Over 3, 00, 000 animals killed in Nagaland in 2008

Kohima | January 30 : Around 3, 26, 214 animals and birds were killed in Nagaland in year 2008, according to a survey carried out as part of a programme on strengthening community conservation efforts in Nagaland under the Nagaland Empowerment of People through Economic Development (NEPED). The program is in collaboration with Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON).
According to the research, a copy of which was made available to The Morung Express, the number of animals killed includes jungle felines at 14,936, large animals at 9,698, small animals at 47,795, large birds at 34,758 and small bird species at around 2, 19, 029.
This survey is based on 66 villages in 14, 578 households, 928 number of household involved in hunting and 6% habitual hunters.
During frequent field trips, researchers came across farmers reporting to them regarding rodent menace in their fields. “We suspected that the food chain may have been disturbed because of excessive hunting. To find an inference of animals killed in 2008, a simple survey was carried out,” a handout received here said.
From the table of the survey “it is clear that there are animals and birds roaming in the forests of Nagaland that could be salvaged for posterity when conserved. It also indicated that despite resolutions passed by village authorities, enforcing the resolutions require strengthening from perhaps external sources, perhaps from administrations.”
It also gave the indication that only 6% of the total households are habitually involved in hunting. With proper management plan to appropriately deal with this 6% habitual hunters, significant reduction in killing of wildlife could be achieved.
It was clear that most of the killings take place in January, February, March and then October, November and December. Killings in the other six months are significantly low. Efforts therefore are required to regulate hunting during the peak period, the report said.
The survey results are an eye-opener and have compelled several civil organizations to have a look at their position on issues of biodiversity conservation.
Most prominently, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council had directed its constituents not to involve wildlife in any church-related activity. This is a significant step as most local hunters are members of the church and so sends a message that exploitation of wildlife is ethically wrong, the release said.
In collaboration with SACON, the NEPED has undertaken a programme “Strengthening Community Conservation Efforts in Nagaland,” funded by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT). In the first phase, the programme imparted technical support on biodiversity conservation and livelihood options to communities in the districts of Phek, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Mon.
This programme addresses the two critical issues of the 21st century – biodiversity conservation and economic development. It identified specific areas requiring conservation action, and facilitated the implementation of conservation action by villagers. It also had identified several specific programs, appropriate to that village community that would lead to economic benefits, and sustainable development. By reaching most villages in Nagaland, and identifying their requirements, it is opening doors for several donor agencies, including Government of Nagaland, financial and developmental institutions to implement programmes on sustainable development and enhancement of the income of the community.
A project on Community Conserved Areas (CCAs) had resulted in a significant increase of Community Conservation Areas in Nagaland.
Among others, the number of community conserved areas (CCA) increased from 109 villages before the project to 285 villages in 2009. These were formed through village council resolution.
In many villages, communities came to realize that conserving relatively small areas was not achieving its objective because the wildlife conserved in one village were foraging into adjoining villages’ forest areas and were often hunted down. Soon the village elders of these neighbouring villages came together to form a joint forest and wildlife conservation areas so that a large tract of land, mostly primary forests are made available for the wildlife to roam freely.
Prominent among joint conservation committees formed during project period includes; Saramati Awung Conservation And Management Society (SACAMS), Hongmong Conservation Committee (Mon), Yai Zone Wildlife Control Managing Committee (Shamator), Phoyisha Range Conservation (Phek District and Helipong Khong Joint Biodiversity Conservation Area (Tuensang District).
Several other areas had also expressed their desire to form joint forest conservation committees such as Rurur is willing to jointly declare with Pongrongru and Hütangrü villages as they share the forest area in Tuensang district, Area Public Organisation leaders of Sukruzu and Kepamedzu mountain ranges in Phek district had approached project staff to facilitate the formation of joint biodiversity conservation efforts, for which the preliminary processes had been initiated.
Referring to documentation of traditional ecological knowledge, a release received here said biodiversity conservation efforts need to include conservation of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). This is more so in the context of Nagaland where transfer of knowledge from older generation to the young is through anecdotes and physical demonstration only. This form of transfer of knowledge is fast vanishing as a result of aggressive formal education being thrust on the younger generation.
In order to foster an intergenerational transfer of knowledge and conserve them for perpetuity, attempts were made to systematically register peoples’ knowledge by listing the names of flora and fauna that they know in their local terms. While it is still an on-going process to translate some local terms into scientific terms, it was found to be a Herculean task in terms of resources in both financial and technical support. Documentation of TEK was done in 374 villages of five eastern districts of Nagaland.
NEPED is presently the custodian of this important document. The data are being collated and analysed by experts. The listing of this TEK is being formatted in line with the National Biodiversity Authority’s (NBA) format for Peoples’ Biodiversity Register (PBR). On completion of the works, the document will be given back to the people for their record and improvements.
It is envisaged that the TEK data currently being analysed will be recognized by the State Biodiversity Board and will be the basis for Peoples’ Biodiversity Register. Dialogue had been taking place with the Department of Forests and Environment to achieve this. The steps suggested by the NBA for building PBR had generally been followed while collecting the data, therefore, in collaboration with the Forest Department, validation will be undertaken shortly so that the TEK will become an authentic Peoples’ Biodiversity Register in these 374 villages.