Symposium on Developing a Regional Response to the Conservation of South Asia s Critically Endangered Vulture Species

Transcription

1 Symposium on Developing a Regional Response to the Conservation of South Asia s Critically Endangered Vulture Species Vinod Gajjar 3 rd - 4 th May 2012 Casuarina Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

2 TECHNICAL SESSION 1: OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT STATUS Chair: Dr. Asad Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural History Society Co-chair: Ravi Singh, CEO, World Wildlife Fund, India VULTURE POPULATION TRENDS AND CURRENT STATUS IN THE WILD A GLOBAL AND REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE Mr. Chris Bowden, Chair, IUCN SSC Vulture Specialist Group, chris.bowden@rspb.org.uk Populations of oriental White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) crashed during the mid-1990s throughout the Indian subcontinent. Surveys in India, initially conducted in and subsequently repeated in 2000, 2002, 2003 and 2007, revealed that the population of G. bengalensis had fallen by 2007 to 0.1% of its numbers in the early 1990s, with the combined populations of G. indicus and G. tenuirostris having fallen to 3.2% of its earlier level. A survey of G. bengalensis in western Nepal indicated that the population had fallen, in 2009, to 25% of its 2002 level. Marked declines of G. bengalensis and G. indicus have been reported from Pakistan since 2000, and the breeding colony of G. bengalensis, previously reported to be the largest in the country, is now reported to have disappeared. Further surveys in India and Nepal in 2011 indicated that populations of all three species of vulture remained at a low level, but the decline had slowed and may even have reversed for G. bengalensis, both in India and Nepal. However, estimates of the most recent population trends are imprecise, so it is possible that declines may be continuing though at a significantly slower rate. The degree to which the decline of G. bengalensis in India has slowed is consistent with the expected effects on population trend of a measured change in the level of contamination of ungulate carcasses with the drug diclofenac, which is toxic to vultures, following a ban on its veterinary use in The most recent available information indicates that the elimination of diclofenac from the vultures food supply is incomplete, so further efforts are required to fully implement the ban. The almost unprecedented severity of the declines of vulture populations in South Asia, and also serious though much less rapid declines in African species, have prompted IUCN to create a Species Survival Commission, Vulture Specialist Group to help draw attention to the problems for these species. In Asia, the group is largely represented by the newly formed and growing consortium of ten organisations, Saving Asia s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE), created in The inauguration of SAVE was made with senior government attendance in Delhi and Kathmandu; the two Board meetings held so far have resulted in the formation of Technical Advisory and Fundraising, Advocacy and Communications Committees, and agreement on the priority activities needed. Meanwhile in Africa, where there appear to be multiple causes of vulture declines and where NSAIDs are unlikely to be the main cause, attention is currently focused on monitoring and identification of the causes of declines. THE USE OF DICLOFENAC AND OTHER EMERGING VETERINARY FORMULATIONS A REGIONAL UPDATE Prof. Rhys E. Green, University of Cambridge & Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK, reg29@hermes.cam.ac.uk Diclofenac has been widely used for veterinary purposes across the Indian subcontinent since the 1990s, although no figures are available for the numbers of veterinary doses used per year and the types of animals treated. There is a similar gap in knowledge for other veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Because of the importance of diclofenac as the main or sole cause of the vulture population decline, 2

3 and the lack of information, the carcasses of domesticated ungulates (mainly cattle and water buffalo), available as food to vultures at carcass dumps across India, were sampled to measure concentrations of NSAIDs in ungulate tissues between 2004 and This includes sampling before and after the ban on the veterinary use of diclofenac in India, imposed in There was little change in the prevalence and concentration of diclofenac in ungulate carcasses between the survey before the ban and the one conducted soon after its implementation, with the percentage of carcasses containing diclofenac in these surveys estimated at 10.8 and 10.7% respectively. However, both the prevalence and concentration of diclofenac had fallen markedly in the 7 to 31 months following the implementation of the ban in , with the prevalence in this third survey estimated at 6.5%. Modeling of the impacts of this reduction in diclofenac on the expected rate of decline of the oriental whitebacked vulture (Gyps bengalensis) in India indicates that the rate of decline has decreased by 40% as compared with the rate before the ban, but will still be likely to be rapid (about 18% year) in Hence, continued efforts to remove diclofenac from vulture food sources are necessary if future recovery or successful reintroduction of vultures is to be feasible. Monitoring of diclofenac contamination in India is continuing since 2009, but final results are unavailable. Limited monitoring of diclofenac contamination of ungulate carcasses in Nepal during the last two years suggest that contamination may have been reduced to a low level there, though more sampling is needed. Initiated in 2006, the measurement of NSAID residues in ungulate carcasses in India was extended to cover eight other active compounds in addition to diclofenac. These include carprofen, meloxicam, ketoprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, flunixin, ibuprofen, nimesulide and indometacin. In the 2006 surveys, meloxicam, ibuprofen and ketoprofen were detected, in addition to diclofenac. By , the proportion of ungulate samples with meloxicam had doubled. Surveys conducted after the ban on veterinary diclofenac in 250 veterinary and general pharmacies in 11 Indian states, between November 2007 and June 2010, indicated twelve different classes of NSAIDs on sale for veterinary use in 176 pharmacies. These included meloxicam, diclofenac, ketoprofen, aceclofenac, analgin (also known as metamizole), flunixin, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, nimesulide, paracetamol, phenyl butazone and piroxicam. Surveys, from August 2009 to June 2010 in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, found diclofenac for sale for veterinary use in 47% of pharmacies surveyed, indicating that despite national legislation to ban the veterinary use of diclofenac the drug remains widely available for sale. Circumvention of the 2006 diclofenac ban is apparently being achieved by illegally selling forms of diclofenac manufactured for human use for veterinary purposes. The availability of large vials of diclofenac meant for human use and containing much larger quantities of the drug than is needed for a single human dose, to pharmacies, is making the treatment of large ungulates with human diclofenac much easier than it would be if only small vials of human diclofenac were available. Of the other compounds on sale for veterinary use, only meloxicam has been tested sufficiently rigorously to establish that it does not cause mortality of vultures at concentrations likely to be encountered by wild vultures feeding on ungulates treated with a standard veterinary dose. It is thought that aceclofenac is as toxic to vultures as diclofenac because it is metabolized in rats, monkeys and humans into diclofenac and 4 - hydroxydiclofenac. Ketoprofen was on sale for veterinary use in 29% of pharmacies in the survey; it is known to be toxic in experimental tests on Cape griffon vultures (Gyps coprotheres) and African white-backed vultures (Gyps africanus), both of which were previously identified as susceptible to diclofenac. Since diclofenac has been found to be toxic and meloxicam found to be safe in all vulture species which have been tested, it is highly likely that ketoprofen is also toxic to the endangered Asian Gyps species. Until now, no legal 3

4 restrictions on the veterinary use of aceclofenac or ketoprofen have been introduced in India, but these drugs may not be used legally for veterinary purposes in Nepal. The toxicity to vultures of the other eight compounds on sale in pharmacies is unknown, though therapeutic use of flunixin was associated with visceral gout and death in captive vultures in zoos. It is concluded that, although the prevalence of the toxic drug diclofenac has decreased since the ban and that of meloxicam has increased, the replacement of toxic veterinary NSAIDs by safe drugs in incomplete. The use of other drugs which are known (ketoprofen) or likely (aceclofenac and flunixin) to be toxic to vultures is an additional problem, and the widespread use of drugs whose toxicity is unknown (analgin, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid, nimesulide, paracetamol, phenyl butazone and piroxicam) may also be causing vulture mortality. VULTURE SAFE ZONES AND VULTURE RESTAURANTS A REGIONAL UPDATE Dr Richard Cuthbert, Principal Conservation Scientist, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK, richard.cuthbert@rspb.org.uk The collapse of Gyps vulture populations in South Asia, due to the toxic effects of the veterinary drug diclofenac, has resulted in one of the world s most urgent conservation initiatives. Conservation efforts for vultures have focused and succeeded in banning the veterinary diclofenac, have tested and promoted an alternative safe veterinary drug (meloxicam), and have bred all three Critically Endangered species in conservation breeding centers. These actions will take time to take full effect and in the interim conservationists have attempted to protect the small remaining vulture populations through in-situ initiatives. In-situ conservation efforts have focused on two main methods: the establishment of vulture safe zones and the use of vulture restaurants. Vulture safe zones have been pioneered in Nepal where a network of local community group and national conservation NGOs has worked together over large areas surrounding remaining breeding localities. Vulture restaurants have been established in Pakistan and Cambodia, and in a number of states in India. With the exception of countries such as Cambodia, where vultures are likely to be food limited, the provision of supplementary food through vulture restaurants is ineffective as this approach does not tackle the underlying problem of diclofenac, which remains the principal cause of mortality. Such an approach was tested in Pakistan and while the provision of food slowed the rate of decline it did not eliminate it, and the vulture population surrounding the restaurant site declined to extinction. In contrast, vulture safe zones (as initiated in Nepal) have undertaken a broader program of work, including undertaking conservation education and advocacy programs and most crucially eliminating the use of diclofenac and promoting meloxicam. At some vulture safe zone sites this work has been supplemented with diversionary feeding of safe food, with the aim of limiting the foraging range of vultures to within the diclofenac free vulture safe zone. Similar conservation initiatives are being established in India with the creation of provisional vulture safe zones within four states, including Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh that have vulture populations that range across Nepal and India border. Population modeling based on the foraging pattern of satellite tagged vultures indicates that vulture safe zones must be large (a radius of at least a 100km and area 30,000km 2 ) in order to provide an effective diclofenac free area. Monitoring of vulture numbers in vulture safe zones in Nepal and in Jharkhand state, India, indicates that these activities are showing signs of success, with stable or increasing vulture populations within these sites in contrast to ongoing declines at control sites. Long-term monitoring of vulture numbers and accurate monitoring of the prevalence of diclofenac in ungulate carcasses and in pharmacies is essential for measuring the effectiveness of these activities for protecting vultures. If successful then the continued expansion in the number and area of vulture safe zones will allow these areas to join together, thereby providing ever larger areas that are safe and can support self-sustaining populations of vultures. 4

5 REGULATIONS AND THE PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR Mr. Homi Khusrokhan, President, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, One of India s fastest growing sectors, the pharmaceutical industry is likely to continue to grow rapidly as only 55% of the population currently has access to allopathic medicines. As with most countries, the pharmaceuticals industry is tightly regulated in India. However, with a country as large as India and the unbelievably large number of manufacturers, many of whom are in the unorganized sector, lack of compliance with statutes presents an issue. Additionally, certain industry characteristics are unique to India and it is useful to understand these before moving onto the main subject of the damage that a particular nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug (NSAID) has caused to India s vulture population and how this can be best addressed. Current estimates of the decline of India s vulture population range from 97 to 99%, with respect to the two most populous species found earlier in the country. This mass devastation can only be arrested and reversed over the years if more stringent regulations are introduced and enforced. The task ahead is not an easy one and it will need the concerted efforts of the government, environmental organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, practitioners of veterinary medicine and greater awareness of people engaged in farming and animal husbandry. Regulations will facilitate, but are not the sole answer to the problem. This presentation will suggest a way forward. EX-SITU VULTURE CONSERVATION AN UPDATE Mr. B.S. Bonal, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, Government of India bonalbishan@gmail.com Dr. Vibhu Prakash, Deputy Director, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, vibhu.mathur@gmail.com The populations of the three resident Gyps species of vultures, White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Longbilled vulture (Gyps indicus) and Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris), have decreased by over 97% and are on the verge of extinction. The Action Plan for Vulture Conservation, Government of India, was released in 2004 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The South Asia Vulture Recovery Plan, formulated in 2004, strongly recommended the establishment of scientifically managed Conservation Breeding Programmes for the three resident Gyps vultures in order to save them from imminent extinction, particularly since the impacts of the removal of the drug diclofenac, the main cause of the crash in vulture populations will take time to set in. The Central Zoo Authority included all the three vulture species in the priority list for the conservation breeding programmes. They encouraged four zoos to adopt the breeding programmes including Sakkarbaugh Zoo (Gujarat), Van Vihar Zoological Park (Madhya Pradesh), Nandankanan Zoological Park (Orissa) and Nehru Zoological Park (Andhra Pradesh), by providing initial funds for the establishment of off-exhibit breeding facilities. Subsequently, the zoo at Muta in Jharkhand was also provided funds towards the same purpose. The Central Zoo Authority also provided technical support to the programme by organizing workshops for all stakeholders in Pinjore between 2006 and In addition to this, three Vulture Conservation Breeding Centers are being run at Pinjore (Haryana), Raja Bhat Khawa (West Bengal) and Rani (Assam) by the respective state governments in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society. The Pinjore Centre is the coordinating centre for the Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme in India. All three vulture species have been bred successfully for the first time ever in captivity. The husbandry and care protocols have been established and the aviaries size and design have been standardized. In total there are 190 White-backed vultures, 86 Long-billed vultures and 47 Slender-billed vultures in the conservation breeding centers. 19 White-backed, 5 Slender-billed and 11 Long-billed vulture nestlings have successfully fledged in captivity so far. 5

6 TECHNICAL SESSION 2: REVIEW OF PROGRESS IN IMPLEMENTING the NATIONAL VULTURE RECOVERY AND ACTION PLANS: PRESENTATIONS FROM EACH OF THE FOUR RANGE COUNTRIES Chair: Mr. Homi Khusrokhan, President, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai Co-chair: Mr. B.S. Bonal, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, Government of India VULTURES IN BANGLADESH: STATUS AND CONSERVATION Dr. M. Monirul H. Khan, Associate Professor of Zoology, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Mr. Shakhawat Hossain Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of Bangladesh, In Bangladesh there are records of the occurrence of six species of vultures, White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Himalayan griffon (G. himalayensis), Slender-billed vulture (G. tenuirostris), Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus), Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus), and Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus); there have been no recent sightings of the last two species. Moreover, there are unconfirmed records of Eurasian griffon (G. fulvus). The White-backed vulture is relatively more common than the other species. It was an abundant and widely distributed species in Bangladesh, but in the last two decades the population has declined sharply. Today the population is thought to number approximately one thousand. Of the seven administrative divisions, the vulture sighting is the highest (5.1 sightings/interviewee/year) in Sylhet division in the northeast of Bangladesh. The other species of vultures were never abundant and their populations have also declined, but not as drastically as the White-backed vulture. The actions that have been taken so far to protect vultures from decline includes banning (from 25 October 2010) of diclofenac (toxic to vultures), commonly used for to cure cattle ailments, public awareness through the governmental and non-governmental bodies, as well as media, and research and monitoring. However, a lot is left to be done in terms of policy and programme sectors. Vultures are protected under the Bangladesh Wildlife Act 1974, but there is no long-term policy or programme dedicated for vultures. A total of three key areas were identified for the conservation of vultures that includes seven nesting sites. The areas are located in the northeast, north and southwest of Bangladesh. In two consecutive years ( ) the breeding success of the White-backed vulture was studied. In the first season only five of 32 and in the second season only eight of 31 nests were successful in producing fledglings (one from each nest). The overall breeding success was very low ( %). The reason for very low breeding success was sudden death/disappearance of parent birds, apparently due to poisoning (by diclofenac). Several dead vultures were found in nesting areas and even in the nests. It is obvious that poisoning is the principal cause for vulture decline, followed by lack of food and nesting trees, and disturbance by people. During , a very high proportion (57%) of cattle-owners was found to use diclofenac to treat their cattle, and 61% bury the dead cattle to control the smell. In response to the banning of diclofenac and increasing awareness the use of diclofenac is reducing, but still it is the biggest threat to vultures. Bangladesh is yet to have a national Vulture Action Plan, which is now an urgent need. Since vultures mainly occur and breed in private lands (i.e. outside the network of Protected Areas), a community-based conservation approach should be taken, focussing on vulture hotspots. Banning of veterinary diclofenac must be properly implemented, and the impacts of other common veterinary medicines and fattening doses should be studied. All the key areas and breeding sites of vultures are now under regular monitoring by experts, but this should be 6

7 expanded country-wide. Captive breeding of vultures, particularly at Dhaka Zoo where a pair breeds successfully, should be initiated to establish a gene bank. VULTURE CONSERVATION IN NEPAL Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, Ecologist, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Government of Nepal, maheshwar.dhakal@gmail.com During the late 1990s, widespread declines in three Gyps vulture species (oriental White-backed vulture, Gyps bengalensis, Long-billed, Gyps indicus, and Slender-billed, Gyps tenuirostris) were detected across South Asia. All three species were subsequently classified as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List. Diagnostic research pinpointed the main causal process as exposure to the Non Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), diclofenac, which is used to treat cattle, but which causes visceral gout when ingested by vultures. Exposure to very low levels of contamination in dead livestock carcasses was shown to cause sufficient vulture mortality to entirely explain the observed declines. Local people across Nepal have already started to report the negative impacts of vulture population declines in their villages. Due to the catastrophic scale of the Gyps declines, the governments of the range countries, including Nepal, took major steps towards banning the manufacture of diclofenac, establishing conservation breeding centers and endorsing and implementing the Vulture Conservation Action Plan (VCAP). The VCAP of Nepal emphasizes both in-situ and ex-situ conservation throughout the country with strong focus on scientific research and capacity building of conservation partners and local communities. The government of Nepal has established a Vulture Conservation Breeding Centre in Kasara, Chitwan National Park, as an effort to save the vultures from extinction. An effort to declare Provisional Vulture Safe Zones (PVSZ) has been initiated throughout the country to secure a safe environment for vultures. For now eighteen districts (more than 30,344km 2 ) have been declared as PVSZs and efforts have been taken to promote use of meloxicam, a safer alternative drug. Advocacy at policy and community levels are promoted in partnership with conservation partners. The community-based PVSZs are circuital in order to get public support and promote vulture safe areas at landscape and transboundary levels. There has been a growing interest and support from local communities, and the partnership among governments and conservation agencies are imperative to achieve the common goal of saving the critically endangered species. International support and transboundary cooperation has also been instrumental for capacity building and in enhancing scientific knowledge and skills. Further, to address the key issue of diclofenac and vulture conservation across South Asia, a newly established consortium Saving Asia s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) brings both governments and conservation partners together to achieve the common goal of vulture conservation. The partnership among the governments, conservation partners and local communities will establish synergetic impacts and overcome the major challenges and issues towards vulture conservation. VULTURE CONSERVATION IN PAKISTAN STATUS AND RESPONSE Mr. Mushtaq Ali Memon, Secretary to the Government of Sindh Forest & Wildlife Department, Government of Pakistan, m.memon@hotmail.co.uk Vultures perform vital ecosystem services. They add to nature s sanitation processes by consuming dead carcasses and thereby preventing the spread of disease that may be injurious to humans and other animals. There are sixteen species included in what is referred to as the Old World Vultures. Of these, nine are found in South Asia. Of eight Gyps vulture species only four are found in Asia, including the Oriental White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) and Himalayan 7

8 Griffon vulture (Gyps himalayensis). The Eurasian Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) breeds predominantly in Eurasia but migrates to Africa and South Asia. There was a rapid decline in populations of Oriental White-backed vultures and Long-billed vultures in Asia, particularly during the nineties, including in Pakistan, where they were distributed widely across a large geographical range. The IUCN Red List categorizes White-backed and Long-billed vultures as the most critically endangered species. A recent (unpublished) population survey of vultures across 77 sites in Pakistan, conducted by WWF Pakistan between November 2010 and April 2011, revealed that the active breeding of two critically threatened species, Gyps bengalensis and Gyps indicus are primarily restricted to Nagarparkar area, including the Karunjhar hills along the south western border of the Sindh province, bordering the Rann of Kutch in India. Previously, both these species were common and widely distributed across Pakistan, inhabiting Punjab, Sindh and North Khyber- Pakhtunkhwa provinces. The population status of the other vulture species in Pakistan is also gloomy. This paper will present the status of vultures species in Pakistan based on available information and the in-situ and ex-situ measures undertaken so far towards the conservation of vultures in Pakistan by governmental and non-governmental organizations. Keeping in mind the fact that vultures move freely across borders, the paper will encourage the need for a regional conservation response and propose measures for conservation to save the critically threatened vulture species from extinction. VULTURE CONSERVATION IN INDIA: STATUS REPORT 2012 Mr. P.C. Tyagi, Landscape Level Planning and Management, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, pctyagi@wii.gov.in The drastic 99% decline of at least three species of vultures, of nine species found in India, due to intake of residue veterinary diclofenac in the mid 90s, prompted India to initiate several conservation measures for vultures in synchrony with Pan Asian neighborhood nations. Vultures, vastly distributed over a wide geographical range in India, not only serve the important ecological role of scavenging animal carcasses but also play an integral part in the cultural, social and religious customs of various Indian religions, including that of the Parsi community who traditionally place the bodies of their departed members on towers of silence, for vultures to feed and dispose of. With the initial support and facilitation of collaborative projects, led by national and international organizations that surveyed and established the cause of the declines in vulture populations, and the sponsored IUCN resolution on Vulture Conservation at the World Conservation Congress in 2004, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), chaired by the Prime Minister, made a resolution in March 2005 to take steps to phase out veterinary diclofenac within six months ; this is now an achievable reality. Several inter-ministerial initiations have also focused on streamlining the loose ends to control the use of human diclofenac in the veterinary sector, as well as to promote alternate safe veterinary drugs as a substitute for diclofenac. In 2006, India formulated the National Action Plan for Vulture Conservation which provides for strategic action in containing the decline of vulture populations through in-situ and complimentary ex situ conservation measures. One of the most significant initiatives has been the BNHS RSPB and Haryana Government Collaborative Vulture Conservation Programme at Pinjore. The Pinjore center has acted as the fountain head and two more centers have been established at Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani (Assam). Complimenting the Pinjore programme, and supported by the Central Zoo Authority, several centers have been established at Junagadh 8

9 (Gujarat), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh), and Ranchi (Jharkhand). Advocacy programmes aimed at phasing out diclofenac, education and awareness programmes (targeted all stakeholder groups) of the causes and effects of vulture decline and the creation of diclofenac-free vulture zones and Vulture Restaurants in the country are also part of India s overall vulture conservation and recovery programme. Several organizations such and BNHS, Mumbai, GEER Foundation, Gujarat, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, WWF-India, New Delhi, Tourism & Wildlife Society of India, Jaipur, SACON, Coimbatore, WTI, New Delhi and several others are involved in wild vulture population conservation and the breeding status of each population is closely monitored. A wider network of institutions has been constituted, including the ZSI, CZA, CEE, IVRI, WII and SACON, to work collaboratively to address vulture conservation issues in a professional manner. India has also facilitated regional and international collaboration and cooperation for vulture conservation with organizations such as RSPB, Bird Life International, Zoological Society of London, Peregrine Fund and IUCN. This symposium is being held jointly with IUCN for developing a Pan Asian Vulture Conservation Strategy and Action Plan. 9

10 TECHNICAL SESSION 3: VULTURES: CULTURAL & ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES Chair: Mr. Hem Pande, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India Co-chair: Mr. P.R. Sinha, Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun VULTURES AND ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Mr. B.C. Choudhury, Head, Endangered Species Management, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehra Dun, VULTURES IN THE PARSI TRADITION Mr. Khojeste P. Mistree, Trustee, Bombay Parsi Panchayat, Mumbai, This presentation will briefly explore the innate link between conservation beliefs underlying classical Zoroastrian theology and what is today referred to as ecology. The Zoroastrian theological paradigm, consisting of the seven creations of Ohrmazd, the Lord of Wisdom, will be outlined briefly. In addition to this, some cardinal principles of the faith such as dualism, the laws of purity and the belief that the negation of life is the temporary triumph of evil over the forces of good will be presented. This will be linked to the unusual method of disposal of the dead through exposure to the sun and birds of prey as an ecological reality, as practiced by the Parsis. Today, the existence of the Towers of Silence and their use by the Parsis has enabled the survival of an urban forest in the heart of South Mumbai. The forest has been preserved and remains largely untouched for over 300 years because of the unique Parsi system of disposal of the dead. Hence, the importance of the vulture and its role with regard to the disposal of Parsi corpses, where Towers of Silence are in use, not only fulfils the religious needs of the Parsis but is also an inherent commitment to promote conservation and ecology by a miniscule urban community living in Mumbai. REPORT ON THE BNHS INITIATIVE ON THE TOWERS OF SILENCE Dr Vibhu Prakash, Deputy Director, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, vibhu.mathur@gmail.com Vultures are perhaps the most useful birds to mankind. They are one of nature s most efficient scavengers. A flock of vultures could clean up the carcasses of full grown cattle within minutes, even before the putrefication sets in. Fifteen years ago vultures were still very common in India and instrumental in keeping the environment clean by consuming the flesh from livestock carcasses, which were thrown out in the open in the absence of any organized carcass disposal system. Vultures have a very acidic digestive tract and hardly any pathogen can survive this tract. In fact, by consuming the dead meat they prevent the spread of pathogens in soil, water and air. The vulture population has crashed by over 99% in the last fifteen years due to the poisoning of their food source with the drug diclofenac. The vultures are exposed to diclofenac when they feed on the animals or humans which have died within 72 hours after administration of diclofenac. Whilst vultures feed primarily on large ungulates, they were also historically the key scavengers of the dead from the ancient Parsi religion, who lay their dead out in the open in enclosures or specially constructed Towers of Silence. The centuries old practice followed by Parsi community of disposing off the bodies out in the open for vultures to feed is facing a serious problem as very few vultures now remain in the wild. Any other known method of disposal will not be totally acceptable to the community and would certainly not be as eco-friendly as the disposal by vultures is. Therefore it is of utmost importance that vultures are brought back and this practice continues. 10

11 It is possible to bring the vultures back at Towers of Silence by initiating a vulture conservation breeding program. There is already an ongoing successful Vulture Conservation Breeding Programme in the country established by the Central Zoo Authority and Bombay Natural History Society for saving the vultures from extinction. The breeding programme at the Towers of Silence will contribute significantly to the nation-wide conservation breeding programme of the Gyps species of vultures. Initially the surrogate species Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis), which is still common, will be kept at the Towers and subsequently the endangered White-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) will be kept if surrogate species remained fine for a year. The onus of making sure that the bodies do not contain the drug diclofenac will be on the community, which can easily be achieved through an active awareness programme within the community. THE POTENTIAL OF THE PANJRAPOLE INSTITUTION IN GUJARAT FOR VULTURE CONSERVATION Mr. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Director, Centre for Environment Education, Ahemadabad, ceedo@ceeindia.org Mr. Kartik Shastri, Assistant Coordinator (Vulture Cell), Bird Conservation Society, Gujarat, kartikgyps@gmail.com It is important to recognize the significant role of vultures in ecology. Vultures are essentially scavengers, playing an important role in the food chain by feeding on both human and animal carcasses. However, it has recently been found that the presence of a drug called diclofenac (a non steroid, anti inflammatory substance, which is used for the treatment of humans as well as cattle) in both human and animal bodies, poses an immense threat to the lives of vultures. In fact, diclofenac poisoning is considered to be one of the major causes of vulture extinction (about 95%) in India in the past few years. The focus of this presentation is to highlight the potential role which panjrapoles (traditional cattle camps run by the Jain community) can play in the conservation of vultures. It has been observed that vulture populations are higher in the regions of Gujarat where there are permanent feeding sites of panjrapoles (i.e. carcass dump sites). What is the potential of panjrapols for providing diclofenac free food for vultures? The presentation suggests that building upon this existing traditional institution as a strategy, could prove highly beneficial for vulture conservation. 11

12 TECHNICAL SESSION 5: DEVELOPING A REGIONAL RESPONSE Chair: Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji, Regional Director, IUCN Asia Regional Office, Bangkok Co-chair: Mr. S. Kandhuri, IGF (WL), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India ROLE OF ADVOCACY IN VULTURE CONSERVATION Ms. Nita Shah, Independent Consultant, New Delhi, nitashah.india@gmail.com Over the last decade the vulture populations (White-backed, Slender-billed and Long-billed vultures) have declined by more than 99% in India, Nepal and Pakistan and the annual rates of decline continue to rise. This catastrophic population crash led the World Conservation Union (IUCN) to list the three vulture species as critically endangered in 2000, the highest category of endangerment. The three vultures were categorised in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act in Vultures play an important ecological role in the Indian environment as primary carrion feeders where they have been relied upon for decades to scavenge, clean up and remove dead livestock, wild animal carcasses and even human corpses. The vultures virtual absence has led to a growing population of minor scavengers, such as feral dogs and crows, which are a potential threat for spreading diseases. The absence of vultures has necessitated expensive alternative methods of carcass disposal, so as to reduce public health risks. Culturally the loss of vultures has affected the funeral rituals of the Parsi community. To date MoEF has conducted four inter-ministry dialogues along with scientists and organizations, resulting in positive recommendations and decisions favoring the vultures. Through inter-ministry dialogues major decisions were possible, namely the ban on use of veterinary diclofenac, expedition on the process on notifications of human formulations of diclofenac labels to carry the warning not for veterinary use and levy heavy anti-dumping duties on the dumping of this drug from other countries. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has been instrumental in convening high level meetings with the concerned ministries and drug manufacturers expediting the necessary actions to be undertaken at the meloxicam economics, policy and regulation levels. The Indian Government decisions for the vulture conservation influenced the neighboring countries to take quick actions. The diclofenac ban by the Indian Government has set precedence for the rest of the vulture range countries in South East Asia. Thus India became a prototype for the vulture range countries to follow. This has allowed the Indian Government and organizations efforts along with the involvement from the rest of the vulture range countries to re-establish the magnificent scavengers from brink of extinction in South Asia. Advocacy has significantly contributed to the major achievements in vulture conservation in India. Intense outreach, advocacy, ground work, dialogues, initiatives with multiple concerned ministries of Health, Agriculture, Commerce, Chemical & Fertilizers & research assisted in formulation and making of policies. Advocacy influenced the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) to get the resolution passed against use of veterinary diclofenac across Africa in A recently concluded study in the vulture strong hold states across western and central India established ten veterinary NSAID molecules namely meloxicam, analgin, nimesulide, phenyl butazone, piroxicam, tolfenamic acid, mefenamic acid, ketoprofen, ibuprofen, aceclofenac were reported being used in the animal health care in the rural landscapes. It was established that the vulture toxic NSAIDs namely ketoprofen, aceclofenac and human diclofenac formulations were in use across the region. 9 brands of aceclofenac manufactured by 8 companies were reported from 22 districts. Ketoprofen was available in 13 Brands manufactured by 16 companies reported from 70 districts. Human diclofenac formulations were in use in the region. At least 30 brands of 30 ml were found to be used for animal care. 12

13 The study established that the use of vulture safe alternative meloxicam was successfully implemented. A total of 46 brands of meloxicam manufactured by 49 companies were obtained across the 3 states. Meloxicam is a molecule, which was creating its niche and establishing itself amongst veterinary doctors, thereby displacing diclofenac. Both bolus and injectables of meloxicam salt were available and were used across all districts in the region. The price of the alternative has reduced but is still higher in comparison to diclofenac. The ban on veterinary formulations of diclofenac has been well implemented through effective advocacy. There is no availability of veterinary formulations of diclofenac at chemist outlets. 28 of the 71 brands human diclofenac formulations obtained for use in animal care during the study had the warning not for veterinary use on their labels. The use of multi-dose vials (30ml) of human diclofenac formulations found in use in the veterinary sector suggests that there is a need to enforce production of single dose vials/ampoules for human use. Existing vulture colonies might recover in the wild if the use of human diclofenac, ketoprofen and aceclofenac in the veterinary sector is completely eradicated. The study indicates that the vulture distribution range has drastically declined, monitoring of the vulture colonies and their habitat should be made mandatory. Gyps species habitats (nesting areas) outside/around PAs and forested lands should be given priority protection as they are Schedule I species. Provisions need to be made to protect habitats of a Schedule I species falling outside jurisdiction of PAs/forested land under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act/Forest Act. Vulture safe areas were modeled in a 50km radius consisting of nesting habitats (trees and cliffs) and domestic and wild ungulate prey. The maximum safe distance the model identified within these parameters was15 km radius, thus leaving no scope for creating a vulture safe zone. Thus it is crucial to eliminate the diclofenac threat from habitats by provisioning diclofenac free carcasses in panjrapoles or gaushalas (vulture restaurants) within close proximity of nesting sites. There is a need to maintain large number of these panjrapoles which are wide spread in landscape to provide ample range coverage. The involvement of panjrapoles and dairy units with this program will be beneficial as diclofenac free carcasses from these units will help manage the cost of running such restaurants. Conserving and strengthening the existing concepts of gaushalas in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat is very crucial to vulture conservation. The panjrapoles of Gujarat as cattle camps will continue to remain a good food source for the vultures and, as these form natural sites for scavenging, can be a managed as vulture feeding sites. Institutions for animal care run by religious bodies are contributing effectively towards the rescue and conservation of vultures; this should be encouraged and supported. Advocacy and inter-departmental dialogues are the way to reduce the use of human diclofenac. The Ministry of Health has to make necessary amendments in the Drugs & Cosmetics Act to prevent the use of the problem painkillers, namely the veterinary formulations of ketoprofen, aceclofenac and the spill-over of human diclofenac in livestock care. The other veterinary NSAIDs like nimesulide, phenyl butazone, piroxicam need to be toxicity tested. The Drug Controller General of India and the Ministry for Chemical & Fertilizers need to evolve a strategy to get pharmaceuticals to conduct toxicity testing on any new veterinary NSAID molecules prior to their launching. CURRENT REGIONAL INITIATIVES ON VULTURE CONSERVATION AND THE WAY FORWARD Dr. Scott Perkin, Head, Regional Biodiversity Conservation Programme, Asia, IUCN Asia Regional Office, Bangkok, scott.perkin@iucn.org This presentation will briefly review the potential for a new regional vulture conservation programme in South Asia. 13

14 It will begin by summarizing the status of existing regional vulture conservation and recovery initiatives, including the activities of SAVE (Saving Asia s Vultures from Extinction). It will look at the progress that has been made to date and highlight areas that still require enhanced regional co-ordination and collaboration. The talk will also seek to synthesize the recommendations for regional action that have emerged from the discussions and presentations over the course of the two-day Symposium. On the basis of this analysis, a set of preliminary ideas for a potential regional GEF project will be presented. This will include some initial suggestions on the timing, scope and budget of the proposed initiative, as well as some thoughts on strategies for securing funding support. It will also include some suggestions on a possible governance and institutional framework to oversee the development of the project. 14