Hybrid symposium organised to encourage open dialogue on illegal wildlife hunting and trade

Experts from leading conservation organizations held a hybrid symposium on March 6 and 7 to encourage an open dialogue on illegal wildlife trade and hunting in IndiaThe hybrid symposium ldquoIllegal Wildlife Trade Key Challenges and Opportunitiesrdquo was conducted both online and at Bengaluru Karnataka and was hosted by Wildlife Conservation SocietyIndia an organisation working across 20 states in the countryThe aim of the symposium was to encourage open dialogue on illegal wildlife hunting and trade IWHT develop a collective understanding of pressing issues challenges and possible opportunities to combat it and facilitate collaborationsIndividuals from various organizations including Aaranyak Bombay Natural History Society BNHS Centre for Wildlife Studies CWS Nature Conservation Foundation NCF Panthera RAWW RESQ Charitable Trust Satpuda Foundation Creative Nature Friends The Corbett Foundation Tamenglong Animals Home Turtle Survival Alliance ndash India Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy Wildlife Conservation Society ndash India WCS India Wildlife Conservation Trust WCT Wildlife Trust of India WTI World Animal Protection Zoo Outreach participated in the symposiumPreevent deliberations that began many days ago included discussions on the emerging key concerns that India needs to address urgently with regard to illegal wildlife hunting and tradeAlso readCoalition of corruption says Anurag Thakur as Opposition joins ranks over action by probe agenciesUttara Mendiratta Program Head Counter Wildlife Trafficking program of Wildlife Conservation SocietyIndia said ldquoWe believe that combating illegal wildlife hunting and trade requires a interdisciplinary panIndian and inclusive understanding of threats challenges and evidencebased solutions We hope that this symposium will be an important step in that directionIllegal wildlife hunting and trade also poses the threat of spread of zoonotic diseases and furthers loss in keystone endangered species like the tiger pangolin and the rhino due to demand in international marketsAn array of other lesser known groups like tarantulas butterflies tortoises and fresh water turtles and tortoises snakes and primates are also increasingly coming under threat due to a rise in demand as pets and in black magic in India which is now seen as a source as well as a market for such tradeIssues that were discussed in this symposium included the rapid organised and online Nature of IWHT in India the role of conservation NGOs use of new and evolved techniques for curbing the trade including behaviour change and ways to strengthen the enforcement agencies to counter the complex nature of this tradeThe symposium addressed the overarching themes of drivers and motivations for IWHT stakeholders to counter IWHT and various approaches to tackle IWHT This will culminate in a report on the inputs and recommendations of the participants of the symposiumMuthanna P M Program Head Livelihood Support said ldquoIn the backdrop of the World Wildlife day celebrated in March which has its United Nations mandate of collaboration and partnerships Wildlife Conservation SocietyIndiarsquos efforts to provide this platform will go a long way in paving a planned course of action to counter IWHT in IndiardquoParticipating in the symposium Kishor Rithe Former Member of standing Committee of NBWL Founder Satpuda Foundation Hon Secretary BNHS said ldquoWildlife poaching and trade is a most serious threat to the wildlife habitats in India However the lesser known species occupied a prime place in the illegal wildlife trade market Wildlife Conservation SocietyIndia has rightly identified the gap and started addressing this most important issue This symposium awill help the Govt of India and State Forest Departments to provide the support from trained network of individuals and NGOs to deal with this subject systematicallyrdquo