Russia says willing to host international tiger summit in 2010

29 July 2009

Acting Minister of nature resources and environment of Russia Semyon Levi addressed World Bank Group President in a letter, saying that Russia is ready to hold an international tiger forum in September or October 2010.

The summit will help “to attract the attention of the world public to tiger conservation and intensify conservation activities on national, regional and international levels”, says Semyon Levi in the letter to World Bank.

“Russia is the only country in the world where tiger population has considerably grown since mid 20th century, and has remained stable in the past decade”, says Igor Chestin, WWF-Russia CEO. “Holding the summit in Russia seems a reasonable idea”.

In June 2008, Robert Zoellick launched so-called Global Tiger Initiative. According to the initiative, top-level officials should work out tiger conservation and restoration strategy at an international Tiger Summit in 2010. In April 2009, Igor Chestin sent a letter to Vladimir Putin, proposing to hold the summit in Vladivostok, a city in the Russian Far East. On May 4 Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov commissioned various ministries and agencies to work out a governmental decision on Chestin’s proposal.

Globally, tiger is one of the most threatened species on Earth. During the past 100 years, tiger population has declined by 25 times – from 100 thousand to 4 thousand. And it is continuing to decline. In India, which has the biggest number of tigers, their population in 1995-2005 declined from 3,5 thousand to 1,3 thousand. In some regions tigers have disappeared altogether – in South Caucasus, Central Asia, on Bali and Java. At present, tigers still inhabit 14 countries – Bangladesh, Butane, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, North Korea (unverified), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, and Thailand.

Major threats to tiger include habitat loss, poaching, and human wildlife conflict in densely populated areas.

Russia is the only country in tiger habitat where species population has considerably increased since mid 20th century, and has remained stable during the past decade. Our country today has the biggest tiger population in one signal range – over 450 tigers, or 11% of the world population. This can be explained by conservation measures taken in 1950-1980s, including a complete ban on tiger hunting, creation of a net of protected nature areas, and scientific research.

WWF suggests that the summit can take place on the last Sunday of September, when Vladivostok traditionally celebrates Tiger Day.

Tiger conservation is one of the priority goals for WWF in Russia.

For additional information please contact

Vladimir Krever, Biodiversity programme coordinator, tel: +7 (495) 727-09-39, tel/fax: +7 (495) 727-09-38, send e-mail or Masha Vinokurova, Press officer, tel: +7 (495) 727-09-39, tel/fax: +7 (495) 727-09-38, send e-mail

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