2 Status of taxonomic knowledge of Lao wildlife National species diversity 1 Mammals 1 Birds
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Hunting ReductionThe various forms of harvesting (hunting, snaring, trapping and other means of extraction of adults, young and eggs) are not sustainable at present levels for many quarry species in Lao PDR. If they continue at today’s levels, many wildlife resources used by local people for subsistence and local economic purposes will suffer precipitous declines (as have many already). In 1996 a major government initiative was launched to reduce the number of guns in civilian hands and notable progress is being made . Reduction in hunting levels benefits wildlife and rural people alike. As reduction in one method of hunting may stimulate increases in another, reduction of human demand for wildlife is likely to produce the longest-lasting benefits to wildlife. Achieving such reduction could encompass various activities aimed at providing alternative sources of protein and shifting human attitudes towards wildlife, and with attention to less direct needs such as family planning programme. The current high population growth rates in some areas inhibit stabilization of activities by rural development and food security. Nonetheless, as Lao PDR’s economy develops and the population achieves a more urbanized lifestyle, the seriousness of incidental hunting is likely to fall in importance of threats to wildlife relative to those from trade-driven hunting and habitat loss. Of the two principal types of hunting, for local use and for cross-border trade, the latter is the more serious from a wildlife conservation standpoint. Commercial hunters focus on valuable species, the supply of which cannot meet demand. If exploitation causes a target species to decline, the species value usually increases. Commercial hunters thus pursue them even more avidly. If some way to relieve wildlife trade in Lao PDR is not found, within several years viable populations of some large mammals and various turtles will be eliminated from some areas, especially along the eastern international border. Accession to CITES by Lao PDR would have little immediate effect on reducing international wildlife trade in the absence of field measures, as most animals are already moved surreptitiously across unofficial border crossings into states which are CITES parties. Rather, increased surveillance and disciplinary activity is likely to have more effect. This is already occurring in some border districts (e.g. Khamkeut in Bolikhamxai Province) and has resulted in numerous confiscation of wildlife destined for neighboring countries. Recent national level attention has been paid to the trade problem through bilateral transboundary conservation meetings between Lao PDR, Vietnam and China. An immediate priority is an increase in armed patrolling of the border forests for snare lines and poachers .As well as patrolling of trade routes and border areas, considerably increased vigilance in all source areas, many of which are legally established National Bio-diversity Conservation Areas, would do much to reduce trade levels. Education and awareness Public conservation education is a very high priority for relieving the general human pressure on all wildlife in Lao PDR. In many countries, conservation awareness activities are conducted principally by locally-based conservation-oriented non-governmental organizations. As these do not exist in Lao PDR, the government has taken the lead. The ‘National Wildlife conservation and Fish Release Day’ on 13 July, Established by the Forestry Law of 1996,marked a significant movement for Wildlife conservation in Lao PDR. Since 1997, this event is annually celebrated, there are many activities performed including the national distribution of thousands of wildlife conservation posters, T-shirts, pamphlets, buttons and the airing of radio and television messages. These materials reached the far corners of many provinces. Most work was led by DFRC (DoF), with the financial support of several donors.. 7.4 Captive breeding Captive breeding is not a conservation priority for most species of wildlife in Lao PDR in the late 1990s. The current extent of habitat has meant that few species are believed to have become nationally extinct. Even all the carnivore species (in many countries, a vulnerable group) are believed still to occur, simply because it is difficult to eradicate elusive, often nocturnal, low-density populations of non-herding mammals from across large areas of dense forest. Habitat fragmentation is the greatest predisposing factor to local extirpation of these mammal species as the smaller the area, the easier it becomes to reduce populations to levels too low to be viable. Therefore, conserving habitat integrity in entire NBCAs is, and should remain, the long-term imperative. By contrast, captive breeding programme may deflect finite vital resources (personnel, financial, media and, most importantly, government administrative time and interest) from large-scale habitat conservation (which requires confronting many unpalatable issues) and other work addressing the causes of bio-diversity loss (e.g. Caughley 1994). The Carnivore Preservation Trust, an NGO based in the U.S.A., aims to establish a centre for conservation research and genetically managed breeding programme, largely of carnivores. They are based near Ban Lak (20) in Bolikhamxai Province. Currently over 70 individuals of 19 mammalian species (not just carnivores) are held, some of which were confiscated by local authorities from trade (B. Bouphaphan verbally 1999). The trust has already facilitated research in subjects of high relevance to conservation in Lao PDR, including non-carnivores (e.g. the taxonomy of lorises) and intends to pursue a major role in raising public awareness on issues related to wildlife conservation. Much conservation-related research could be undertaken on captive animals and these aims could be usefully emulated by other collections in Lao PDR. There is a clear role for a captive breeding programme for selected species of Lao turtles and for genetically pure Siamese Crocodiles. Trade-driven harvesting is eradicating wild stocks. Turtles have slow breeding rates. The ground-living species are easily found by trained dogs, while the aquatic species are tied to small and shrinking water bodies in the late dry season from which they can easily be taken. These attributes mean that they can be removed from even large areas of natural habitat in Lao PDR . 7.5 Research Wildlife conservation and management in Lao PDR at the central level is the responsibility of DFRC. Within DFRC, national wildlife research and management is coordinated mainly by its Wildlife Unit. The DFRC Wildlife Unit lacks sufficient staff, training and funds for the tasks facing it. As a consequence, field research on wildlife in Lao PDR (outlined above) is usually conducted with technical assistance from foreign organizations (particularly WCS and IUCN), in partnership with staff from DFRC and the provinces and districts. On the ground wildlife management at the local level is generally the responsibility of Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Offices. However, none has a unit devoted to wildlife research, nor any staff with formal education in this field. In recent years, some training has been provided, partly by the DFRC and partly by foreign conservation organizations.
Although staff training is not a wildlife conservation tool per se, it is a high priority for long-term conservation in Lao PDR, for upon it hinges the continuity and sustainability of all other activities discussed above. Several short-term training programme (usually less than one month) in concepts and techniques of bio-diversity conservation have been given to central and local government staff in recent years, often as co-operative projects between DFRC and foreign conservation organizations. Furthermore, several long-term projects intending to strengthen protected area staff capability are having very promising results by recognizing that long-term benefits are most likely to come with long-term (years, perhaps a decade or more) commitment. 8 Conclusions and recommendations for the long term and immediate future Priorities for mitigating ecosystem degradation
Legislation and policy \on wildlife management and shifting cultivation
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9 REFERENCES: - Centre, N.T. F. P. I. (1998). Non-Timber Forest Products Information Centre. Vientiane: 1-20. - IUCN (1995). Protected Areas Fact-sheets. Vientiane, Lao-swedish forestry Cooperation programme. - J.W.Duckworrth, R.E.Salter, et al. (1999). Wildlife in Lao PDR. Vientiane, IUCN/WCS/CPAWM: 275. - LTD, S. i. (2000). Nam Theun 2 Hydroelectric Project/ Environmental assessment and management plan. Vientiane: 6.1 - 6.14, 7-2. - WCS (1995). Results of a survey of terrestrial wildlife in the areas to be affected by the proposed Namtheun 2 hydroelectric project. Vientiane, WCS: 67. - Hanneke Nooren, Gordon Claridge ( 2001) wildlife trade in Laos: the end of the game. Netherlands Committee for IUCN, Amsterdam: 31-69,
The news madazine of the ASEAN Regional Centre for Biodiversity Conservation. A joint Cooperation project between Asean and the European Union and a contribution to the ASEAN Environmental Education Plan, 2000-2005.
- Nam Theun Extension PNBCA (Robichaud 1998a) - Martin (1992)
- ( Tiger, Dhole, Asian Elephant, wild cattle; see Duckworth and Hedges 1998a)? • species occupying habitats that are also the foci for human activity (e.g. water birds; see Thewlis et al. 1998) ? - (Parr and Parr 1998). Nong Bo Wetland ?
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