South Asian countries join hands to tackle widlife trade

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have joined hands to tackle wildlife crimes

Intelligence wings and various law enforcement agencies of eight South Asian countries --Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka – have now joined hands to tackle illegal wildlife trade in the region. 
 

As a step towards joint co-operation in combating wildlife crime, a meeting of these enforcement agencies under the South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) took place at the headquarters of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) earlier this week.

A specialized training curriculum from INTERPOL’s Environmental Crime Programme was delivered, along with input from other experts and additional technical support including the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). 
 

This comes in the wake of a report that at least four leopards are poached every week for illegal wildlife trade. It also states that more than 40 tigers were reportedly killed in India in the first half of 2013. 
 

“India’s Wildlife Protection Act 1972 is not enough. There is a need for specific legislations to fight wildlife crime. This collaborative effort will surely help to bring regional cooperation much needed for eradicating this menace,” said Jayanthi Natarajan, minister for environment and forests. SAWEN member countries are looking for co-operation through information sharing.