the Consortium of Kalimantan Forest Monitoring Volunteers (RPHK) able to provide information in English are WWF-Indonesia (Contact : Ian Hilman, +6282121868624, ihilman@wwf.or.id), and TITIAN, an active biodiversity conservation institute for local community sustainable benefits in West Kalimantan (Contact Director, Sulhani +62561-6589198). Other member groups include AKAR, an illegal wildlife crime monitoring network in Borneo, actively raising public awareness about the importance of wildlife protection and their habitat; JPIK Kalimantan Barat, a civil society network that focuses on monitoring effort of the sustainable forest management for Forest Plantation Wood Production Permit; Link-AR Borneo (Lingkaran Advokasi dan Riset), a civil society organization focus on advocacy based on research or investigation related to land plunder and biodiversity degradation, as well as community empowerment ( www.linkarborneo.com); SAMPAN (Sahabat Masyarakat Pantai), a civil society organization focus on advocacy for costal and watershed communities (www.sampankalimantan.org) and LEMBAH, an active institute in Bengkayang District for social and economic empowerment based on environment.

Photos and videos of this issue can be accessed through:
www.linkarborneo.com and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o54C3jf6PLYRPHK.

New study reveals scale of persistent illegal tiger trade

2013-03-07

Bangkok, Thailand, 7th March 2013—Parts of more than 1400 Tigers have been seized across Asia in the past 13 years, according to TRAFFIC's latest analysis of confiscations, which includes new data for 2010-2012.

Reduced to Skin and Bones Revisited finds that parts of at least 1425 Tigers had been seized across all but one of the 13 Tiger range countries between 2000 and 2012. For Cambodia alone, no seizures were recorded at all during the period.

Although it is not yet possible to show a definite trend, the analysis provides clear evidence that illegal trade in Tigers, their parts and products, persists as a major conservation concern, says TRAFFIC.

A total of 654 seizures of Tiger parts ranging from skin to bones, to teeth, claws and skulls took place during this period, an average of 110 Tigers killed for trade per year or just over two per week.

89% of seizures occur outside protected areas, emphasizing the importance of anti-trafficking actions to disrupt trade chains and prevent incursions into Tiger habitat. The benefits of such analysis to enhance law enforcement efforts to protect Tigers are obvious.

"If more robust information was routinely collected, analysed and shared between countries, real inroads could be made into targeting the smuggling syndicates behind Tiger trafficking," said Natalia Pervushina, Tiger Trade Programme Leader for TRAFFIC and WWF.

The report, a joint effort by TRAFFIC and the WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, was launched today at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand. Later this week governments will debate efforts underway to protect Tigers and other Asian big cats.

A significant finding in the updated analysis was increased recording of seizures involving live Tigers – 61 individuals were seized in the three-year period since the last full CITES meeting took place in 2010, representing 50% of overall numbers (123) recorded since 2000. Thailand was the most significant location for interdiction of live Tiger trade (30 Tigers), followed by Lao PDR (11) and Indonesia (9) and Viet Nam (4).

"Given the low population estimates for wild tigers in Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, combined with the presence of captive Tiger facilities within these three countries, there are serious questions as to the source of these live Tigers in trade," said Nick Cox, Species Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong.

Of the 13 Tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Viet Nam), only India had kept sufficiently detailed seizure records to allow meaningful analysis to identify the 'hotspots' where Tiger trade was taking place.

Based on the information from India, five 'hotspot' locations were identified, including Delhi, while the other four were close to protected areas in different parts of the country (Uttar Pradesh, central India, West Bengal (Sundarbans) and the southern India landscape of the Western Ghats).

"The quality of the information from India allowed us to perform a spatial analysis and pinpoint the key locations where Tiger trade is taking place," said Sarah Stoner, TRAFFIC's Tiger Trade Data Specialist and author of the report. "Countries should be made to keep to their commitments under CITES to protect wild Tigers by providing robust reporting on the current situation."

Under agreements made at earlier CITES meetings, Tiger range countries have to state what action they have taken to protect Asian big cats. As of the start of the CITES meeting currently underway in Bangkok, only China, India and Thailand1 had submitted appropriate reports in compliance with a CITES requirement to do so.2

WWF and TRAFFIC are urging countries engaged in the Global Tiger Recovery Program to develop a harmonized process for reporting to the GTRP that will also fulfil the requirements of CITES with respect to Tigers.

-ENDS-

For further information contact

Dr. Richard Thomas, TRAFFIC's Global Communications Co-ordinator, Richard.thomas@traffic.org, +66 904 169 478

Notes

1 Russia also submitted a report, but not in the appropriate format.
2 CITES Resolution 12.5 (Rev. CoP15) on the Conservation of and trade in Tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species.

Poaching still biggest threat to recovery of world's tiger populations

2012-11-23

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Serious gaps in protection are leaving tigers exposed to poachers, a new WWF study says, but this could be reversed if more investments are made in staff, equipment, and training programs for rangers that are working to protect the scattered populations of the endangered species in the wild.

WWF released the findings today to mark the 2nd anniversary of the historic St. Petersburg Tiger Summit, a high-level meeting hosted by the Russian Government and World Bank that saw 13 tiger range governments pledge to double wild tiger numbers from the current 3,200 to 6,000 plus by 2022 (TX2).

Covering 135 critical areas within the 12 landscapes where WWF currently supports tiger conservation, the survey found many of the sites remain poorly managed and under-resourced and therefore remain highly vulnerable to poachers.

"Poaching continues to be the single-most immediate threat to the survival of the tiger in the wild and also the greatest barrier to achieving the TX2 goal," said Mike Baltzer, leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "If we don't work as fast as possible towards ending poaching in these places then we cannot trust that these last remaining populations of tigers, and their prey, are safe for longer term recovery of this endangered species."

The survey also shows that the same sites are in danger of becoming "paper parks", i.e.
parks that are legally protected but are not being actively managed and protected on the ground.

Although 90% of the sites surveyed are legally protected, less than half have protection-specific management plans (with the exception of Russia). Across South and Southeast Asia only 12% of sites had the full number of planned staff in place and over 50% were not trained or equipped to an adequate level.

"The report shows that while important government commitments have been made, and much action has been accelerated, we are still far from what is needed to establish the very basics of tiger recovery," Baltzer added.

Moving forward: six ways to increase tiger numbers

The survey examined six key elements related to effective management and protection against poaching: legal protection status, protection management, effective patrolling, intelligence networks, arrests and prosecutions as well as training and resources for field staff.

Investments in these areas are needed to not only achieve Zero Poaching, but to demonstrate to that the commitments made at the Summit are being actively pursued and are evident in the increased efforts to protect tigers. WWF is committed to Zero Poaching and will use the survey results to help identify gaps for future investments.

Global Tiger Recovery Program and Cards4Tigers

The 2010 Tiger Summit, governments also endorsed the Global Tiger Recovery Programme, an amalgamation of national tiger conservation actions and global targets towards meeting the TX2 goal. As a follow-up to the Tiger Summit, government officials met during the 2nd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation conducted in Bhutan in October 2012, where they committed to taking immediate and specific action over the next year to strengthen protection.

Since the Tiger Summit, WWF has been working with governments, NGOs and private partners to find ways to improve the effectiveness of ranger patrols through the development of law enforcement monitoring systems across Asia, training teams and key stakeholders in the latest methods in patrolling, prevention and conservation. WWF is presently supporting protection field staff and rangers through the Tigers Alive Initiative's "Cards4Tigers"

For more information contact:

Chris Chaplin, Media Relations Manger, WWF International, +86 139 117 474 72, cchaplin@wwf.sg

Banks and funds put on notice on Sumatra pulp mill investment risk

2012-11-14

Banks and other financial institutions have been asked for assurances they will not provide investment support to Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) plans for additional pulping capacity in already massively deforested Sumatra.

A letter to financial institutions, signed by 60 environmental and social non-governmental organisations, highlights that APP's record on keeping promises to investors is as bad as its record on keeping to a series of commitments to abandon its assault on native forests housing critically endangered Sumatran tigers and elephants.

"We believe that potential investors should be as concerned with APPs practices as the major companies no longer buying paper and packaging materials from the company," said WWF International Forest Programme director Rod Taylor.

"If potential reputational risk is not enough, alarm bells should ring over the company's default on nearly $US14 billion of debt in 2001 and the company's current conduct in US courts over meeting obligations to some of its former investors."

APP's new mill would produce between 1.5 and 2.0 million tonnes per year of bleached hardwood pulp, making it the largest single pulp line in the world. Respected Sumatra NGO coalition Eyes on the Forest has estimated that APP and supplier companies have already pulped more than two million hectares of natural rainforests in Riau province Sumatra alone.

The letter highlights APP's failures to honor environmental covenants given during restructuring of some of its debt and to the continuing loss of major customers (such as Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Unilever, Nestle, Danone, Xerox, Mondi) as a result of concerns about its deforestation practices, community conflict and business and reputational risks to buyers.

"Indonesia is a potentially promising place to conduct investment in pulp and paper, with its humid climate and year-long sunlight which enables pulp wood to mature much quicker compared to subtropical countries, unfortunately this is being brought into disrepute by the destructive practises of APP which continues to rely on natural forest clearing for its pulp supply," said WWF Indonesia's Conservation Director, Nazir Foead.

RSPO members need to match performance to promises to speed palm oil sustainability

2012-11-01

Singapore: A lack of commitment by many Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) members is holding back vital progress towards environmental and social sustainability, cautioned WWF as the organisation concluded its 10th anniversary conference.

"While RSPO is quite rightly celebrating impressive growth in members and volumes of certified palm oil produced and bought, there are many who are looking for equally impressive progress in the number of RSPO members taking action. At the same time we want progress protecting wildlife and communities in the path of the rapid expansion of palm oil cultivation," said WWF delegation leader Adam Harrison.

WWF acknowledged grower concerns about market uptake of certified sustainable palm oil lagging behind production, now at a commendable 14 percent of global supplies of what is sometimes described as the world's most traded and one of its most diversely used agricultural commodities.

"But the real problem is not that only half of certified sustainable palm oil is being bought but that only half of us in this room are taking the action at all," Harrison told the RSPO general assembly.

Only 15 per cent of palm oil processor and trader members of RSPO are trading any certified palm oil and none of the bankers and financial institutions have made any time bound plans to clarify how they will help the transition to sustainability.

WWF echoed a plea from conference keynote speaker Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-At-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Singapore, for increased involvement by investors, who have the potential to be major drivers for sustainability. Professor Koh noted that Singapore, a major centre of investment in palm oil in the centre of the world's major palm oil producing region, could not boast a single financial institution member of the RSPO.

Harrison however commended RSPO on the considerable improvement in the quality and timeliness of the reporting requirements on members, noting this represented increased transparency and accountability for the industry. But Harrison noted that there were still members who had not reported at all and others not meeting the new requirements.

WWF is looking for improvements in RSPO's certified sustainable palm oil standard as a result of an inaugural review expected to conclude in March next year, particularly in introducing requirements to slash palm oil related carbon emissions, ending planting on peat and curbing hazardous chemical use.

Harrison urged stakeholders in palm oil related issues, whether members of RSPO or not, to take available of a consultation period on the current draft of principles and criteria for the standard which ends on 30 November.

Concerned at the impact of rapidly growing palm oil production in some of the world's most sensitive environments, WWF was one of the instigators of the RSPO. The organisation concluded its first decade with more than 1000 members, 175 certified mills, covering nearly 1,500,000 hectares and producing over 7600,000 tonnes of CSPO.

RSPO has much to celebrate, much to do at critical 10th Anniversary meeting

2012-10-30

Singapore - Representatives from the global palm oil industry find themselves at a critical crossroads as they gather in Singapore for the 10th anniversary meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO RT10), founder member WWF said today.

"There is much to celebrate 10 years along the journey of sustainable palm oil, but it is no time for RSPO membership to rest on its laurels, " said WWF delegation leader Adam Harrison.

"On our agenda are the first round of planned major upgrades to the standard that defines sustainable palm oil and the challenge of increasing the uptake of certified palm oil."

At the meeting, starting tomorrow, WWF is seeking agreement to ambitious measures to reduce the climate change impacts of palm oil production and tighter rules on hazardous chemicals. It will also be seeking more support for the standard from trade and retail members of RSPO.

Some of these issues will be discussed rather than decided at the 10th anniversary meeting as consultations continue on the first scheduled major review of the Principles and Guidelines for Sustainable Palm Oil. WWF is urging RSPO members and non-members alike to feed their comments into the multi-stakeholder consultation on upgraded Principles and Criteria for Sustainable Palm Oil which remains open until November 30.

"WWF would like to see the RSPO standards include best practices on reducing greenhouse gas emissions" Harrison said. "WWF is seeking an effective end to planting on peat which releases massive quantities of carbon dioxide.

"We are also looking for the RSPO membership to commit to the effective elimination of the most hazardous chemicals used in the industry."

Since the RSPO started in 2004 and the standards were set in 2007 it has been remarkably successful and has gone on to certify more than 9 million tonnes of palm oil production – more than 14% of the world's total.

This market share makes the RSPO the world's most successful sustainability standard for a single commodity, with nearly 1000 members from producers through to manufacturers and retailers and environmental, social and development NGOs.

"However, more of a push is needed from buyers of palm oil to match the hard work growers have put in since 2007 on getting so much of their production to a certified level," said Harrison. "Only 40% of the palm oil used by manufacturers in the RSPO is certified and less than 8% handled by traders is."

In 2012 the RSPO strengthened its annual membership reporting process and now asks members to reveal how much palm oil they use and when they plan for it to be 100% certified. This year's reports show an increased level of commitment from buyers and a welcome move to greater transparency. But, commitments are empty unless backed by concrete action – and that is still below par.

"Traders are particularly significant as RSPO members account for almost half of global palm oil trade – if they took concerted action they really could transform the industry," Harrison said. "We look forward to some outstanding 10th anniversary commitments for uptake of Certified Sustainable Palm Oil in the next Annual Communications of Progress Reports."

Rhinos listed among the most threatened species

2012-09-11

Jeju, Republic of Korea – Asia's few remaining Javan and Sumatran rhinos have been identified by conservationists as some of the most threatened animals in the world. A list of the 100 species at greatest risk of extinction has been released by the Zoological Society of London and IUCN to governments and environmental organizations gathering for the IUCN World Conservation Congress. Measures to conserve rhinos and other endangered species from threats such as poaching, illegal trade and habitat loss are expected to be agreed at the meeting.

"The world's rhinos are under attack from poachers, traders and consumers who are after their horns. With so few Javan and Sumatran rhinos remaining, these prehistoric creatures stand to be lost forever unless steps are taken to increase their numbers, stop poaching, and curb the illegal trade in rhino horns," said Dr. A. Christy Williams, WWF's Asian rhino and elephant expert.

There are fewer than 50 Javan rhinos remaining, all in one Indonesian national park. Sumatran rhinos live in a few scattered locations across Sumatra and Borneo, but number fewer than 200. The animals are not breeding fast enough to ensure their survival in the event of a disease outbreak, volcanic eruption or tsunami. Additionally, Sumatran rhinos are under intense pressure from poaching and loss of their forest habitats to logging and agricultural conversion.

"The increase in demand for rhino horn in Asia in recent years, primarily from Viet Nam, has caused poaching to skyrocket to record levels as far away as South Africa," said Dr. Carlos Drews, Director of WWF's Global Species Programme. "Myths of new curative powers for rhino horn are fuelling an illegal market that threatens to compromise decades of successful conservation progress."

Viet Nam lost its last rhino to poaching in 2010, leading to the country's subspecies of Javan rhino being declared extinct. Another subspecies, the western black rhino in Cameroon, has also gone extinct. Three of the five species of rhinoceros are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

However, effective conservation measures have brought back rhino species from the brink of extinction. Last year Nepal celebrated a year without any rhino poaching incidents, which was largely attributed to increased law enforcement measures implemented with the help of WWF.

"Highly-focused management can lead to increases in rhino populations as shown in the case of greater one-horned rhinos in Nepal and India. It is now urgent that conservation of Javan and Sumatran rhinos be addressed as a priority," Dr. Williams said. "Given the gravity of the situation, extreme measures, such as translocations to safe sites and the establishment of new populations, must be explored."

In honour of the International Year of the Rhino, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in June 2012 pledged to effectively address rhino conservation in the country and committed to better protection for the animals.

Last month, wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC released a comprehensive new report into the illegal rhino horn trade, which documented how poor compliance over rhino horn stockpile management, loopholes in sport hunting policy in South Africa, and surging demand for horn in Viet Nam, had created ideal conditions for the involvement of sophisticated criminal networks, leading to a dramatic escalation in poaching in southern Africa.

"As long as demand exists for rhino horn, and criminals consider the rewards outweigh the risk of being caught, gangs will go to any lengths to supply horn to the marketplace," said Sabri Zain, TRAFFIC's Director of Advocacy.

Partners WWF and TRAFFIC have launched a global campaign against illegal trade of rhino horn, elephant ivory and tiger parts. The campaign is seeking better law enforcement to disrupt wildlife trafficking, more effective deterrents, and reduction in demand for endangered species products.

TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF and IUCN.

WWF offers roar of support for tiger rangers on World Ranger Day

2012-07-31

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - WWF marked World Ranger Day with the start of its new Cards4Tigers action, a way of extending support and appreciation to rangers working to stop wildlife crime across the world's 12 remaining tiger landscapes.

From now until June 2013, people everywhere can join WWF in telling rangers we care and support their work by sending them postcards. Visit www.panda.org/tigers/cards4tigers for more information.

"Rangers are critical in achieving Zero Poaching," said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "Yet they are not always fully appreciated for their work. Through the Cards4Tigers action, we aim to provide an easy way for people all across the world to show their support to the rangers. We intend to use the cards to show the government leaders that the world thinks the rangers need more help and resources to save wild tigers."

The Thin Green Line Foundation says 1,000 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty over the past decade – one every four days. Meanwhile, the International Ranger Foundation reports that in the past 12 months, at least 60 rangers have died while on the job. Over half of these deaths have been classified as homicides.

Also known as forest guards, park wardens and field enforcement officers, many rangers work under harsh conditions to keep wild tigers and other animals safe. They are among the lowest paid of all government employees, and often spend significant amounts of time away from their families.

"Without these dedicated frontliners working hard to stem out poaching, tiger range countries cannot hope to achieve the TX2 goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022," said Craig Bruce, WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative protection expert. "Governments must invest in the well-being of rangers and ensure they are fully equipped to fight ruthless armed poachers. Too many lives have been lost needlessly."

Often underequipped and unarmed, rangers are the first line of defense against wildlife crime. Poaching has become highly organized with armed criminal gangs, and many rangers face death threats and fear for their family's safety.

A survey undertaken by WWF in April shows that many of the protected areas tiger rangers work in do not have the resources or capacity to effectively protect tigers. For example, WWF field personnel in 41 of 63 tiger protected areas felt there were not enough protection staff available to offer the necessary coverage to achieve Zero Poaching.

In Malaysia's Royal Belum State Park, considerable poaching activity has been documented. Although occupying an area of over 1,000 km2, the park only has 17 enforcement staff. Contrasting this is protected areas such as Kaziranga Tiger Reserve in India, with approximately 800 enforcement staff for about 860 km2, they have been able to stem poaching activity.

Nepal has also seen a great deal of success in stemming wildlife crime and celebrated 2011 as a Zero Poaching year for rhinos, largely attributed to the addition of 44 new range posts across several protected areas.

This has also contributed to the increase in the wild tiger population in the country's largest park, Bardia National Park, as reported by Nepal's Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation on Global Tiger Day, 29 July 2012.

Global Tiger Day - spare a thought for tiger prey too!

2012-07-29

As tiger range countries today celebrate Global Tiger Day, WWF is urging the governments to raise efforts to work towards Zero Poaching of tiger prey as well as tigers.

With wild tiger numbers as low as 3,200, direct, targeted poaching of tigers is the most immediate danger for the species today. However, a serious contributing factor to the plight of the tiger is the widespread decline of its forest larder – the deer, wild pigs and wild cattle such as the Gaur.

One tiger needs to eat the equivalent of a medium size deer every week to survive and without adequate food, the tiger population declines very fast. Too many forests of Asia are classed as 'empty forests" – the trees are there but the animals are gone. Anti-poaching efforts therefore must be targeted at protecting both the tiger and its prey.

Poachers very often focus on tiger prey rather than tigers themselves. Prey animals are sought by local poachers to supply the local food market. Many of these prey species are also highly endangered and often neglected by conservation efforts. Yet, they can also benefit from the extra protection given to the tiger.

Open publication - Free publishing - More conservation

"Without protecting the tiger's prey from poaching and forest degradation, achieving the target of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022 is impossible," said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "The survival of the prey is key to the survival of the tiger."

Tackling poaching requires high levels of professionally managed security. But if the local community is against the park or the tigers, then the continued efforts of the poachers will overwhelm even the best-trained, motivated rangers who are at the frontline protecting tigers.

A long-term WWF project in southern Thailand, working intensively with the local communities living around Kuiburi National Park, has reduced poaching by four-fold and doubled tiger prey population. The project clearly demonstrates that when local communities are well mobilized, they can be a very powerful and essential force against poaching.

Working towards Zero Poaching requires serious government intervention. The WWF Wildlife Crime Scorecard released on Monday reported that more than 200 tiger carcasses are being seized from illegal trade each year and that most countries were very far from providing protection against poaching and illegal wildlife trade, particularly those countries like China and Vietnam, where illegal traders know there is a strong demand for tiger-based products.

WWF is today releasing a short film "Confessions of an ex-poacher" that highlights the destructive trade. Interviews with two former poachers turned tiger protectors give insights into this illicit world that drives forests to become lucrative hunting grounds for poachers and making tigers their livelihoods. The film also discusses steps needed to stem out poaching in the heartland areas of forests where tigers breed. One of these is to provide those at the frontlines protecting tigers – rangers, protected area officials and local communities – with the right tools to eradicate poaching.

Local communities and protected area staff, particularly rangers or specialized enforcement officers, are the frontline against poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. Rangers put their life on the line everyday to keep wild tigers and their prey safe. They are critical in achieving Zero Poaching, yet are not always fully appreciated for their important role. WWF will be launching a special action on International Rangers Day on 31 July to honour these unsung heroes.

Elsewhere, WWF offices in tiger range countries are also joining governments and civil society in a range of Global Tiger Day celebratory events.

Bhutan: A special community event will be held in line with the theme of this year's Global Tiger Day – "Tiger and community co-existing in harmony for mutual survival". It will be held in Trongsa in central Bhutan, with a community that has been working on tiger conservation. There will be a skid presented by the community and a poster competition for students.

China: WWF will launch a pilot deer reintroduction programme in Wangqing Nature Reserve in northeast China, at a site where tracks of both the Amur tiger and the Amur leopard have been discovered frequently. This is part of a bigger tiger conservation programme aimed at recovering tiger prey density and restoring the habitat. A special launch ceremony will be held with officials, representatives from partner organizations and media in attendance.

Nepal: A series of public service announcements will be launched to promote awareness of the need to stop wildlife trade. There will also be a formal declaration of the results of the tiger count conducted in Bardia National Park earlier in the year. WWF will also hold an art competition for students in the Terai Arc region.

For further information:

Soh-Koon Chng, WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, +65 9772 2552, skchng@wwf.org.my

Green economy approach shows hope for Borneo amidst floundering Rio+20 talks

2012-06-21

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – As world leaders meet amidst a gloomy forecast for a meaningful outcome of the Rio+20 Earth Summit this week, WWF is releasing a green economy report at the biggest-ever UN event that offers sustainability solutions for our ailing planet.

The Heart of Borneo (HoB): Investing in Nature for a Green Economy Report is a practical regional guide on how future economic growth can be achieved while protecting the values of ecosystems and biodiversity of the Heart of Borneo - a 220,000km2 treasure trove of unique and often endangered animal and plants species, on the world's third biggest island.

Produced by WWF and a consortium of partners, the report highlights environmental costs and forgone revenues in the current economy and shows how valuing 'natural capital' supports the long-term stability and development of local economies in Borneo.

"The HoB's natural capital is of tremendous social and economic value - but if we continue to fail to recognize its worth, both people and the environment they depend on will suffer," said WWF Director General Jim Leape.
"This report finds that valuing natural capital can pave the way to strong local economies, as well as deliver on the growth, climate change and sustainability priorities in the region," he added.

Making business more sustainable

The report highlights the current unsustainable practices of the forestry, palm oil and mining sectors in Borneo and shows that the erosion of natural capital leads to a corresponding loss of long-term economic viability and social welfare.

"These sectors are vital to Borneo's economy, but must embed sustainability within their practices to remain engines of growth in the future, " said Adam Tomasek, Leader of WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative.

Economic modelling in the report shows that under a Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario, the environmental costs of economic growth could outweigh revenues from the use of natural resources as soon as 2020.

"Globally we're seeing how the mismanagement of the world's financial capital causes long-term damage to nations. The same will be true in Borneo if we continue to mismanage our natural capital – only the damage will be measured in 'generations of suffering'," Mr Tomasek said.

"The irony of this is that unlike the financial crisis where the austerity packages imposed have been seen to be unacceptably severe, especially on the poor – a shift to value natural capital could actually improve the life of poor and vulnerable people in Borneo."

Investing in Nature reveals two choices for the use of the immense wealth of natural capital in the Heart of Borneo: squandering it or keeping it in the bank, which would allow many generations to live off the 'interest' forever, in the form of the sustainable goods and services. It identifies that the key enabling condition is the shift to an economic infrastructure where fiscal policies and subsidy allocations favor sustainable practices and maintenance of ecosystem services.

Rio +20 Summit

The Heart of Borneo: Investing in Nature for a Green Economy report will be released on June 20th by WWF International Director General, Jim Leape, to coincide with a high-level event hosted by Indonesia's President Yudhoyono. The President of Guyana and Prime Minister of Norway, as well as the office of the UN Secretary General, Ministers and senior officials will be in attendance.

The findings and recommendations of the report are featured in several events during the Rio+20 Summit. The accompanying website, www.hobgreeneconomy.org, provides a window to the world for the green development activities in the HoB.

"The report shows how Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia can continue to work together across borders to develop and implement a green economy aspiration. By investing in nature, they can clearly show how to deliver on the Rio+20 vision of 'the future we want" said Jim Leape.

For further information contact:

Adam Tomasek, Leader, Heart of Borneo InitiativeTel: +62 21 7829461 ext. 503, Mob: +62 811 9917855, e-mail: atomasek@wwf.or.id

For interviews in Rio contact:

Chris Chaplin, WWF International, +65 9826 3802, cchaplin@wwf.sg

For all other queries:

Chris Greenwood, International Communications Manager, Heart of Borneo Initiative, Mob: +60 128281214, E-mail: cgreenwood@wwf.org.my

Javan rhinos in critical state as International Year of the Rhino begins

2012-06-05

Increasing alarm for the fate of the two rarest rhinoceros species, and growing concern over the increased illegal hunting of rhinos and demand for rhino horn affecting all five species, has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to declare 5 June 2012 as the start of the International Year of the Rhino.

President Yudhoyono took this step at the request of conservation organisations, because the future survival of both the Javan and Sumatran rhinos depends on effective conservation action in Indonesia.

"WWF offers its full support for the commitment made by Indonesia's president to secure a future for the country's critically endangered rhinos," says Dr Efransjah, CEO of WWF-Indonesia.

"There is an urgent need to decrease pressures on habitats and to establish a second Javan rhino population in a safer and suitable location. This will be a big endeavour that will require true leadership from government and critical partnerships among scientists, conservation organizations and local communities."

The government of Indonesia has also made commitments to establish a high-level rhino task force of national and international experts; allocate sufficient resources to enforce protection of remaining rhino populations, and ensure that there is regular and intensive monitoring of all rhino populations in Indonesia.

In the last decade, two rhino subspecies, the western black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis longipes) in Cameroon and the Indochinese Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) in Vietnam have gone extinct.

Today, the populations of two more subspecies, the northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) and the mainland population of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis lasiotus), both listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, are perilously close to extinction because of an increase in illegal hunting and non-traditional use of rhino horn.

During this International Year of the Rhino, it is hoped that all rhino range states in Africa and Asia will join Indonesia and give priority to securing their rhino populations.

There are ambitions to bring illegal hunting and trade, especially the illegal trade of rhino horn, under control by ensuring that effective deterrents are in place and enforced. It is also hoped that measures that encourage a rapid growth in rhino numbers will be taken. In Indonesia, extra action will be taken to translocate isolated individuals to actively managed protected areas and improve rhino habitats by removing invasive plant species and providing additional sources of water.

"Strong and clear political messages from the highest possible levels are required to combat the illegal killing and trade in rhino and the message coming from the president is loud and clear," said John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General of CITES.

"We hope that this bold initiative by Indonesia will serve as a catalyst for further high-level political support and commitments to protect the rhino in the wild across all concerned states"

Effective conservation by governments in Africa and Asia, in some cases with the support of WWF, has been successful in bringing back the southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) and Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) from the brink of extinction.

It is clear that highly-focused management and improved conservation measures can lead to increases in the populations of rhinos, and it is now urgent that this is also implemented for the Javan and Sumatran rhinos, as the Indonesian president has stated.

Big investments needed in Asia-Pacific's dwindling natural capital

2012-06-05

Manila, Philippines – Booming economic development and per-capita consumption across the Asia-Pacific region is burning up more natural resources than are available, placing enormous pressure on the region's already heavily taxed forests, rivers and oceans, says a new WWF report on the value of Asia's natural capital.

Produced in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report – a regional perspective on elements of the recently-released Living Planet Report – focuses on attainable methods of preserving key regional ecosystems including the unique forests of Borneo, the marine wealth of the Coral Triangle, the Mekong region's diverse habitats, as well as the mountainous Eastern Himalayas.

Open publication

"Across the Asia-Pacific region, the gap between human demand for natural resources and the environment's ability to replenish those resources is widening," said WWF's Director General Jim Leape. "In 2008, the natural resources available per person, in places as diverse as the Eastern Himalayas and Mekong river basin, shrunk by about two thirds compared to 1970. Tragically, the rate of species loss was about twice the global average over this period," he added.

The new report uses the Living Planet Index (LPI) to measure changes in the health of ecosystems across the Asia-Pacific region. The global index fell by 28 per cent from 1970 and 2008, while the Indo-Pacific region saw a shocking 64 per cent decline in key populations of species over the same period.

"The Indo-Pacific realm has undergone the most rapid economic and demographic transition of any region in the world since 1970," said Jonathan Loh from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), the organization that keeps track of the index. "Across most of tropical Asia and the Pacific, the population grew from about 1.2 billion to 2.6 billion, which is alone enough to double the pressures placed on the area's natural resources. Coupled with the dramatic increase in per capita consumption across the entire Asia-Pacific region, it becomes clear that reversing this downward trend needs systemic changes to our economies and the way we produce and consume natural resources," he added.

Asia's biggest footprints: the individual and the nation

Australia, Singapore, Mongolia, South Korea, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand and China round out the top 10 Ecological Footprints per capita in the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific residents still consume on average close to 60 per cent less than the global average of over one and half planets per person, but major disparities exist. The per-capita Ecological Footprint of Australia, for example, is the highest in the region – 14 times larger than Timor-Leste.

From a national level, China has the largest footprint of all the countries of Asia and the Pacific, due to its large population. China and India, the report says, are likely to experience the greatest increase in overall Ecological Footprint by 2015, representing 37 per cent of the projected global footprint.

"Over the next 20 years, hundreds of millions of new consumers will be added to those already living in Asia and the Pacific today – driving up demand for energy, food, metals, and water," said Jim Leape. "We need to create mechanisms that make protecting those resources the right economic choice for the communities that use and depend on them."

Regional solutions for the health of the planet

The Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report outlines four key solutions that are working to reverse the declining Living Planet Index in four major regions: the Heart of Borneo, the Coral Triangle, the Greater Mekong sub-region and the Eastern Himalayas. All of these areas are extremely important as they provide millions of people with food, water and energy – and harbour countless valuable species of plants and animals.

Policies that recognize the importance of the environment early on in the planning process is one part of the equation, says the report, as are well-funded and monitored marine and terrestrial protected areas. Payment for ecosystem services under programmes such as REDD also play an important role, as do private-sector sustainability initiatives. For example, many businesses in the region are already showing how sustainably produced commodities – including cotton, soy, palm oil, fish and timber – bring big gains for people and also the environment.

"We must move toward deeper structural and systemic change in the way goods are manufactured and services provided," said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. "The green economy itself can become an engine of growth and the driver for a new generation of green jobs—bringing a higher quality of life."

Rio+20

Released on World Environment Day and only three weeks before the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the Ecological Footprint and Investment in Natural Capital in Asia and the Pacific report presents a solution-oriented look at what leaders attending the Earth Summit need to focus on most – reconfirming their commitment to creating a sustainable future.

"The challenges presented in the Asia-Pacific footprint report show us that we are living beyond our means. But it also clearly identifies attainable solutions that build on the strength of partnerships at local, regional and international levels," said Leape. "Rio+20 offers governments, businesses and civil society a unique opportunity to develop even more innovative solutions to ensuring we preserve the natural wealth of our planet," he added.

ADB and WWF have worked in partnership since 2001 on mainstreaming environment in development and supporting the countries of Asia and the Pacific in conserving their natural capital.

"A call from WWF to measure what we treasure"

2012-06-04

Heading into the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Brazil, WWF has urged political leaders to use this powerful opportunity to change the way that progress is measured, so that the value of natural capital – or natural wealth – is included in national accounts and corporate balance sheets.

This call comes amid growing international consensus that GDP is too one-sided and does not take into account the environmental or social dimensions of development and well-being or sustainability.

WWF Director General Jim Leape said, "We need Rio+20 to deliver new environmental indicators so that we can measure what we treasure. We need indicators that go far beyond GDP, measuring environmental quality, nature and biodiversity, and social stability and wellbeing. We need indicators that are clear and transparent, and a clear timeline for implementation. We will not be able to build an economy that the Earth can sustain as long as GDP continues to be the sole measure of progress."

Until now, natural wealth or capital has been considered as "global commons" and therefore treated as a "free good". WWF is calling for governments, the private sector and civil society to cooperate to better regulate its use. Natural wealth or natural capital can be seen as the stock of ecosystems that provides a renewable flow of goods and services.

In order to manage natural wealth sustainably, it needs to be properly recognized in national accounts, development and poverty reduction strategies and in corporate balance sheets. In parallel to traditional financial accounts, nations and companies alike must be encouraged to publish accounts of the natural wealth they depend on, and how much it has increased or decreased over the previous year.

Practical measures to measure natural wealth are underway throughout the world, although many are in preliminary stages.

Valuing natural capital or natural wealth in the Heart of Borneo

The Heart of Borneo (HoB) is one of the planet's richest biological treasure troves. It is home to approximately 6 per cent of the world's biodiversity. Heart of Borneo forests ecosystems contain the headwaters of 14 of Borneo's 20 major river systems on the island and provide important ecosystem services across an area of 54 million ha, more than 70 per cent of Borneo, benefiting over 11 million people.

WWF is working closely with local communities, indigenous peoples, and businesses in the region to support the leadership by the governments of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia under the Heart of Borneo Initiative.

"In the Heart of Borneo we aim to create practical economic and social benefit arguments for conservation of natural capital and develop solutions that show how the biodiversity, forests and ecosystems of the HoB can become the engines for green growth and sustainability into the future. WWF and partners aim to show that these forests are worth more standing than cut down," said Adam Tomasek (Leader, WWF's Heart of Borneo Initiative).

Tropical rainforest near Bereau demonstrating environmental and social functions of pre-FSC certification. East Kalimantan, Indonesia ©Edward Parker

In the green economy scenario, sustainable management of natural capital leads to increases in its value, with net benefits accruing to present and future generations. In relation to forests, for example, maintaining forest cover and improved management of standing forests enhances biodiversity, carbon storage and enhances water and energy security. This results in higher revenue from forest products and ecotourism, and reduced public and social costs associated with environmental degradation.

"Under the Heart of Borneo Initiative, the three national governments are aiming to integrate the value of forests, biodiversity and watershed services into national and local development plans, and to optimize economic returns to improve livelihoods. In addition to its importance for biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management, the Heart of Borneo holds global significance in reducing greenhouse gases from deforestation and degradation, as well as potential to move economies of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia to a low carbon and green growth future," said Tomasek.

The Natural Capital Declaration

With the launch of the Natural Capital Declaration – to take place in Rio during the conference – WWF and three financial institution partners are part of an innovative group showing its commitment to the eventual integration of Natural Capital considerations into private sector reporting, accounting and decision-making. An ultimate aim is the standardization of measurement and disclosure of Natural Capital use by the private sector.

WWF has also outlined concrete ecosystem accounting policies that governments can follow within the Rio+20 context. These include ensuring strong legal frameworks for the sustainable use of natural resources and encouraging compliance, through mandatory national accounting and reporting systems. Governments can also strengthen the regulatory framework for corporate accounting so that it contains environmental impacts and, in securities filing, environmental disclosure and environmental risk.

Inclusive Wealth Indicators in national reporting

Also due for release at the Rio conference is the Inclusive Wealth Indicator report, on the inclusive wealth of 20 countries, compiled by United Nations University's International Human Dimensions Programme UNU-IHDP with UNEP support and in collaboration with the UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC) and the Natural Capital Project of which WWF is a founding partner.

It features Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Japan, Kenya, Nigeria, Norway, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, USA, United Kingdom and Venezuela – which represent 56 per cent of the world's population and 72 per cent of GDP. The "Inclusive Wealth Indicator" is designed to go beyond GDP as a measure of economic progress, with metrics for natural, human and manufactured capital considered together to obtain a more comprehensive value.

In the EU, the No Net Loss Working Group has been established under the EU Biodiversity Strategy to ensure no net loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. This working group links to Resource Efficient Europe, which has a specific section on natural capital and ecosystem services and promotes the use of the innovative financial and market based instruments.

The UK, meanwhile has established a Natural Capital Committee to improve Government understanding of the value of Natural Capital, and to prioritise actions to support and improve the UK's natural wealth.

WWF hopes that its call to "measure what we treasure" will not fall on deaf ears during the Rio+20 conference.

Latest APP promise more greenwash than protection

2012-05-22

An Asia Pulp and Paper promise for a moratorium on natural forest logging in directly owned concessions needs to cover what goes into its mills rather than what comes off already mostly cleared areas, according to WWF.

"APP once again has chosen to invest in greenwashing instead of meaningful change in the face of increasing and widespread condemnation of its forestry practices," said Nazir Foead of WWF-Indonesia. "Our analysis suggests that this limited moratorium will have little impact, since APP has already cleared 713,383 hectares or almost all of the natural forest in its own and affiliated concessions in Riau."

In a statement released last Tuesday APP announced that from June 1st it would suspend the clearance of natural forest on APP owned concessions in Indonesia to allow High Conservation Value Forest HCVF assessments to be conducted.

The latest promise doesn't even come close to the levels APP committed to in 2004, 2007 and 2009; all three times APP missed self-imposed deadlines of supplying its pulp mills exclusively from renewable plantation wood.

WWF has calculated that if APP abides by the promises made in its recent announcement it may save 22,000 ha compared to the more than two million hectares of natural forest and endangered tiger habitat pulped since 1984.

Just over 103,000 hectares of the remaining natural forests are forests that are already designated or by regulation must be protected.

"To be a meaningful commitment APP must immediately commit to stop clearing natural forests and accepting all natural forest fibre into its mills until areas of high conservation value have been independently and transparently identified and protected. We are conducting further analysis into this statement and its implications, in the meantime," WWF said in a statement.

WWF ceased engagement with APP in 2004 after the company failed to honour commitments to improve sustainability.

In March of this year it was discovered that APP had decimated tropical forests it promised to conserve under "legally binding" debt restructuring in 2004.

Using satellite imagery the report by Sumatra based NGO coalition; Eyes on the Forest found that within three years of making the agreement, APP's wood suppliers began clearing areas of high conservation value forest in central Sumatra's Pulau Muda, a rain forest in the Kerumutan tiger landscape.

A footprint of a Sumatra tiger was found in one of the cleared areas.

APP is one of the world's largest pulp & paper companies and markets products in more than 65 countries.

APP's pulp production in Indonesia is based in the Riau and Jambi provinces in central Sumatra, one of the most biologically diverse landscapes on Earth and one of the last refuges for the critically endangered Sumatran elephant, tiger and orang-utan. All face local extinction in the area because of massive habitat loss.

Tiger recovery efforts progressing, urgent action still needed to fight poaching

2012-05-17

New Delhi, India – Tiger range countries in their first meeting to review efforts on doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022, reported significant progress, but recognized that urgent and elevated action is still needed to halt poaching.

"Steady progress is being made towards meeting the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers," said Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "But tiger range governments must urgently and seriously step up action to eliminate poaching if they do not want their investments to go to waste."

In November 2010 at the "Tiger Summit" in St. Petersburg hosted by the Government of Russia and the World Bank, the 13 Tiger Range Governments and partners committed to doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022 (TX2). They presented the Global Tiger Recovery Program (GTRP), which represents the plans towards meeting this goal.

The meeting in New Delhi, held from 15-17 May 2012, was the first time since the Tiger Summit that senior government officials from all 13 countries have met to review progress on implementation of the GTRP and plan the next steps.

Before the meeting, WWF released results of a preliminary assessment of 63 legally protected areas in seven tiger range countries that showed only 22, or 35%, maintain WWF's minimum standards of protection. This indicated that tigers in most of the protected areas are still very vulnerable to poaching.

Poaching of tigers, to feed consumer demand for their body parts and products, is now the main factor reversing the gains made by governments, donors and other partners working towards the 2022 goal. Nearly all tiger range countries spoke of the poaching problem and efforts they are taking on the ground to tackle it. These include strengthening capacity and introducing new, innovative law enforcement monitoring tools, such as M-STrIPES and SMART, to better manage protected areas with tigers. They also considered new approaches to reduce consumer demand for tiger derivatives.

"We are pleased that the approaches we recommended on demand reduction are being considered to support implementation of the GTRP," said Sabri Zain, Director of Advocacy and Campaigns, TRAFFIC International. "It is critical that we implement new approaches to changing consumer behaviour if we are to successfully stem out poaching in the long run and therefore in achieving TX2."

During the meeting, TRAFFIC also presented new figures from its latest research into the rising number of tiger part seizures taking place in Asia. With 53 seizures occurring each year, levels remain high. The analysis also identified persistent tiger trade hot-spots such as Kathmandu, Hanoi and the Russia/Northeast China border. It is essential that a tiger trade monitoring system be established as information such as this can assist enforcement efforts in the field where it is most needed.

In a sign indicating tiger range countries are increasingly working together to save the tiger across their borders, the meeting witnessed the signing of a bilateral agreement on trans-border cooperation between India and Nepal and another between India and Russia.

''This gathering of tiger range states shows that the momentum to save tigers is indeed building, but the pressure on the species continues," said Ravi Singh, Secretary-General and CEO, WWF-India. "Coordinated anti-poaching measures across tiger range states are called for. These need to be scaled up and implemented urgently to achieve zero poaching."

WWF is supporting tiger range countries in their enforcement efforts through both training and helping to develop computer-based, law enforcement monitoring systems. It has also identified three actions tiger range governments can take immediately to launch an elevated operation towards Zero Poaching. These include identifying and delineating the most important sites requiring good protection from poaching, and ensuring these sites have sufficient numbers of enforcement staff who are well trained to monitor and improve their effectiveness by using monitoring systems. WWF also suggests that the police and judiciary need to help to ensure strict punishment on poaching and to actively engage local communities living adjacent to important tiger conservation areas.

For further information:

Soh-Koon Chng, WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, +65 9772 2552, skchng@wwf.org.my

Aarti Khosla, WWF-India, +91-98111-99288, akhosla@wwfndia.net

Dilpreet B. Chhabra, TRAFFIC India, +91-98990-00472, dchhabra@wwfindia.net

WWF and partners celebrate Coral Triangle Day on June 9

2012-05-16

WWF and its partners are celebrating the first-ever Coral Triangle Day on June 9 at several locations around the Coral Triangle region to highlight the importance of marine conservation and to raise awareness on this global center of marine biodiversity.

An interpretation of World Oceans Day in this part of the world, the Coral Triangle Day brings together individuals, organizations, and establishments from different parts of the region on one special day to celebrate the beauty and uniqueness of this region and to promote the importance of oceans through varied activities including: beach clean-ups; sustainable seafood dinners; educational exhibitions; marine-themed bazaars; and beach parties.

"WWF, along with its partners are encouraging everyone to do one special thing, no matter how small, that will contribute to saving the Coral Triangle and let the world know how we care about it by sharing it on the Coral Triangle online platform www.thecoraltriangle.com/day," says Dr Lida Pet-Soede, WWF Coral Triangle Programme Leader.

The Coral Triangle is a six million square-kilometer ocean expanse that contains the highest number of reef building corals on the planet. Its spectacular coral reefs systems are home to thousands of whales, dolphins, rays, sharks, and six of the world's seven species of marine turtles.

Spanning across six countries in Asia and the Pacific including Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, the Coral Triangle is also a nursery ground for highly valuable tuna species and much sought-after reef fish species. It directly sustains the lives of more than 120 million people who heavily depend on marine resources for food and income.

However, coastal development, destructive fishing, overfishing, unsustainable tourism, the illegal harvest and trade of endangered species, and climate change, among many others, are taking a heavy toll on this fragile marine ecosystem.

The Coral Triangle Day, envisioned to be an annual, open-sourced event, hopes to empower individuals to take specific action to help protect and conserve this globally-significant marine ecoregion.

"This unprecedented event aims to build a critical mass of supporters for the Coral Triangle on different levels of society by using a fun and exciting way for people in this part of the world to learn more about the significance of oceans," adds Pet-Soede.

Individuals, organizations, and establishments celebrating the Coral Triangle Day are encouraged to post their videos or photos on www.thecoraltriangle.com/day to show the world what they are doing for the oceans during this day and to help create a truly regional community of Coral Triangle supporters.

For more information on the Coral Triangle, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com. For more information on the Coral Triangle Day, visit www.thecoraltriangle.com/day

For further information:
Paolo P. Mangahas, Communications Manager, WWF Coral Triangle Programme, +603 7803 3772, pmangahas@wwf.org.my

Saving one turtle at a time in Bali

2012-05-13

By Aimee Leslie, WWF's Marine Turtle and Cetacean Manager

Indonesia is 90% Muslim, but Bali is the exception, which is 90% Hindu. The Hindu community of Bali has traditionally used marine turtles for religious ceremonies for decades. Consumption of these turtles summed between 10,000 and 20,000 a year.

It is no secret that changing a tradition, specially a religious one is no easy task; but WWF-Indonesia was determined to do so. The local veterinarian and Hindu, I.B. Windia Adnyana, was aware of the problem and took matters into his own hands. He joined forces with his brother, a local religious leader to talk to the Hindu community and let them know that the turtle ritual could have dire consequences for the survival of the local populations.

The religious leaders listened and wanted to help, but could not eliminate a practice that was still intrinsically knit into their customs. Besides, the whole village of Serangan Island depended mainly on the sales of adult turtles to the Hindu community.

None the less, the local government joined in, and in 1999, measures were agreed on. Only 300 marine turtles per year would be culled for religious purposes. These turtles would be provided only through a permit authorized by the local government. The turtles would only come from the Turtle Education Centre, to be built by the government in Serangan Island.

The Turtle Education Centre would only use five Olive Ridley turtle nests a year, to raise the turtles for Hindu religious ceremonies. This is because adult nesting turtles have a much higher value for the future of their population. In nature only 1 out of every 1000 hatchlings born survives long enough to achieve sexual maturity.

Since 2006 the Turtle Education Centre has been up and running. It provides the Serangan village with more income than they ever had when dedicated to the illegal turtle trade. Students and tourists go to the Centre to see and learn about marine turtles. Though this is not the ideal solution, we're in the process of getting there. WWF and its local partners were able to make a difference for Indonesia's marine turtles, one turtle at a time.

Wild tigers remain vulnerable to poaching in most protected areas

2012-05-12

A recent preliminary assessment of 63 legally protected areas in seven tiger range countries shows that only 22, or 35%, maintain WWF's minimum standards of protection. This indicates that the areas set up to protect tigers and other threatened species are not necessarily the refuge they are designed to be, says WWF.

"Poaching is the most immediate threat to tigers and protected areas are the first line of defence against poaching," says Mike Baltzer, Leader of WWF's Tigers Alive Initiative. "If this preliminary assessment reflects the full situation on-the-ground, then protected areas are not functioning as an effective safe haven for tigers. Without places tigers can be safer from poaching, there is no hope to meet the target of more than 6,000 tigers by 2022."

In November 2010 at the "Tiger Summit" in St. Petersburg hosted by the Government of Russia and the World Bank, the 13 Tiger Range Governments and partners committed to doubling the number of wild tigers by 2022. From 15-17 May 2012, they will meet again to assess progress and plan the next steps.

Poaching of tigers, to meet consumer demand for their body parts and products, is now the main factor reversing the gains made by governments, donors and other partners working towards the 2022 goal. The meeting in New Delhi next week provides a perfect opportunity for the 13 countries to immediately launch an elevated operation to improve the protection of sites critical to tigers and take deliberate action towards Zero Poaching.

WWF's internal preliminary assessment covered 84 locations, 63 of which are legally protected areas, in seven of the 12 countries where WWF currently works on tiger conservation. Scientists, researchers and managers working in the field, have determined these sites to be critical for wild tiger population growth.

Each site was evaluated on three critical factors for protecting tigers: the number of protected area staff, the use of law enforcement monitoring tools, and whether the park was officially protected by law. Data for the assessment was collected from published sources and through a survey of WWF field staff and managers of the sites wherever available.

Results from the assessment showed that staff and WWF field personnel from 41 of the 63 protected areas, or 65%, feel there are not enough staff to protect those areas and achieve Zero Poaching. One example is Malaysia's Royal Belum State Park, critical for the survival of the Malayan tiger and where considerable poaching activity has been documented. Although occupying an area of over 1,000 km2, the park only has 17 enforcement staff. In contrast, protected areas such as Kaziranga National Park in India, with approximately 800 enforcement staff for about 860 km2, have been able to stem poaching activity. In Nepal, 2011 was recently celebrated as a Zero Poaching year for rhinos, which was largely attributed to the increase of range posts across several protected areas from 7 to 51.

The assessment also indicated that only 18 of the protected areas surveyed, or 29%, are currently using computer-based, law enforcement monitoring systems to help them manage their sites more effectively; the majority still rely on manual analysis. The number using computer technology should increase as two new systems, MSTrIPES and SMART, are rolled out in many protected areas in the next few months.

"Clearly, a large number of areas important for tigers urgently need increased investment in protection and enforcement," said Mr. Craig Bruce, WWF's expert on enforcement and protection of wild tigers. "Tiger range governments should immediately and dramatically increase their commitment and investment in securing these sites. They should ensure there are sufficient, effective and dedicated enforcement teams on the ground, working towards Zero Poaching."

WWF has identified three actions tiger range governments can take immediately to launch an elevated operation towards Zero Poaching. These include identifying and delineating the most important sites requiring good protection from poaching, and ensuring these sites have sufficient numbers of enforcement staff who are well trained to monitor and improve their effectiveness by using monitoring systems. WWF also suggests that the police and judiciary need to help to ensure strict punishment on poaching and to actively engage local communities living adjacent to important tiger conservation areas.

For further information:

Soh-Koon Chng, Tigers Alive Initiative, +65 9772 2552, skchng@wwf.org.my

Poor environmental performance seen as risk in palm oil investment

2012-04-29

Singapore - Environmental and social impacts of palm oil plantations could pose a material risk to investment in the fast growing sector, according to an investor survey released by WWF to a recent high-level meeting of investors and producers.

WWF's first-of-its-kind Palm Oil Investor Review 2012 underlines how growing concern over deforestation, biodiversity loss and community conflict could impact the industry and shows the intensifying spotlight being placed by investors on the sustainability of the palm oil industry.

More than 50 million tonnes of palm oil are used worldwide each year in everyday products including food and cosmetics. From 2010 to 2020, this volume is projected to increase by over 65%. The growing demand for palm oil has resulted in rapid and poorly managed expansion of production, causing deforestation, species loss, greenhouse gas emissions and social conflicts with local communities.

"Investors are increasingly aware of the strong link between sustainability and long term investment success," said WWF's Jeanne Stampe, co-author of the report. "Investee companies that integrate sustainability into the core strategy and operations are better able to mitigate risks and exploit opportunities, thereby deriving business benefits and delivering better investment performance."

WWF surveyed 35 key palm oil sector investors to assess their views and management of the sustainability challenges inherent in the palm oil industry.

Nearly two thirds of the investors surveyed are experiencing increasing demand for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) screens from their institutional clients and this is magnifying their focus on ESG issues. Even passive investors such as index funds are starting to show interest in new ESG overlays.

While a larger majority of investors (69%) already apply a responsible investment policy, many of these policies do not extend beyond governance, however over 50% of investors would consider creating dedicated policies e.g. a broader sustainable land-use policy.

Investors do face internal organizational constraints in addressing ESG risks such as the lack of internal ESG capabilities or firm-wide access to internal ESG analysts, but several are actively looking at internal strategic options to address these constraints, for example formulating centralised ESG risk functions and boosting internal ESG analyst teams.

"The palm oil sector presents an attractive growth proposition for investors, but ESG issues and the lack of company disclosure still cloud the ability of many to invest," said Stampe.

According to investors, reputational risk, poor environmental performance and lack of company ESG disclosure pose the greatest challenges to greater investment into the sector and the key factors to overcome these are availability of key data, the strengthening of the RSPO, demonstrable progress by its members toward certification and legislative changes that support the RSPO.

Investors see the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) as the most influential initiative and the de facto standard for investment screens, but want it to cover more issues such as corruption and have "more teeth", to ensure that members make and meet their commitments towards sustainable palm oil.

WWF support

WWF sees the financial sector as an important driver of sustainable palm oil production and trade. "Investors are uniquely placed to influence investee companies to adopt sustainable practices through active engagement and exercise of proxy voting rights, and through directing their investment capital towards sustainable palm oil producers," said Stampe.

The report provides in-depth recommendations to assist investors to overcome some of these challenges so as to maximise their ability to guide the industry. WWF will continue to support the financial sector by providing information and guidance through tools, research updates, and workshops with finance sector partners.

"If we all – investors, the RSPO and stakeholders such as WWF – work together, we can ensure that the palm oil industry expands in a sustainable way, so that long-term investment returns are enhanced and emerging economies benefit from sustainable development." said Jeanne Stampe.

For further information:

Chris Chaplin - Media Officer Asia Pacific, WWF International,
+86 10 6511 6272, Mobile: +86 13911747472, cchaplin@wwf.sg