WWF - Conservation news from or about Russia

WWF-Russia protests orders for environmentalists to register as "foreign agents"

2013-04-29

Moscow: WWF-Russia is protesting prosecution orders to at least five Russian environmental organizations to register as foreign agents, in compliance with controversial civil society legislation.

The orders went to five regional Russian environment organizations, with WWF-Russia highlighting the fact that the orders run counter to the legislation's exemption of "protection of flora and fauna" from the "political activity" that the act is targeted at.

WWF-Russia has also learned that similarly exempted charities helping the disabled have also received orders to register as foreign agents.

Baikal Environmental Wave was accused of involving in political activity on the basis that one of the goals of the organization is "to actively lobby the solution of environmental problems in federal and local governments". WWF-Russia is now providing support to the partner organization.

Similarly, the Russian prosecution office has served an order to an organization helping Cystic fibrosis patients, on the basis it is involved in political activity because its Statute lists one of its goals as "the protection of rights and lawful interests of disabled people with Cystic fibrosis in government agencies".

"We believe that the Prosecution, bending over backwards to report to the authorities, ignores the current legislation and demonstrates miracles of bureaucratic zeal bordering on stupidity", said WWF-Russia CEO Igor Chestin.

"Activities initiated by the Prosecution against NGOs, which carried out at the taxpayers' expense, are evidence of the absurdity of the new law. At present not a single NGO registered as a foreign agent, so the authorities decided to prove the viability of the stillborn law by inciting the Prosecution against NGOs."

The Russian parliament passed the law obliging NGOs to register as foreign agents if they receive funding from abroad and are involved in political activity in November 2012.

While the law does not give a clear definition of political activity, "Activities in the field of science, culture, art, medicine, disease prevention and health protection, protection of motherhood and childhood, social support for disabled, promotion of healthy lifestyle, fitness and sports, protection of flora and fauna, charity, as well as promotion of philanthropy and volunteering" are exempted.

Environmental organizations known to WWF that have received notices are the Russian regional NGOs Baikal Environmental Wave, Amur Social-Ecological Union, Chelyabinsk fund "For Nature", Siberian Environmental Center, and Khabarovsk organization "Zelyony Dom".

Baikal Environmental Wave is among groups protesting the pollution of World Heritage listed Lake Baikal, the world's deepest lake, by a pulp mill. Amur Social-Ecological Union helped create 7 new protected areas in the Far East of Russia with a total area of over 1 million hectares.

Rights defenders and civil society activists see the legislation as a tool intended to erode their credibility and impact. The prosecution itself must comply with the law before demanding its enforcement from others, stresses WWF.

Further information: Masha Vinokurova +7 903 273 6079 mvinokurova@wwf.ru

Japan and Russia increase penalties for wildlife crimes

2013-04-18

Japan's announcement that it intends to raise the penalties for those convicted of wildlife trafficking from one to five years in jail came just after Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted a law to parliament that would make smuggling of endangered species a criminal offence, meaning those convicted would spend time behind bars.

"Countries increasing the penalties for wildlife offences signals a shift in global perception about the seriousness with which such crimes should be treated," said Stephanie Pendry, TRAFFIC's Enforcement Programme Leader.

"We hope it indicates a new resolve by nations across the globe to overhaul and improve their legislation relating to wildlife crime."

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES NOT APPROPRIATE FOR CHILDREN

In 2012, a review of Russian wildlife legislation carried out by TRAFFIC and WWF proposed amendments to Russian federal law that would tighten the penalties for illegal harvest and trafficking of rare species and their derivatives, and highlighted a loophole that had allowed poachers and traffickers to get away with insignificant fines.

While the Russian parliament still needs to approve the president's proposal for jail time, on 31 March the government increased the compensation due from anyone convicted of killing or taking from the wild tigers and leopards and other endangered species, including certain birds of prey, to RUB1.1 million (US$35,000).

Meanwhile, the environment ministry in Japan has announced it intends to raise the maximum penalty for individuals convicted of trafficking wildlife from one year in prison or a fine of JPY1 million (US$10,400) to five years behind bars or a fine of JPY5 million (US$52,000).

The ministry also plans to raise the fine companies found guilty of trafficking endangered species face by one-hundred fold, to a maximum JPY100 million (US$ 1.04 million).

It is the first time penalties against wildlife trafficking have been raised in Japan since the law on the conservation of endangered species took effect in 1993, though more work is still needed to bring wildlife trade laws fully into line with modern practices. At the same time, the ministry also announced its intentions to ban advertisements selling threatened wildlife.

These announcements come just days ahead of a United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) meeting in Austria, where countries will debate criminal justice responses to wildlife trafficking, and have the opportunity formally to request governments to make wildlife trafficking a serious crime, a move that would mean up to four years in prison, or a more serious penalty, for convicted offenders.

Last September New Zealand announced a similar increase in punitive measures, with penalties for those convicted of smuggling native wildlife were increased to up five years in jail, putting them into the zone of serious crime.

Meanwhile, penalties handed out for those convicted of rhino poaching in South Africa have also risen into the very strong deterrent range. They include recent sentences of 29 years for poaching offences, while a convicted Thai national kingpin in a rhino horn poaching racket was given a 40 year jail sentence late last year.

"By increasing penalties to more than four years in prison, countries such as South Africa, New Zealand and Japan have already shown they are taking wildlife crime seriously; this CCPCJ meeting is a golden opportunity for others to demonstrate the same commitment to tackling this globally significant and devastating crime," said Wendy Elliot, WWF's Illegal Wildlife Trade Campaign co-leader.

Russian forests and tigers left floored by illegal logging

2013-04-16

Gland/Moscow - The forests of the Russian Far East are being pushed to the brink of destruction due to pervasive, large-scale illegal logging, largely to supply Chinese furniture and flooring manufacturers, according to a new report by WWF-Russia.

This widespread timber theft is threatening the long-term survival of the endangered Amur tiger, while providing a conduit for illegal timber to find its way into the United States, Europe and Japan.

In the report, Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East: Global Demand and Taiga Destruction, WWF-Russia synthesizes more than 10 years of on-the-ground field observations and highlights a sobering reality: Russia's forest sector has become deeply criminalized, with poor law enforcement, allowing illegal loggers to plunder valuable timber stocks of oak, ash, elm and linden with impunity.

"The scope and scale of illegal logging in the Ussuri Taiga is imperiling the long-term survival of the Amur tiger and the livelihoods of thousands of forest villagers and indigenous peoples," said WWF-Russia Forest Policy Projects Coordinator Nikolay Shmatkov.

"With minimal resources in place to detect and prosecute illegal logging throughout the region, the sheer scale of violations has reached epidemic proportions."

WWF analysis of Russian customs data revealed that in 2010, the volume of Mongolian oak logged for export was twice the amount legally authorized for harvest from the region--meaning that at least half of the oak shipped across the border to China was stolen. Further analysis of export data showed that 2010 was a mild year: in 2007 and 2008 the oak harvest was four times as large.

The report also finds that, although there are a few positive examples of successful Russian forest law enforcement actions, the proportion of registered illegal logging violations brought to trial is extremely low. In 2011, only 16 percent of the 691 registered cases of illegal logging in Primorsky Province were brought to trial – the lowest figure in the past 10 years.

Illegal logging degrades vital habitat for Amur tigers and their prey. Scientists estimate around 450 Amur tigers remain in the wild. Over harvesting limits the supply of pine nuts and acorns—a main food source for their prey. As timber supplies dwindle, ecologically sensitive forests like wildlife reserves are increasingly threatened.

While WWF is working in Russia to suggest measures the government can take to end illegal logging from the supply side, importing nations must take action as well.

In particular, the report highlights the need for strengthened collaboration between Russia and China to ensure better timber tracking between the two countries.

In addition, the United States, European Union and other countries with timber legality legislation must ensure that those laws are adequately enforced. Companies in importing companies must be sure of the forest origin, legality and traceability of their wood products.

"There is a significant risk that US and EU companies and consumers could be purchasing furniture and flooring made with wood from illegal sources," said Linda Walker, forest program manager for WWF-US. "It's critical for companies to ensure that they are sourcing wood products from legal and responsible sources, or they risk violating their customers' trust and seriously degrading habitat."

The report urges importers of Chinese or Russian hardwood furniture and flooring to confirm the species and country of wood origin, as Russian species can be mislabeled as originating from other countries. For products made with Russian oak, ash, elm, or linden, companies should exclusively purchase Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified products.

If FSC-certified products are not available, companies should establish rigorous legality and traceability confirmation systems. If neither approach is possible, buyers should avoid any products made from Russian Far East hardwoods due to the high risks of illegality.

Kremlin and Red Square Switch Off for the First Time for Earth Hour

2013-03-22

Moscow/Singapore: For the very first time, Russia's Kremlin, the residence of the President, and Red Square will switch off for Earth Hour tomorrow at 8:30PM to celebrate Earth Hour's largest conservation outcome so far.

Moscow's Kremlin and Red Square, the most important site of Russia's historical and political events, join a long list of the world's icons participating in the largest environmental event which itself has become the iconic symbol of people's commitment to protect the planet.

In addition to the Kremlin and Red Square, around 100 landmarks across 70 cities and towns join the switch off in Russia.

"WWF's Earth Hour in Russia has become a shining example of the incredible environmental outcomes that can be achieved when people work together and take action beyond the hour," said Andy Ridley, CEO and Co-Founder of Earth Hour.

Not only is Russia joining in the symbolic show of support for Earth Hour through lights off at the Kremlin and Red Square, its citziens have shown how they can positively impact the world we live in when WWF-Russia last year secured more than 120,000 signatures for a petition to pass a long-awaited law to protect the country's seas from oil pollution.

The petition, which was part of Earth Hour's 'I Will If You Will' campaign, was then presented to the government and became instrumental in the passing of that law in the Russian parliament last December.

Fuelled by that achievement, WWF's Earth Hour in Russia then looked at forest protection and has now secured more than 100,000 signatures from Russian citizens to petition for amendments to the current forest legislation for Earth Hour 2013.

This could be the catalyst for the return of a ban on industrial logging in an area of land twice the size of France, with protective forests equalling almost 18% of all forest territory in the country.

Also on the eve of the seventh Earth Hour, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called on the world to mobilise beyond the hour as extreme weather increasingly harms families, communities and economies.

"We participate with an undimmed determination to take action on climate change. Everyone has a role to play. Governments need to provide the political will, businesses can contribute solutions, and civil society, especially young people, can mobilise global action. Together, let's do our part and shed light on common sense answers for a cleaner, greener world," said the Secretary-General.

Earth Hour 2013 will celebrate environmental outcomes generated by its participants beyond the hour.

In Uganda, the first Earth Hour Forest was created as an important first step in the fight against the 6,000 hectares of deforestation that occurs in the country every month.

In Botswana, former President Mr Festus Mogae has made a four-year commitment to plant one million indigenous trees as part of his 'I Will If You Will' challenge and kicked it off by planting 100,000 trees in a severely degraded area in Southern Botswana called Goodhope.

In Argentina, Earth Hour organisers and WWF affiliate Fundación Vida Silvestre Argentina is mobilizing thousands of participants to help champion the passing of a Senate bill to make Banco Burwood the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the country. If successful, the 3.4 million-hectare MPA will raise the level of protection of Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone from 1% to 4%.

Joining the Kremlin and Red Square for Earth Hour 2013 are: Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, Tokyo Tower, Taipei 101, The Petronas Towers, Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest), Marina Bay Sands Singapore, Gateway of India, The Burj Khalifa, The Church of the Nativity (Birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem), Table Mountain, Dubrovnik City Walls, Eiffel Tower, Avenue Habib Bourguiba, The Acropolis, Tower of Pisa, The Spanish Steps, Brandenburg Gate, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, The UK Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Christ the Redeemer Statue, CN Tower, Las Vegas Strip, Times Square, The Empire State Building, Niagara Falls and more.

More than 150 countries and territories will be participating this year with Palestine, Tunisia, Galapagos, Suriname, French Guyana, St. Helena and Rwanda among those joining the global movement for the first time in 2013.

For live updates on Earth Hour 2013 starting Thursday March 21, go to http://earthhour.org/live

As an open sourced campaign, Earth Hour uses social media to connect a global community of people inspired to change the world we live in.

Earth Hour 2013 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 23 March

Tiger killer given strong punishment

2012-11-15

A Russian man convicted of killing an endangered Amur tiger has been sentenced to 14 months disciplinary labour and required to pay a fine of US$ 18,500. The perpetrator's hunting rights have also revoked and his firearm confiscated.

During the course of the trial investigators were able to prove that the killing was intentional, not self-defence as the man purported. Forensic evidence demonstrated that the man was a long distance from the tiger when the initial shots were fired and that the animal tried to flee and hide from the hunter.

The man pursued the wounded tiger, which made a final feeble attempt to defend itself before the fatal shot was fired at close range. The hunter sustained a scratch on his face and a broken finger. If not weakened, such a blow would have caused much more severe injuries.

WWF staff-members are greatly saddened by the death of the tiger, with which they were familiar with from years of conservation work in the area.

"We have met this male when doing annual winter tiger monitoring. It was never regarded as a conflict tiger," said Pavel Fomenko, biodiversity conservation program coordinator at WWF-Russia's Amur branch. "Examination of its dead body proved that the tiger was satiated and well-nourished. And a healthy and well-fed tiger never attacks a human if it is not wounded or threatened."

Dr Sergei Aramilev, species program coordinator says: "I'm glad that a guilty verdict for tiger killers in Russia is becoming the norm. The principle of unavoidability of punishment works. This is the third guilty verdict in the past three years. For comparison, in the period since the collapse of the USSR to 2009 only one guilty verdict was imposed. All the rest of the poachers managed to evade responsibility that time."

There are only an estimated 3.200 tigers remaining in the wild. They are being hunted for their pelts, bones and other parts that are prized as ornaments and used in traditional medicine. WWF and partner TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, are campaigning for greater protection for tigers and stronger penalties for poachers and traffickers. We are also calling on consumer countries of tiger products, such as China, to undertake widespread demand reduction campaigns to discourage the use of endangered species products.

Russia boosts protection for tigers

2012-10-30

Trade, transportation and possession of endangered species will all be considered crimes under new legislation proposed by the Kremlin, following discussions with WWF.

Tiger hunting is considered by many to be the biggest single factor in the decline of tigers this century - resulting in the world losing 97 per cent of its wild tigers, including four entire sub-species which have been driven to extinction. It is estimated that there may be as few as 3,200 of the endangered animals now remaining in the wild.

Unfortunately, until now, law in the Russian Federation, home to many of the world's remaining tigers, only considered the actual killing of an animal to be a crime. Poachers who have been apprehended carrying the animals, or their parts, have attempted to avoid punishment by claiming they had found the animals already deceased.

"This new development is a significant step towards protection of tigers and other endangered species threatened by trade and poaching," said Igor Chestin, CEO of WWF Russia, who was heavily involved in negotiations on the issue with the government. Russia has agreed for its Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to prepare the draft law in close cooperation with WWF.

Indicative of the problem, a man who was recently found in possession of the remains of six tigers, and another with eight tiger skins, might only be be eligible for an insignificant fine under the current law.

WWF and its partner wildlife monitoring organization TRAFFIC, are currently conducting a global campaign aimed at achieving greater protection for tigers and other major threatened species, such as rhinos and elephants.

Demand for ivory, rhino horn and tiger parts from consumer markets in Asia is driving wild populations of these species dangerously close to extinction. WWF is calling on governments to combat illegal wildlife trade and reduce demand for endangered species products.

"Elevating trade, transportation and possession of endangered species to a serious crime is a long-awaited measure that we believe will dramatically reduce poaching," said Mr Chestin, who also added that WWF is also happy to see steps being made towards increased protection for tiger habitats.

The Primorsky region, where 90 per cent of the Russian tigers live, wasidentified and promoted as one location where no commercial timber harvest should take place in its regional protected areas and nut harvesting zones. The regional administration was also ordered to prevent any commercial logging in the upper and middle stream sections of the Bikin River.

By the 1940s, hunting had driven the Amur tiger to the brink of extinction - with no more than 40 individuals remaining in the wild.

The subspecies was saved when Russia became the first country in the world to grant the tiger full protection.

By the 1980s, the Amur tiger population had increased to around 500. Continued conservation and antipoaching efforts by many partners - including WWF - have helped keep the population stable at around 400 individuals. In 2010, the Russian Government adopted the Strategy for Tiger Conservation, making commitments to double the number of wild tigers by 2022 and to stiffen punishment for those caught smuggling tiger products.

Wildlife trade experts say climate, not commercial trade, is primary threat to polar bears

2012-10-29

A new report from the wildlife trade monitoring organization TRAFFIC concludes that the major threat to polar bears is not international commercial trade, but habitat loss due the rapid melting of their preferred sea ice habitat.

"Icon on Ice: International Trade and Management of Polar Bears" gathers the best available information on the legal market for polar bear skins and other parts, and has been peer reviewed by international experts.

Download the report

"The retreat of sea-ice habitat, driven by runaway global climate change, is by far the leading threat to polar bears", says WWF polar bear specialist Geoff York. "The most urgent need for polar bear conservation at this time is an effective and strong climate change deal that keeps global average temperature increases under 2 degrees C and sets a clear path towards an equitable and sustainable low carbon economy."

Countries with polar bear populations are committed by international treaty to conserve polar bears and protect their habitat, and have identified climate change as the primary threat to address.

The TRAFFIC report makes recommendations to ensure trade remains sustainable, including better monitoring of polar bear populations, and improvements in trade data reporting and tracking, education, and enforcement to prevent illegal trade and poaching.

Head of WWF Russia Amur branch honoured

2012-09-13

The IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas has given Dr. Yury Darman, head of WWF-Russia Amur branch, the Fred Packard Award 2012 for his enormous contribution to protected area management in Russia Far East, as well as conservation of several threatened species, including the Amur tiger.

The international Fred Packard Award is presented to individuals for outstanding services and commitment to the enhancement of protected areas. It is named after Fred Packard, who served as Secretary to the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas in the early 1970s, and had bequeathed an endowment to establish an award in recognition of "valor".

Dr. Darman has devoted 35 years of his life struggling for the creation of a network of protected areas in Russia Far East. His inspirational leadership has led to the inclusion of more than four million hectares in new protected areas. Many of these protected areas are the habitat of the endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard. Therefore, in many respect, it is thanks to Dr. Darman's efforts that many endangered species in the Russian Far East, including the Amur Tiger, are also protected. In all, 61 new protected areas were created within the Amur river basin under Dr. Darman's leadership at WWF Russia's Amur branch. One of Dr. Darman's best achievements is perhaps the creation of the Land of the Leopard National Park.

"It was Yury Darman's idea to get the Land of Leopard National Park created when many of us were doubtful this was possible," said Eugeny Shvarts, WWF Russia's Director of Conservation Policy.

Twelve years of grueling hard work and perseverance paid off when the park was finally established in April this year. Under Dr Darman's leadership, both ecologists and volunteers had fought against the unlawful forest cutting in the area. The park covers an area of more than 260,000 hectares and has the capacity to ensure the survival of at least 50 Amur leopards as well as 10 Amur tigers, that are key to the neighbouring Changbaishan tiger population in northeast China. Recent camera trap photos taken of an Amur tiger in Changbaishan proved the extend of the tiger's range stretches into this inner mountainous area, which is part of the Amur-Heilong Tiger Landscape located on the China-Russia border.

"We are very happy that Yury has won this prestigious award," said Mr. Shvarts.

Dr. Darman is only the third Russian to receive the award. Previous award winners from Russia were Vasily Krinitsky, head of the nature protected area management department of Glavpriroda (the former Soviet Union's main administration for zapovedniks or network of Russian nature reserves) in 1992, and Vsevolod Stepanitsky, who now heads the system of protected areas in Russia's Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, in 2004.

The other Fred Packard Award winners this year are Ibrahim Bello from Niger, and Julia Miranda Londono and Antonio Negrete from Columbia. They received their awards at the IUCN World Conservation Congress held this month in Jeju, Korea.

WWF-Russia Amur branch director receives an honorable award

2012-09-12

IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas honored Yury Darman, head of WWF-Russia Amur branch, with Fred Packard Award 2012 for great contribution to protected areas management in the Russian Far East.

The International Fred Packard Award is presented to specialists for outstanding services and commitment to the enhancement of protected areas. Fred Packard, who established this award, served as Secretary to the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas in the early 1970s and established this award.

The first Russian who received this award in 1992 was Vasily Krinitsky, the head of nature protected areas management department of Glavpriroda (the USSR main Administration for zapovedniks). In 2004 Vsevolod Stepanitsky became the second Russian presented with this award, now he is heading the system of protected areas in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation.

"Only a person who strongly believes that nature is the basis of life on Earth can devote 35 years to struggling for creation of the network of protected areas in the Russian Far East and increasing it by 4,6 million hectares", said Eugeny Shvarts, director of Conservation Policy at WWF Russia. "It was Yury's idea to create a new protected area in the habitat of the Far Eastern leopard. Even I doubted that this goal was realistic. This year "Land of Leopard" National Park was finally established. On the whole 61 new protected areas were created within the Amur River basin under Yury's leadership!"

Besides other Fred Packard Award laureates of 2012 are Ibrahim Bello from Niger, Julia Miranda Londono and Antonio Negrete from Columbia.

Future for endangered whales lies with IWC

2012-07-02

Panama City – The 64th annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) opens today in Panama. The conference comes at a time intense pressure on whales, dolphins and porpoises from human activities. Governments are set to discuss severe marine threats such as oil and gas exploration and fisheries bycatch, which are driving some cetacean populations to near extinction, as well as stronger measures to protect cetaceans, such as sanctuary establishment.

"IWC member governments have already begun to strengthen the convention's conservation agenda and we are urging them to keep conservation front and centre at this week's meeting," said Wendy Elliott, head of WWF's delegation. "The most severe threats to whales today are the result of industrial activities like off-shore drilling and commercial fishing that must be better managed. IWC countries have the opportunity this week to show leadership and protect cetaceans in their national waters and on the high seas."

Oil and gas expansion

WWF has learned that oil giant Shell plans to begin drilling operations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas off Alaska as early as this month, which could mark the beginning of a massive oil exploration effort throughout US Arctic waters. The harsh Arctic environment with its rough seas, violent storms, icy waters and long periods of darkness renders current spill response procedures woefully inadequate. Technology simply does not exist to clean up an oil spill in these conditions.

Similarly, in the Russian Far East, oil companies are planning to build new off-shore drilling platforms near the feeding area of critically endangered western gray whales. There are only an estimated 26 breeding females remaining and the oil-rich zone off Sakhalin Island is the only place where they can teach their calves to feed.

The noise generated by oil and gas exploration results in some of the loudest sounds that can be produced underwater by man. The explosive pulses generated by seismic testing airguns can disrupt whales' behaviour and even cause their death.

Saving the smallest

WWF is extremely concerned about the survival of Maui's dolphins in New Zealand and Mexico's vaquita porpoises, two critically endangered cetaceans at risk of extinction due to entanglements in fishing gear. Fisheries bycatch is estimated to kill 300,000 whales, dolphins and porpoises each year. There are fewer than 200 vaquitas left and only 55 Maui's dolphins over one year old. To save them, WWF is calling for an immediate ban on the use of gillnets in their entire habitats.

Iceland's fin whale hunt

WWF remains deeply concerned that Iceland could resume commercial hunting of fin whales, an endangered species. WWF urges the government of Iceland to adhere to the internationally agreed moratorium on commercial whaling and publically commit to stopping its fin whale hunt for good.

Whale sanctuaries

A proposal to establish a whale sanctuary in South Atlantic waters between Africa and South America is set for debate at this week's meeting. WWF urges parties to support a sanctuary in this region where whale-watching has been steadily increasing, providing ecotourism income, benefits for local communities, and research opportunities.

Follow us on Twitter @WWF or @Wendy__Elliott for live updates from the IWC meeting

Tigers migrate to China...in pieces

2012-04-20

Customs officers in Primorsky Province in Russia's Far East have arrested a suspect found attempting to smuggle three Amur tiger paws across the border into China.

The arrest comes only a day after Primorsky police and the Federal Security Service discovered a large quantity of illegally obtained animal parts - including bear paws and pelts as well as two Amur tiger skins - in the province's port city of Nakhodka. A businessman from the city and his accomplices have been arrested in relation to the incident.

In the latest smuggling incident, a Chinese national was caught with the tiger paws hidden in plastic bags taped to her body. An examination of the paws revealed that they belonged to two Amur tigers.

"The examination determined that two of the paws were left hind paws, which means they cannot belong to one animal," said Sergei Aramilev, biodiversity conservation programme coordinator with WWF-Russia's Amur branch, and who participated in the examination. "This sadly means the parts belong to two individual tigers. The paws were dried in a manner commonly used in Tibetan medicine."

In the past two weeks, the Police and Customs Agency of Primorye have uncovered the remains of at least four tigers. The killing of Amur tigers and leopards is considered a crime, which carries criminal liability and a fine of 500,000 rubles (US$17,000).

"The Customs Agency and customs experts deserve special gratitude for obstructing this crime," said Mr. Aramilev. "As it is obvious that the paws are only part of a load, it is necessary to locate the rest of the tiger body parts."

A 2010 WWF study shows that effective protection measures over the past 50 years has helped the Amur tiger population in the Russian Far East bounce back to between 430-500 individuals. This increase also means that there is a much stronger chance Amur tigers will migrate into neighboring China – intact.

More than a year after the historic tiger summit in St. Petersburg set a goal to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022, WWF is calling for intensified efforts to end tiger poaching. In December 2011, WWF launched the Zero Tiger Poaching campaign to lobby governments from the tiger range countries to take immediate joint action to end poaching of wild tigers. Each tiger killed illegally sets back the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers.

With as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild, the illegal tiger trade is the most immediate cause of the wild tiger's dangerous decline. Poaching is also the greatest barrier to long-term goals for the survival of the species. WWF asks for concrete action to strengthen the capacity of the rangers, officials and local communities that put their lives on the line every day to protect tigers.

For more information, contact:

Yulia Fomenko, Communication manager, WWF-Russia, Amur branch +7 4232 414868, yfomenko@amur.wwf.ru

Amur tigers get boost from new WWF initiative

2011-10-12

Moscow - Russia's Khabarovskii Province at the northern end of the Amur tiger range is set to benefit from a new project aimed at securing sustainable development in the region while also protecting the big cat and its habitat.

The three-year project is being developed by the WWF-Russia Amur branch in collaboration with the Nordens Ark Zoo (Sweden). It envisions increasing tiger prey populations, creating and supporting anti-poaching groups and raising awareness in the local population.

To launch the project, WWF and the zoo conducted feasibility studies and participated in anti-poaching raids, working with partners in Anyuisky National Park and the Khabarovskii Province Service for Fauna and Protected Areas, which will be the initiative's main executors.

Three new anti-poaching groups will be formed and equipped with off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, boats and boat engines for the project. Planned tiger monitoring and field work will be done in close cooperation with local indigenous people. Members of the Udege and Nanai tribes will also get new jobs working as staff for eco-tourism projects and as members of the anti-poaching groups.

"Getting support from local people is an important part of this project," said Viktor Nikiforov, WWF-Russia Pilot Projects Coordinator. "Local communities, including indigenous tribes, should have opportunities for nature use, traditional hunting and fishing, as well as benefit from ecotourism development."

Additional plans for the project include opening a new visitor center and development of a special curriculum on ecology and biodiversity conservation for local schools.

The tiger population in Khabarovskii Province currently stands at about 20, with a total of less than 500 wild Amur tigers scattered across the Russian Far East and Northeastern China.

The total global population is estimated at 3,200 individuals, a 97 percent decrease from the estimated 100,000 that roamed widely across Asia at the turn of the last century in 1900.

The Amur tiger is the largest of all the tiger sub species and big cats.

Critically endangered Amur leopards captured on video

2011-07-13

Vladivostok, Russia – Recent video footage from a survey on a group of critically endangered Amur leopards in the Russian Far East has yielded unexpectedly positive results, giving evidence that some wild groups of the big cat are showing clear signs of a tendency towards population growth, says WWF Russia.

The recordings, which document a total of 12 leopards, reveal two different pairs of the rare spotted animals and one individual in the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve and "Leopardoviy" Federal Wildlife Refuge in Russia's Primorsky Province, located between the Sea of Japan and the Chinese border.

One scene captures a pair of leopards moving languidly through a small forest clearing, while a second shows a female leopard parenting a nearly grown-up cub.

"In the previous 5 years of camera-trapping, we were able to identify between 7 and 9 individual leopards in this monitoring plot every year. But this year, the survey was record-breaking: today 12 different leopards inhabit the territory," says Sergei Aramilev, Species Program Coordinator at WWF Russia's Amur Branch. "The results are pointing to a population increase of up to 50 per cent within the target group in Kedrovaya Pad and Leopardoviy," he adds, "and I think we can attribute this to improvements in how our reserves are managed and the long-term efforts that have gone into leopard conservation."

There are fewer than 50 Amur leopards remaining in the wild. To help understand how to better protect this rare animal, WWF Russia and the Institute of Sustainable Use of Natural Resources (ISUNR), a non-profit organization based in Vladivostok, and the Pacific Institute of Geography of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Science have carried out this regular survey for the past 6 years.

Leopards changing their spots
The Amur leopard now inhabits only a fraction of its original range, which once extended throughout China's Northeastern provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang, and into the Korean Peninsula. In Russia, about 80 per cent of the species' former range disappeared between 1970 and 1983.

Unsustainable logging, forest fires and land conversion for farming are the main causes. The Amur leopard – which is also know as the Far-Eastern leopard, Korean leopard and Manchurian leopard - has also been hit hard by poaching, mostly for its unique spotted fur.

In December 2010, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov announced that the government would take urgent measures to protect the critically endangered species, including the creation of a new national park – the "Land of Leopard".

The new, larger reserve would merge the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve with the nearby Leopardovy Wildlife Refuge in Russia. The Hunchun Nature Reserve in China, also an important habitat for Amur leopards, is expected to be added at a later date to from a transboundary protected.

"Even the first steps towards establishing the "Land of Leopard" national park are having positive results. The fact that the number of Amur leopards has grown from 7 to 12 on the monitoring plot offers proof that creating one united trans-boundary protected area is the right idea," says Yury Darman, director of WWF Russia's Amur branch.

First use of video monitoring
This is the first time WWF Russia and ISUNR have used video-enabled cameras to monitor the leopards living in and around the Kedrovaya Pad Nature Reserve.

"The digital cameras helped us capture longer image sequences for the survey, which gave us important insights into these very unique animals' lives," comments Sergei Aramilev. "What we've seen this year suggests that the leopard group being surveyed is experiencing a tendency towards population growth. We hope that next winter, after the monitoring is carried out across the entire range, this trend will be proven true," he continues.

A similar monitoring program is being run the Wildlife Conservation Society in plots to the north of Kedrovaya Pad, covering part of the federal Leopardovy Wildlife Refuge and the Nezhinskoye Hunting Estate. Integrated data obtained from both monitoring plots will be available in the coming months.

Timber firm could axe endangered Amur tiger habitat

2011-06-10

Primorsky, Russia - The discovery of plans to log key Amur tiger habitat in a proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site has led to a public outcry demanding the cancellation of the logging lease in Russia's Primorsky Province.

WWF Russia and the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Primorsky Province are leading the call against JSC Les Export, a wood harvesting and export company that specializes in parquet flooring.

Primorsky Province in the Russian Far East is one of the last remaining strongholds of the largest of all big cats, the Amur tiger, which numbers less than 500 in the wild.

Old-growth forest
The protests followed Les Export's application for a timber lease in the Bikinsky Pine Nut Harvesting Zone in the Bikin River Basin, part of the largest intact tract of old-growth Korean pine-broadleaf forests in the world (407,300 hectares) and an extremely important habitat for Amur tigers.

But JSC Les Export had already drawn public ire after it gained approval for two forest leases in May 2011, also in valuable tiger habitat.

The two approved leases are in the Pozharsky Pine Nut Harvesting Zone, and the Sredneussuriskiy Provincial Wildlife Refuge, which make up the only ecological corridor connecting the Russian population of Amur tigers with a Chinese population across the border in China's Wandashan Mountains.

"We regard this as betrayal," said Yury Darman, Director of WWF Russia's Amur branch. "JSC Les Export previously agreed that it would not use timber from pine nut harvesting zones or protected areas."

"JSC Les Export's actions go against the company's commitment to work towards certification under the Forest Stewardship Council, an independent organization that promotes responsible management of the world's forests."

"Furthermore, it is a betrayal of the native residents of Bikin – the Udegei and Nanai – whose lives completely depend on traditional use of the riches of this area," said Darman.

"These communities have been defending the Bikin from exploitation since 1992."

Proposed UNESCO World Heritage Site
In November 2010, the Bikin River Basin was submitted as a candidate to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the initiative of the Russian Government.

"This is our forest. We hunt here, fish here, gather medicinal plants here, harvest wood here for our personal needs," said Igor Kukchenko Vice President of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of Primorsky Province.

"The inhabitants of our village Krasniy Yar have spoken out against the leasing of this forest tract by JSC Les Export and any other industrial logging in the Bikin," he added.

On 5 June 2011, Krasniy Yar residents petitioned the provincial and federal governments not to permit leasing of the territory of the middle and upper reaches of the Bikin River for timber harvesting.

The forests have also been under lease since June 2009 by the Indigenous Peoples' Association (which has been named "Tiger") for the processing of pine nuts and medicinal plants.

Big cats in big trouble
Though tiger numbers in the Russian Far East have rebounded in the past 50 years, the big cat is still highly threatened by poaching, human-tiger conflict and exploitation of the area's vast forests.

According to the first chapter of WWF's Living Forests Report released in April 2011, more than 230 million hectares of forest will disappear by 2050 if no action is taken – a disastrous situation for the estimated 3,200 tigers remaining in increasingly isolated pockets of habitat across 13 nations.

For further information:
Chris Chaplin, WWF International +65 9826 3802 cchaplin@wwf.sg

Timber firm could axe endangered Amur tiger habitat

2011-06-10

Arctic Council shows what it is capable of

2011-05-13

Nuuk, Greenland: The Arctic Council yesterday showed off its potential, with eight countries and indigenous organisations signing off on Arctic-wide search and rescue provisions.

"This is not a step forward for the council – this a great leap forward", said Alexander Shestakov, Director of WWF's Global Arctic Programme.

"It proves that leaders around the circumpolar world are capable of working together to meet a common need. The Arctic states will need to make several more such leaps to meet the challenges of an Arctic environment that is facing wrenching physical change, compounded by swift social and economic change."

Progress was also recorded on other key areas, with ministers of the US, Canada, Norway, Finland and Russia, Denmark and Greenland, Iceland and Sweden together with leaders of indigenous organisations, agreed to look further at ecosystem based management in the Arctic. Once in place, this system allows for better management of resources such as fish stocks that flow across international boundaries.

Steps hold a lot of promise

The leaders also agreed to take steps to assess change and resilience in the Arctic, which would be able to build on WWF's work in identifying future areas important for conservation.

Lastly the leaders agreed to establish a task force aimed at developing a new international agreement on oil spill preparedness and response. WWF notes that oil spill prevention is not included in the mandate of the task force, which we believe is a glaring omission. While this will not stop new drilling for oil in the Arctic, it may go some way toward meeting WWF's argument for a halt to drilling until there are proven technologies capable of effectively preventing or responding to spills in Arctic conditions.

"These steps hold a lot of promise," says Shestakov. "The states must now deliver on that promise. The arctic is no longer a sleepy backwater, but a priority region for some of the richest and most powerful states in the world. If the Arctic states do not quickly and effectively regulate Arctic activities, they run the risk of allowing this unique place to be despoiled."

Shestakov said WWF would have like to see stronger climate change commitments from the Arctic countries, as this remains the most urgent underlying issue in the Artic.

"We need to set the world on the path to an equitable and low carbon future, with the long-term goal of 80% emissions reductions by 2050 to ensure the safety, sustainability and prosperity of people, places and species," Shestakov said.

"We urge the Arctic nations to set explicit and binding national emissions reduction targets towards 80% reduction, and to implement ambitious action plans for adaptation and low carbon development."

The next Arctic Council ministerial meeting will be held in two years. WWF will continue to monitor and report on the Council's progress on conservation issues, and will continue to offer its expertise and research.

Lights out on Bosphorus Bridge marks Earth Hour transition into Europe.

2011-03-27

Lights going out on Istanbul's Bosphorus Bridge was a fitting way to mark Earth Hour's transition from Asia to Europe.

The symbolic action of turning lights out for an hour in an expression of concern for the environment is in the process of being officially observed in thousands of communities across 134 countries and territories on all continents.

In Turkey, one of only a few countries to straddle 2 continents, the lights had earlier been switched off in capital Ankara's Opera House. WWF-Turkey enlisted 250 businesses and corporations and 2,000 online supporters to support its Earth Hour efforts.

The CEO of WWF-Turkey Tolga Bastak, made his Earth Hour press speech while the lights of the Bosphorus Bridge were going dark.

"This year, the lights are going off for a different cause," Bastak said, "we put great pressure on the natural resources of our planet and our ecological footprint exceeds the biological capacity by 50 per cent.

"If we continue living and consuming as usual, we would need two planets by 2030 and 2.8 planets by 2050. It is getting harder and more difficult each day to survive in our 'global home'. We should try living in the resources that the planet supplies and respect the limits of one planet.

"Today, we ask everyone to take this opportunity to question how they can contribute to a living planet by making small changes in their lifetsyles and habits."

With Russia's main Earth Hour events in Moscow still 8 hours away, WWF-Russia's Polar Bear Patrol were commemorating Earth Hour by setting out from their base in the small village of Lavrentiy to the even smaller Uelento, the nation's easternmost settlement on the Dezhnev Cape.

"We know Earth Hour very well," said a spokesperson for the patrol unit. "As we get to Uelen, we will tell the villagers about this action and I'm sure, they will support us. We are glad that the ones who keep peace between the bears and humans and protect the Arctic animals will be the first ones in Russia to celebrate this global event."

As the event traversed 11 timezones, riders in 20 cities saddled up on bicycles adorned with LED lamps - with the northernmost ride in Murmansk going ahead despite the forecasts of a strong snowstorm. The westernmost ride was staged in Archangelsk near the Finnish border. Over the border, the lights went out at the distinctive Helsinki cathedral, Finland and a special Tampere market place Energiatehdas (Energy factory) was set up with the energy being provided by dancers and stationary cyclists.

"These cyclists are heroes," said WWF's Russia office. "In Moscow it is -8 degrees."

In Moscow, talk show host Nikolay Drozdov and popular actor Lubov Tolkalina arranged a dinner and auction for celebrities to commit to Beyond the Hour actions which included abandoning plastic bags and sharing cars. At the new Ecocentre was an environmental education event for children which attracted a range of city and government officials.

Mobile and social platforms spread the message in Egypt

Timezones here start dropping deep into Africa where Earth Hour participation boomed. In Egypt, the Earth Hour message was going out on the social media networks that recently played such a crucial role in the country's transition towards democracy, thanks in part to spirited sponsorship by Egypt's largest telco provider Mobinil. Using their extensive networks and calling on the support of Nile City management and the Egyptian Ministry of Environment, Mobinil engaged the participation of Egyptians, switching off the lights of their 5 office buildings across the country in recognition of their own commitments to go beyond the hour, including the establishment of one of Egypt's first LEED buildings.

In Kenya, lights went out at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre and United Nations Buildings across the East African nation as more than 10,000 gathered for a three hour concert in Nairobi with some of the country's leading musicians, including acclaimed afro-fusion artist Achien'g Abura, who implored her fans to make a commitment to go beyond the hour for Earth Hour 2011.

"If there is anything you take away from this year's Earth Hour it is that there is something you can do in the way you live your life that makes a difference. Your lamp may be pretty but it does not have to be on," she said.

Ugandan Earth Hour activists, officially participating in the event for the first time, have spread out into their communities with a range of beyond the hour activities. Enock Nimpamya committed to the training of 10 journalists in environmental reporting and to restore a hectare of degraded land in Kampala while Job Mutyaba will be assisting in the installation of efficient cook stoves in an Entebbe orphanage and its surrounding community. Around 20 individuals and organisations in Uganda have committed to planting 16,000 trees.

15 year old motivates town in Swaziland

Nathi Mzileni, a 15-year-old boy from Swaziland, was inspired to take action in 2010 when he realised his town near Shewula Nature Reserve in the east of the country did not participate in Earth Hour. He started a group at his High School called Green Enviro to educate people about climate change, and this year single-handedly made Earth Hour a reality with major buildings in Simunye turning off including the Church of the Nazarene, the Simunye National Library, Simunye Country Club and major schools such as the Ngomane and Lusoti Primary Schools and Lusoti High.

Earlier this week, in Botswana, Former President Festus Mogae was among members of the public who came in large numbers to plant trees, in Gakuto, to demonstrate one of the ways Botswana can go beyond the hour of switching electricity off on March 26. Earth Hour was observed with a candle-lit ceremony in Gaborone. The lights also went off at the Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

Soweto again demonstrates power of grassroots action

Almost 35 years after making global headlines as the scene of one of history's greatest displays of grassroots action, Soweto, South Africa embraced the world's largest environmental action by turning off the lights at Orlando Stadium to the soaring strains of a spirited candlelit concert headlined by the Grammy award-winning Soweto Gospel Choir.

Other soccer stadiums turning off included Moses Mabhida (Durban), Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), and Soccer City (Johannesburg). International soccer regulator FIFA had earlier come out in support of Earth Hour.

Citizens of Durban which will in December host the next global climate change conference chose to follow a beach clean-up with a soccer in the dark event at popular tourist site, uShaka Marine World. Four well-known soccer teams battled it out in the dark of the Marine World.

Shutting off all lights in all municipal buildings were Durban and Bloemfontein, while Cape Town turned off its backdrop, the spectacular Table Mountain as well. Johannesburg flicked the switch on some of its best known landmarks including the Ponte Tower, the Hillbrow Tower, the SABC (national broadcaster) and the Sentech Tower (broadcast signal distribution centre) and hotels and businesses all over the city.

Moving on to Africa's northwestern-most nation, Morocco received the Earth Hour baton, the national capital, Rabat, switching off the lights of the Chellah ruins and ancient Medina walls surrounding the old city. The official ceremony in Rabat was attended by local government members, the President of local NGO Ribat Al fath, and hundreds of people who celebrated the event with Kanun and Gnawa music.

While in Casablanca an Earth Hour show accompanied by candles and acoustics was held at the 'Casa del Arte' (school of art) as diners at the iconic 'A ma Bretagne' restaurant celebrated a candlelit Earth Hour dinner by the famous Casablanca foreshore.

Ancient Acropolis switches off

Greece, which recently passed admirable biodiversity protection legislation despite economic adversity, turned off its best known landmark, the Acropolis, crowned by the Parthenon dominating the ancient city of Athens. On current information, this was the oldest buildings complex to observe Earth Hour.

Cyprus celebrated Earth Hour in the Presidential Palace with a message from the President and members of the Green Party.

Bulgaria celebrated Earth Hour for the third year, in part with free acoustic concerts staged simultaneously in top Sofia music clubs. Many of the musicians had previously recorded a video asking fans to turn off computers as well as lights. Lights went out at the National Theatre, the National Library and the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia and on administrative buildings, historic monuments and public spaces in 46 towns and cities outside the capital. Patron for the event was EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, and top Bulgarian tennis players Wimbledon semi-finalist, Tsvetana Pironkova, and Junior Wimbledon and US Open winner, Grigor Dimitrov, were Earth Hour ambassadors.

"I believe that Earth Hour shouldn't be just turning off your lights for an hour once a year," Tsvetana Pironkova said. "We should all think how we can contribute to saving our planet every day. The Earth is not our home only, it will need to be the home of our children too. To begin with, I always unplug the charger once my mobile phone has charged. I try not to have the TV on if I am not watching it, to switch off the lights when I leave a room and to recycle as much as possible!"

"I try to choose the products I use depending on how they were made. When possible, I chose the most environmentally friendly products. I try to use recycled materials and use as little energy as possible in my daily life", Grigor Dimitrov said.

"Really, it's not difficult and I believe that everyone can work on their environmental footprint and be more responsible towards the environment".

Locals in Pristina, Kosovo marked their commitment to go beyond the hour at Mother Teresa Square where, from 3.00pm local time, organising partners "AKEA" and "Eko Viciana" provided boards for Kosovars to sign up in support of the Earth Hour movement.

Some 42 Serbian cities and municipalities led by Belgrade and Nis took part in Earth Hour, with Eco Musketeers again persuading Belgradians in Republic Square to register pledges and mark out the Earth Hour logo with candles.

A concert held in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina was at full capacity with 300 people attending the event. Man of the year and renowned musician, Damir Imamovic, showed his support by performing at the event.

Croatia was also a third time participant, this time with the support of President Ivo Josipovic. Fifteen cities and towns signed up for the event and the lights went out for the first time on UNESCO heritage sites at old Dubrovnik and the sprawling palace of Roman Emperor Diocetian which dominates Split.

Actor and Earth Hour ambassador, Zrinka Cvitesic, hosted the drum concert and singing in Petar Preradovic Square in the capital Zagreb.

Romania again turned out the lights on its Parliament Palace, one of the world's largest buildings which consumes in one hour what a household consumes in a year. Other notable buildings to darken included the Romanian Athenaeum, the National Theatre in Bucharest, the Central Library, the National Opera and the National Art Museum.

Outside Bucharest, 51 other cities and towns commemorated Earth Hour including 9 out of the 10 largest cities. As buildings plunged into darkness, people could choose among 20 events - candle-lit shows, stargazing, unplugged concerts hosted by folk artists and children choirs. A Bucharest bike march across the city drew 500 while an unplugged concert hosted by popular musician and Earth Hour ambassador Zoli Toth`s band SISTEM and by Romanian choir SOUND, provided the music in front of the Romanian Athaeneum.

"Every day we consume a lot of energy that we don't actually need," said Toth. "If we are a bit more careful and care about future generations, we can decrease our carbon footprint significantly in the future. Everything depends on us."

The historic city of Brasov in the heart of the Carpathian mountains organized a special event, showing a silent movie, powered by the energy produced by several people biking.

The so-called Endless Column by famous Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncusi at Târgu Jiu in the heart of Romania, also went dark for Earth Hour. The monument was commissioned to honour the soldiers who defended Târgu Jiu during the First World War and saved from the destruction by the former Communist regime in the 1950s. An 18th, but incomplete rhomboidal module at the top is thought to be the element that expresses the concept of the infinite.

Ukrainian capital Kiev flicked off lights on busy Kreschatik Boulevard and the historic orthodox Christian Kievo-Pecherskaya monastery to lead 32 further cities in observing Earth Hour for the country's third time. Supporters enjoyed an hour of acoustic music with popular Ukrainian singer Dmitriy Shurov and music band "Bahroma" at the Contemporary Art Centre M17.

In Odessa, the historic centre of the city, including the Opera and seaside boulevard, were also shrouded in darkness. At 8:30pm people could join a street concert near the city hall, followed by fire shows and a flash mob with candles. At the end of the concert people could write their pledges to the planet on lanterns and let them fly into the night sky.

"If each one of us begins to monitor the quantity of gas, water and electricity used, the numbers for a huge country like Ukraine will be enormous. In reality it is so simple to change our behaviour", said Earth Hour veteran and popular clothes designer Lilia Poustovit, who has been an ambassador to the Ukrainian campaign since 2009.

In other Ukrainian cities people could visit street concerts and candlelit dinners at different restaurants, as well as join roller skaters in Energodar and attend an evening of street astronomy in Poltava.

Belarus turned out lights on its most prominent and perhaps most startling building - its national library, a glass 23-story rhombicuboctahedron (a solid with 8 triangles and 18 squares) while Lithuania turned off the lights on the castle most featured on its national currency, the 14th century Vilnius Gediminas Castle, backed up by the National Museum building. Polish celebrations in 30 cities and towns were led by TV presenter Kinga Rusin.

"I have supported the 'Earth Hour' for several years now, because it offers a practical opportunity for every resident of this planet to switch off the lights for one hour, thus taking part in the pursuit of a common goal in terms of promoting green thinking and the sustainability of our planet," said Latvian President Valdis Zatlers.

"By taking an active part in this, as opposed to standing around the sidelines, we confirm that we are concerned about the climate changes that are occurring in our environment."

Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and the State Parliament Saeima also supported Earth Hour's fourth commemoration in Latvia.

Malmo wins Earth Hour greenest city award

Across the Baltic, 30 Swedish cities competed for the honour of being named 'Earth Hour Capital 2011' and it was Malmo that received the award from the King in the inaugural Earth Hour City Challenge for the most holistic, inspiring and credible plan for reaching zero carbon emissions.

But the city isn't about to rest on its laurels with Mayor Ilmar Reepalu telling the international panel of experts that "our work isn't finished, and our goal is for Malmö to be powered by 100% renewable energy by the year 2030."

Elsewhere, famous musician Anders Paulsson was leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through its paces in the Stockholm Concert House in Sweden, while at the other end of the musical scale Love Generation, Vanessa Falk, J-Son and Vanessa Liftig were starring in a carbon-neutral pedal-powered Hip Hop concert in the dark at the Sockholm Cultural Centre

Folk music and pop concert fans weren't neglected either with a concert in Katarina Kyrka (one of the largest and most central churches in Stockholm) Stars included Me and My Army, Carl Norén, Little Majorette, Esbjörn Hazelius Kleerup and Stiko Per Larsson, with Stiko's next engagement being a post Earth Hour walk from Stockholm to Copenhagen.

Earth Hour actions in the Albanian capital Tirana took place across the city with the theme of "turn off the lights - turn on solidarity with the planet". Locals gathered in front of prominent Tiranian landmark, The Faculty of History and Philology, where the lights were turned off as part of a ceremony followed by a "candle party" that lasted the full 60 minutes of Earth Hour. Those attending were kept entertained by an acoustic guitar concert without the use of electricity and the event was broadcast across Albania by local TV network, Planet TV.

In Norway, Earth Hour celebrations broke records for the third year in a row with 181 cities and communities participating (up from 162 in 2010). One of the highlights included a ski resort that celebrated the event with a torch slalom event where participants were invited to ski down the slopes with torches in hand. Norwegian Polar Explorer Borge Ousland communicated the urgency of action that goes beyond the hour, "during my expeditions to the Arctic, I have sailed right through the consequences of climate change: where there should have been ice, there is now open sea. The changes are dramatic and the job of cutting greenhouse gas emissions has never been more important than now".

The Norwegian national energy company, Statnett, reported a national drop in energy consumption during the hour that surpassed last year's saving. Figures showed that Norwegians who switched off their lights were able to save the equivalent of slightly over 6 million 40W light bulbs.

Candlelit demand for "Energiewende jetzt!"

A 3000 candle demand for " Energiewende jetzt! ("Switch to Green energy now!") was the main feature of the "Switch Off Event" at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Lanterns were used to spell out "Klimaschutz jetzt" (climate protection now).

Some 65 cities and towns in Germany participated in Earth Hour 2011.

There was a fourfold increase in Czech Republic cities and towns participating in Earth Hour, including four regional capitals. Among the 131 was Brno, the country's second biggest city, which invited citizens to "enjoy the darkness" with movies about darkness, lectures on climate and light pollution, concerts in the dark and a guided city walk to some of the "dark" corners of the city, stopping at art shops, cafés and restaurants operating only by candle light. The observatory in Valašské Mezirící had an evening dedicated to climate and light pollution.

Runway switches off at Budapest Airport, no alarm necessary

More than 5000 people congregated in the darkened Castle precincts of Budapest, Hungary to hear celebrities talk about climate change, environment protection and why they support Earth Hour.

In what was initially slightly alarming news, Budapest Airport announced a commitment to turning off runway lights. The temporary black-out, carried out, the airport explained, under strict national and international control to ensure passenger and aviation safety celebrated a light system refit which has significantly reduced the amount of energy the airstrip uses to provide lighting that can be seen from a distance of 20 kilometres.

Lively university town Szeged in southern Hungary hosted an event featuring drummers and fire dancers. Mulled wine and refreshments were served and Earth Hour supporters received candles with the Earth Hour logo.

Austrian capital Vienna participated in Earth Hour for the first time, as President Heinz Fischer affirmed support with a statement saying that "The Federal President of Austria welcomes all activities such as Earth Hour to make known the drastic impacts of climate change to all Austrians and people who live in Austria".

Lights go off on the famous Vienna City Hall building and the huge and historic Schönbrunn Palace on the outskirts of Vienna. Some 11 further cities supported the event. Among these were the historic towns of Innsbruck, Linz, Klagenfurt and Salzburg. In Salzburg, lights went out on 20 landmarks, among which Castle Hohensalzburg and the Statue of Mozart. In Switzerland, the International Olympic Committee based in Lausanne also offered its support.

Eternal city Rome Italy went temporarily dark around a main event in Piazza Navona which kicked off with animations and children leading up to the lights of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi being turned off by actor Christian de Sica and WWF Italy founder Fulco Pratesi. Down towards the forum, the Colosseum dimmed.

Swim champion Massimiliano Rosolino was the first of a procession of celebrities to light flying lanterns on the green carpet, while Pocoyo Mascotte was on board to animate the square along with a concert of street artists.

Milan's main event for Earth Hour was held in the gothic scenery of Piazza Duomo. From the afternoon animations, games and laboratories, including ecological house, solar energy and water clock demonstrations, were held for the kids. The city's famous cathedral played mute witness to one minute of silence for Japan.

Spain also saw a record turnout with 214 cities and towns, 172 schools and universities, 76 companies and 153 other organisations supporting the event. Some 15,026 individuals have signed online. In Portugal the lights were switched off by Internationally renowned Portuguese composer, António Vitorino d'Almeida.

City of light turns them off

A 25m² Earth Hour logo of 1,600 LED lit Pandas was a new touch to Earth Hour celebrations in Paris, France, but the main spectacle remained an Eiffel Tower suddenly switching off. Pressing the red button to accomplish this is one of the most sought after jobs in the entire global progress of Earth Hour. Other switches are, however, required to turn off historic bridges over the Seine. Some 126 other French towns and cities also went dark.

Celebrations in The Netherlands were centred on Rembrandt Square in Amsterdam with a special set played by top ten Netherland Dj and Earth Hour ambassador, Ferry Corsten. In the country's second largest city Rotterdam, lights on the City Hall and Erasmus Bridge were extinguished for the hour.

60 static cyclists broadcast the Earth Hour news

At the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, a special event was created for Earth Hour: human energy cast through the darkness to shine a message of hope onto the walls of the iconic Royal Albert Hall. For the duration of the hour, 60 static cyclists powered a projection of natural world animation and Earth Hour news.

"Earth Hour is about millions of people all over the world coming together to switch off their lights, tackle climate change and protect our natural world," said UK Prime Minister David Cameron. " It is a huge symbol of global solidarity, an inspiring display of international commitment. I urge everyone to take part, and I really do believe this is another small step to the big prize we all want to see – our planet protected from Climate Change."

Landmarks that darkened for Earth Hour across the UK include the EDF Energy London Eye, Manchester United Old Trafford, Albert Hall, Buckingham Palace, and No 10 Downing Street. The Tower Bridge is among 6 bridges across the UK that switched off during Earth Hour.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said, "I am pleased to give my full backing to WWF's Earth Hour to highlight London's commitment to energy conservation. At City Hall we'll be turning off our lights to mark this global event, and ensuring that London's iconic Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square will be in darkness."

Scotland's official countdown event for Earth Hour was held at Edinburgh Castle. Alex Salmond MSP, Scotland's First Minister, said, "The Scottish Government is delighted to back WWF's Earth Hour.

Our world-leading Climate Change Act with its target to cut emissions by 42% by 2020 is challenging but achievable, and in doing so we will create a cleaner, greener Scotland with a thriving low-carbon economy. We are committed to leading by example and to encouraging others to do the same.

"Every person in Scotland typically contributes twice the global average in terms of greenhouse gas emissions produced as a result of our everyday behaviour. Small changes in our daily lives will not only help reduce emissions but can also contribute towards a healthier lifestyle, improve our environment and offer real financial savings.

"WWF's Earth Hour provides an opportunity to demonstrate Scotland's commitment to tackling climate change in a simple yet effective way."

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ireland, Gerry Brown, celebrated his city's participation in the global initiative, highlighting its pioneering role in the European roll out of Earth Hour, "Dublin was the first city in Europe to support Earth Hour and I am proud to continue this tradition that shows the power of small nations, individuals and communities to come together and send a powerful message." Ireland switched off some of its best known landmarks such as the Rock of Cashel, Donegal Castle and Leinster House.

Key Russian fishery joins sustainability lobby

2011-03-11

Hamburg, Germany - - A key Russian fisheries organisation is to join WWF in lobbying government for more sustainable policy and management measures for one of the world's most important whitefish fisheries.

The influential Alaska or Walleye Pollock Catchers Association (PCA) - one of the governing bodies of the Russian pollock fishery - has agreed to join WWF in lobbying for the adoption of governmental policies to place independent fishery observers onboard trawling vessels and the adoption of WWF Russia proposals into the Russian National Strategy on fighting illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fisheries.

The new partnership will also push the signing of the bi-lateral port control agreement with Japan and China, and establishing a fishery protection zone in the Sea of Okhotsk.

"This is a very important first step", said Alfred Schumm, Leader of WWF's Smart Fishing Initiative. "But it is one that has to be followed by substantial commitments and obligations. The most critical commitment is for the Pollack fishery to ensure it uses fishing methods that do not destroy habitats, in particular, unsustainable bottom touching gear, and minimize their bycatch."

Important breakthrough

These commitments and obligations by the fishers must also include: observers on board the associations' boats, vessel monitoring and traceability measures, binding agreements for new closed or protected areas, sustainable total allowable catches for the target fish and for bycatch, and discard stop, all accompanied by ambitious timelines.

The Association also agreed that it is necessary to create a fund to finance the transfer to improved vessel monitoring measures, to develop and adopt methodology on IUU catch assessments in conjunction with the Russian Federal Fishery Agency, the Russian Coast Guard, the Russian Customs Service and independent experts, and to assess capacity of the Russian Far East fishing fleet versus available fish stocks to avoid fleet over-capacity.

United States-Alaskan Pollock fisheries, have received Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification; however the Russian Pollock fishery is not yet ready for successful certification. The lobbying efforts that the PCA have now committed to are positive steps towards rectifying this situation and then moving ahead with MSC certification.

"It is a very important break-through to obtain MSC certification for the Russian Pollock fishery and make necessary changes "on the water" in Russia," said Konstantin Zgurovsky, Marine Programme Coordinator
for WWF Russia. "The Association is now ready to work on the necessary improvements and recognizes WWF Russia as a key partner in fisheries improvement projects."

The Russian Fishery Agency with support from the Association and WWF plans a public workshop about MSC fishery and MSC chain-of-custody certification for all relevant parties to be held in May 2011.

For more information

Stacey McCarthy m +1 902 229 6066 e smccarthy@wwfcanada.org

Oil giant plans new platform near feeding ground of critically endangered whale

2011-01-17

Sakhalin Energy Investment Company – part owned by Shell – has announced plans to build a major oil platform near crucial feeding habitat of the Western North Pacific gray whale population.

Only around 130 whales of the critically endangered Western population exist today, and their primary feeding habitat – off Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East – is already besieged by multiple oil and gas exploration and development projects.

The construction and operation of an additional off-shore platform could have numerous negative impacts on the whales, potentially disrupting feeding behaviours and increasing the chance of fatal ship strikes. Also, a third platform heightens the risk of an environmentally catastrophic oil spill in this sensitive habitat.

"Just around 30 female western gray whales of breeding age remain – the population is already on the brink of disappearing forever," said Aleksey Knizhnikov, Oil & Gas Environmental Policy Officer for WWF-Russia.

"The loss of even a few breeding females could mean the end for the population."

Gray whales occur on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. However IUCN classes the critically endangered Western population as separate from the Eastern population, as genetic studies indicate that the two populations probably do not mix.

The Western population of North Pacific gray whales depend on the waters off Sakhalin Island for their survival. During feeding season the whales must consume enough to maintain themselves for the rest of the year, when they migrate great distances to their breeding grounds. Their primary feeding area, near the proposed platform, is doubly important as the shallow waters are one of the only places where mother whales can teach their calves to feed on the sea bed.

Sakhalin Energy already has two platforms in the area, and said previously that drilling technology advances eliminated the need for a third. The company acknowledges that having two rather than three platforms "significantly reduces the potential for environmental impact," according to an official Sakhalin Energy document. Moreover, Sakhalin Energy studies from ten years ago show that the area being proposed for the third platform is unsuitable due to unstable clay at the seabed in the earthquake-prone area.

"We are astonished by the announcement from Sakhalin Energy that it intends to build a third platform," said Wendy Elliott, Species Programme Manager, WWF-International.

"The company's own detailed assessments concluded previously that two platforms would be preferable, both for environmental reasons and for the efficiency of the operation."

The company plans to conduct a seismic survey in the summer of 2011 to determine where to begin platform construction. The surveys are used to detect oil deposits under the ocean bed and involve shooting loud pulses of noise into the ocean floor.

Three seismic surveys were conducted around whale feeding habitat last summer causing severe pressure on the animals. Noise from the surveys can be devastating for species such as gray whales that rely on sound to navigate, communicate and find their food.

"We still do not know how badly the whales were affected by major seismic activity last summer – and will not know until the whales return to their feeding grounds again this year and scientists can determine if any are malnourished. It is totally inappropriate for Sakhalin Energy to plan another seismic survey in 2011 before we have the opportunity to examine the health of the animals," said Doug Norlen, Policy Director at Pacific Environment.

Assessments of the impact of Sakhalin Energy's operations on western gray whales are routinely made by a panel of independent experts – the Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel (WGWAP). However the panel's assessment and subsequent advice has been based on the operation of two, not three platforms. The proposal for a third platform calls into question whether all previous recommendations from WGWAP and regulatory approvals from the Russian Government need to be re-evaluated.

Masha Vorontsova, Director of IFAW Russia, added: "IFAW has been involved in and supported regular annual monitoring of the WGW at their feeding grounds at Sakhalin Island since 2000. We are deeply concerned by the plans of Sakhalin Energy to install the third platform in this area, which is a critical habitat for the survival of the Western gray whale. IFAW will continue its regular monitoring of the Western gray whale feeding grounds, and activities of the oil companies at the area through summer 2011 to ensure that there are no violations of the existing regulations, which would negatively impact the Western gray whale."

Editor's notes:

An NGO statement outlining why the platform should not go ahead is available on www.panda.org
The Sakhalin Energy document stating that two rather than three platforms "significantly reduces the potential for environmental impact" is available online at www.sakhalinenergy.ru/en/documents/doc_32_pab.pdf
Sakhalin Energy's Environmental Impact Assessment document for the previous platform revealed that the technical capabilities of extended reach drilling "has reduced the number of platforms needed to achieve full field development at Piltun Astokskoye and Lunskoye fields to two and one respectively. This thereby results in a smaller footprint with consequent reduced environmental impact." The Piltun Astokskoye field is the area adjacent to the Western gray whale feeding habitat.
One of the seismic surveys that occurred very close to gray whale feeding habitat in 2010 was conducted by Russian oil giant Rosneft, despite calls from governments, scientists, and more than 30,000 members of the public requesting Rosneft to postpone the survey. NGO observers reported Rosneft even breaking its own minimal guidelines for reducing environmental impact. A preliminary report from the NGO observers on Rosneft's activities is available at http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/wgwap_9_doc_19_ngo_report_on_lebedenskoye_eng.pdf

For further information:

WWF: Natalia Reiter, email: NReiter@wwfint.org Tel: +41 22 3649550
Pacific Environment: Doug Norlen, email: dnorlen@pacificenvironment.org Tel: +1 202 465 1650
Sakhalin Environment Watch: Dmitry Lisitsyn, email: watch@sakhalin.in Tel: +7 4242 46 16 37
IFAW: Clare Sterling, email csterling@ifaw.org Tel: 020 7587 6708

About WWF

WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with more than 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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Sweden unleashes 6747 hunters onto 20 wolves

2011-01-14

Stockholm, Sweden: Another storm of protest is set to engulf Sweden's second cull of endangered wolves tomorrow, which has seen 6,747 hunters register to kill 20 of the total Scandinavian wolf population of about 250.

WWF-Sweden was one of four Swedish nature conservation organisations to approach the European Union in March 2010, after a first cull of 27 wolves last year was justified on the basis that the hunt would create acceptance for the wolf in Sweden.

"It is doubtful that the hunt has created acceptance for the wolf's existence in Sweden" says Håkan Wirtén, CEO WWF-Sweden.

Opinion surveys have shown that a majority of the Swedish people are already positive to the wolves in rural areas with the main opposition coming from hunters themselves using loose dogs and sheep farmers.

In an exchange of letters which has intensified in the last month, the EU has put Sweden on notice that going ahead with tomorrow's hunt could see the country hauled before the European Court for violating the Habitat's Directive.

According to the correspondence between Janez Potočnik, the European Commissioner for Environment and Andreas Carlgren, the Swedish Minister of Environment, hunting of the wolf in the EU is strictly prohibited, with very narrowly defined exceptions not consistent with Sweden's arbitrary limit for its wolf population.

Potočnik also argues that the irregularities in Sweden setting up a semi-annual licenced hunt could set unfortunate precedents for protecting other endangered animals.

Scandinavia's wolf population is exceptionally vulnerable because of an extremely narrow genetic base, almost totally isolated from the wolves in Russian and Finland and founded on only three animals which migrated in to Sweden between 1983 and early 1990. Two more wolves with "fresh" blood established themselves in 2008, but the population is extremely inbred and needs new wolves from Finland and Russia rather than culling.

The Swedish parliament decided in 2009 that there should be only 200 to 210 individual wolves in Sweden, despite being a large country with very high densities of prey. The country is also relatively sparsely populated compared to other countries in Europe which have wolves.

Last year's cull of 27 animals (28 were shot, one more than the set quota) started an outrage in Sweden which awoke groups who earlier have kept silence in the wolf debate. A majority of the Swedish population (even in the most dense hunter areas) are positive to the wolves.

"As the hunt is going ahead tomorrow, WWF proposes that the European Commission move ahead with the infringement procedure against Sweden," said Andreas Baumuller, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at WWF's European Policy Office

Contact: Tom Arnbom, Senior Conservation Officer, WWF Sweden.
Tel: +46-70-5544066, e-mail:tom.arnbom@wwf.se