Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen madethe remark while speaking to radio the “Voice of Russia”.
Tuyenis joining representatives from 13 tiger range countries at the on-goingInternational Tiger Forum in St. Petersburg from Nov. 21-24 discussing astrategy to protect and revive tigers in the world and measures toprotect this rare animal in the natural environment.
On Nov. 21,the participants passed a global programme with the aim of doubling thenumber of tiger in the world to 7,000 in the 2010-2022 period at anestimated cost of nearly 350 million USD.
The global programmealso requires the 13 countries with living tigers to draft theirnational plans on tiger recovery. The countries are Russia, Thailand,Vietnam, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos,Malaysia, Myanmar and Nepal).
Russia was selected as host for theInternational Tiger Forum as the country has the largest number oftigers in the world (450 individuals). It is also the only nation thatstill preserves tiger habitats since the 1990s.
According tothe WWF, the tiger populations are plunging due to illegal hunt andtrade, habitat loss and fragmentation. In the last century, tigersnumbered 100,000 but now there are only 3,200 and the number is stillfalling.
The International Youth Tiger Summit is also going on in Vladivostock, Russia, from Nov. 18-24./.