§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment 731W he made during his visit to India of the prospects for the future of the Bengal tigers and the steps India is taking to protect them. [75690]
§ Mr. PrescottDuring my visit to India I addressed the Millennium Tiger Conference and, as a guest of the Indian Government, visited Ranthambore Tiger Reserve where tiger numbers are slowly recovering as a result of positive protection and co-operation to meet the needs of local people.
I was impressed by the clear commitment to tiger conservation shown by the Indian Government and in particular, by Suresh Prabhu, the Indian Environment Minister, and Director of Project Tiger, Mr. P. K. Sen. However, in spite of their efforts, and those of many committed Indian officials, reserve wardens and NGOs, tigers in India still face serious threats. These are set down in the Millennium Tiger Conference's final communiqué and include the loss of habitat to large scale development projects; habitat degradation from livestock grazing and increased human population; and poaching to supply the continuing demand for tiger body parts.
The Conference agreed to address these by recommending that land use policies recognise the importance of tiger habitats and that revenues from Protected Areas be reinvested in tiger conservation. The meeting also emphasised the importance of improving legislation and strengthening enforcement. The Declaration calls for more effort from consumer countries in controlling domestic trade in tiger parts and derivatives, an issue that the CITES Tiger Missions, launched in London by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, Central (Mr. Fatchett), will pursue when visiting range states including India, and consuming countries such as Japan, in the early summer.
Whilst in India, I announced the UK's intention to join the Global Tiger Forum, together with a new grant of £50,000 to go towards enforcement work in India and an Indonesian project to protect the Sumatran tiger. This brings the UK's total contribution to tiger conservation to £200,000 over the past two years.