WWF-Pakistan And Ministry Of Climate Change Jointly Celebrate World Pangolin Day 2018

WWF-Pakistan celebrated World Pangolin Day 2018 in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Feb, 2018 ) : WWF-Pakistan celebrated World Pangolin Day 2018 in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History.

The event was organized to raise awareness and sensitize students, researchers and communities regarding the negative impacts of illegal trade of pangolins. Pangolins are considered one of the world’s most heavily trafficked mammals and over 100,000 pangolins have been victims of illegal wildlife trade since 2011. The Indian pangolin (Manis crassudata), which is distributed across Pakistan, has been declared endangered in 2009 by the IUCN.

Despite being protected under the Islamabad Wildlife Ordinance, 1975 and the North-West Frontier Province Wildlife Act, 1975 this species is rapidly declining as a result of illegal killing for international trade.

Pakistan lies along a strategic air and sea route, forming a gateway to East Asia, which makes it a major source and transit country for illegal wildlife trade. Due to increasing demand for meat, scales and derived products, the Indian pangolin remains one of the highest trafficked species sourced from Pakistan.

According to IUCN estimates, over 50 per cent decrease in the global pangolin population will occur over the next 21 years. In order to protect the species against illegal trade, WWF-Pakistan has carried out several projects.

Recently, WWF-Pakistan, with the support of the USAID Small Grants and Ambassador Fund Program, developed a National Action Plan for illegal wildlife trade in consultation with relevant stakeholders.

The organization also trained more than 300 officials from law enforcement agencies to monitor illegal wildlife trade, and has introduced stakeholders to the legal framework for regulating the trade.

The Chief Guest of the event, Syed Mahmood Nasir, Inspector General Forests, Ministry of Climate Change said that pangolin trafficking has increased mainly due to its international demand. He further added that continued pangolin trafficking will cause the species to become extinct, which will result in a population explosion of white ants and other harmful insects.

He stressed that raising awareness and strong legislation in existing provincial laws can help address the issue of illegal trade of pangolins. Muhammad Waseem, Conservation Coordinator, WWF-Pakistan discussed WWF’s newly initiated project titled Saving the Pangolins of Pakistan-Conservation of the Indian Pangolin through research and management to counter wildlife trafficking and address pangolin poaching and trade in the regions of Potohar and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

He explained that this United States Fisheries and Wildlife Services (USFWS) funded project will help in conserving the Indian pangolins by addressing critical data gaps regarding the illegal wildlife trade, weak deterrence for smugglers, lack of government resources (including capacity, equipment, technology, etc.) and a lack of interagency coordination.

He further added that the project will ultimately aid in developing integrated pangolin conservation and management interventions, which is expected to initiate actions to mitigate the instances of illegal wildlife trade and lay the foundations for effective conservation of the Indian pangolin in Pakistan. Other speakers at the event included Dr Tariq Mahmood, Assistant Professor, Wildlife Management Department, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi and Dr.

Khalid Mahmood, Director, Pakistan Museum of Natural History. Dr Tariq informed participants about the Indian pangolin’s distribution in Potohar region and threats associated with the species in its habitat while Dr Khalid discussed the economic benefits of conserving the pangolin.

The event was attended by 60 students from six universities and senior officials of AJK Wildlife Department, Wildlife Department Rawalpindi, and Islamabad Wildlife Management board. A short WWF-Pakistan documentary, Pangolins in Peril, was also screened during the event.