WHERE there is demand, there will be supply. The fate of our Malayan tiger, a species that is fast disappearing from our forests due to rampant poaching and illegal wildlife trade, is at the centre of this vicious cycle.
Three months ago, six Vietnamese poachers, believed to be part of a network targeting tigers, were arrested in a raid by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks in Pahang. The New Straits Times’ exclusive report on tiger hunting on Wednesday highlighted foreign poachers working in farms in Gua Musang, Kelantan, allegedly hunting and selling tigers for at least RM20,000 each.
The presence of foreigners in our forests shows the urgent need for Malaysia to step up wildlife protection efforts.
Since coming into office, Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar has been strongly advocating the greater protection of Malayan tigers, having initiated discussions to forge stronger collaborations between enforcement agencies, such as the police and armed forces.
WWF-Malaysia commends and supports the minister’s efforts, but we need to act fast, especially now when the need is critical.
Illegal wildlife trade is an organised crime that operates the same way as illegal drugs and weapons — through dangerous international networks.
The scale of global illegal wildlife trade as a business is massive, with the United Nations Environment Programme valuing it between US$7 billion and US$23 billion (RM29 billion and RM95 billion) a year last year.
Wildlife crime is the fourth most lucrative illegal business in the world.
WWF-Malaysia believes we can save Malayan tigers. Nepal recently announced its success in doubling tiger numbers. It also achieved 365 days of zero poaching for rhinos, elephants and tigers in 2013 and 2014. This was possible due to collaborative and focused efforts between enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies such as the National Tiger Conservation Committee and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, under the Nepal police force.
These bodies were set up to holistically address poaching and illegal wildlife trade from an enforcement perspective. Nepal’s success has given other tiger range countries a clear direction.
Last year, Perak made history by becoming the first in Southeast Asia to register Royal Belum State Park for Conservation Assured Tiger Standards, which is an accreditation scheme that encourages tiger conservation areas to meet a set of standards and criteria to ensure effective and long-term tiger conservation.
The state committed to achieving zero poaching by 2020 at the High-Level Dialogue on Enhancing Tiger Conservation Efforts in July last year, as well as at the Royal Belum-WWF Conservation Summit in November last year.
It is likely that we have fewer than 250 Malayan tigers due to poaching. The Malayan tiger proudly flanks the Jata Negara as a representation of strength and courage. Losing the Malayan tiger means losing Malaysia’s symbol of national pride and identity.
The demand needs to stop and the supply has to be cut off. The former will take time but the latter can be done now by putting more boots on the ground, especially with support from law enforcement agencies.
By practising intolerance to wildlife crimes, we can protect our Malayan tigers for generations to come. We can ensure their survival if we act now. The Malayan tiger must be made a national priority.
DR MARK RAYAN DARMARAJ
Tiger Landscape Lead, WWF - Malaysia