By IANS
New Delhi : As the plunge in the number of tigers in the country rings alarm bells, Minister of State for Environment and Forests Namo Narayan Meena has called for a more conscious and concerted action against wildlife crimes at the regional, national and trans-national levels.
Addressing the 14th Convention on Parties of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) at The Hague Wednesday, the minister said that the menace of wildlife crimes and illegal trade in wildlife products continues to be a matter of grave concern.
"We support the largest wild population of tigers in well established network of protected areas and tiger reserves. But despite our efforts to conserve this magnificent animal, the illegal trade of tiger and its body parts across the international borders is the biggest problem. Poaching and illegal trade threatens its survival," Meena said, according to an official release here Thursday.
Seeking international cooperation in curbing the problem, he said the Wildlife Protection Act of India has strengthened enforcement mechanisms and the National Wildlife Action Plan has enhanced the punishment for wildlife criminals after identifying this issue as one that demands priority.
Meena said that India has set up a multi-disciplinary wildlife crime control bureau for dedicated and focused action. He, however, added that more attention needed to be given for the protection of the marine and timber resources.