Organization develops an experimental plan to stop poaching in DEMWS

 January 11, 2023

                             GUWAHATI, 10 January: The legal and advocacy division (LAD) of the scientific and industrial research organisation Aaranyak has developed a pilot plan to establish community surveillance and monitoring teams (CSMT) in order to facilitate community involvement in the conservation process as well as wildlife crime prevention in and around the Daying Ering Memorial Wildlife Sanctuary (DEMWS) close to Pasighat in East Siang district.

The DEMWS is home to a variety of animals and birds, including the Asiatic buffalo, hog deer, barking deer, sambar, hispid hare, and others. Despite the area's high biodiversity, wildlife enforcement has been a significant issue due to a lack of adequate forest staff and infrastructure. The sanctuary is a part of the elephant corridor between D/Ering and Dibru Saikhowa.

The organisation stated in a release that the CSMTs "will explore creation of livelihood options for the fringe area community, in addition to contributing towards prevention of wildlife crimes, to reduce the tribal people's dependence on the protected forest areas concerned and engage them in conservation efforts."

Aaranyak held a workshop on Monday at its research office in Assam to interact with two delegations of forest officials, community leaders, and conservationists from the DEMWS area in Pasighat and a few conservationists engaged in community forest conservation work in Tamenglong district in Manipur, where, too, wildlife crimes are a significant barrier in conservation effort.

During the conversation, DEMWS DFO Tasang Taga emphasised the pressing necessity for community participation in the fight against poaching and other wildlife crimes that take place inside and outside the wildlife sanctuary.

Salam Rajesh, a leader in Manipur's conservation movement, recommended that "efforts for the formation of CSMTs should be approached district by district in Manipur, and it should be started with Tamenglong district, where the community has been doing some good work in conservation of biodiversity on their own."

The teams from Arunachal and Manipur were informed by the LAD team of Aaranyak, lead by renowned conservation scientist and Aaranyak CEO Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, about the worldwide wildlife crime scenario, the serious situation in the NE area, and how CSMTs may assist stop wildlife crimes in the region.