Community-based wildlife conservation and use - Practices and lessons learned in Tajikistan September 2015, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Halil Karimov – Project «Conservation of Mountain Ungulates in Tajikistan» Schtefan Mihel– Project «Conservation of Mountain Ungulates in Tajikistan»

 The significant declines in the population and geographical range size of most species occurred during the Soviet period and after gaining independence during the civil war  The main cause - poaching  The official protection under the law and the status of rare and endangered species were unable to stop declines  The area of wildlife reserves and sanctuaries is not adequate to ensure the continued protection to conserve species and populations Prehistory and background

Example: Urial has been under the official protection for a long time, but it is being poached, including hunting trophies for foreign hunters Urial is an endangered species, despite its official status!

Project «Conservation of Mountain Ungulates in Tajikistan» The project was initiated by Tajik and foreign experts and local traditional hunters; The Supported by the CIM Programme (05/2008 – 04/2012) and GIZ Regional Programme «Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Central Asia» (03/ /2014); Other donors: Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Population (Germany), Snow Leopard Conservancy и Panthera (с 2014 г. parent organisation), GEF-SGP, Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, Safari Enterprises, San Antonio Zoo, Bisbee's Fish & Wildlife Conservation Fund,

Project approaches Empowerment of local hunters Cooperation with local communities and hunting enterprises Creation of hunting incentives Assistance to local NGOs in wildlife conservation Population monitoring Improvement of the legal framework

Local community-based wildlife management Institutional structure Government agencies Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan Forest Agency of the Republic of Tajikistan Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan Business structures «Association of Hunters of Tajikistan» - major concessioners and monopolists Partners Nature conservation NGO «Union of Nature Protection and Biodiversity» Small-scale family businesses «М-Sayed», «Morhur», «Saydi Tagnob» Local NGO «Parcham», «Yokuti Darshai», «Burgut», «Yuz-Palang», «Muhofiz»

Legal framework Law on Hunting – regulates the system of the hunting sector: Authorities of government agencies Hunting use/allocation of hunting grounds for legal entities Requirements to hunters Hunting regulations Limit/quota setting Protection Control and supervision Subordinate laws – some are being drafted => not clear how to implement; Ratification of CITES by Parliament of the Republic of Tajikistan on June 24, 2015

Management and operation of hunting enteprises Inter-enterprise hunting system; Intra-enterprise hunting system; Local NGOs are engaged in population conservation and monitoring, biotechnics, outreach activities, provide services to tourists and foreign hunters in accordance with the management plans.

Monitoring Population monitoring involving independent experts and user monitoring; Based on the approved guidelines, using GIS; Estimates of minimal population size and structure at certain hunting enterprises; Application of state-of-the-art methods: double observer, photo traps, faeces genetic analysis.

Offtake quota setting Ungulates копытных: not less than 1-2% minimal population size and not more than 20% males (7g.+); Types of hunting: trophy hunting; local hunting for meat and traditions is possible in the future; Documentation of hunting trophies.

Revenues and their use Local organisations – PECTA members: assistance in attracting tourists; Tourism revenues – households that provide services, part - the organization’s maintenance expenses; Hunting revenues cover: Costs for guided torus (permits, transportation, meals) outside local community (30-40%) Services provided by organization’s members and local people (ночлег, pack transport, guides, cooks, food products, trophy processing) - incomes доход членов местного сообщества (20-30%) Incomes of NGOs (30-40%): reimbursement of current expenses, conservation activities, local community social and economic development projects

11 hunting of ibex brought $55,000 in profits 9 hunting of markhor brought $900,000 in profits

Difficulties and obstacles Association of Hunters monopolizes the markhor quota, i.e. large business companies => no quota for a local NGO; Pressure of Association of Hunters against community-based organisations – NGOs and small-scale family businesses; Consolidation of hunting enterprises by businessmen of the Association and alienation from local communities, blocking of potential hunting enterprises;

Difficulties and obstacles Foreign hunting market; Poaching;

Prospects and plans Establishment of the association of local NGOs (possibly small-scale businesses) that represents their interests at the national and international levels, in particular: Tourism and hunting marketing; Coordination; Technical assistance; Fundraising. Improvement of local community-based wildlife management, including development of management plans and improvement of population monitoring; Replication of Tajikistan’s practices and assistance in Kyrgyzstan;

Conclusion Local people unite and develop economic relationships, direct benefits encourage a local community to provide active assistance; Despite all obstacles, success has been achieved; Potential for replication; High necessity – assistance from government agencies, research institutions, international organisations, including hunting and conservation organisations.

Thank you.