US lawmakers to examine decline of Indian tiger populationWashington, Apr 27: Concerned over decreasing numbers of India's wild tiger population, US lawmakers and funding agencies such as save the tiger fund, have decided to launch a bipartisan effort to examine reasons for the decline.During a hearing yesterday on reauthorisation of the national fish and wildlife foundation, Democrat Congressman Frank Pallone raised the issue of recent reports about potential corruption and scandal in international efforts to conserve tigers in India and the revelation that tiger populations are much smaller than previously thought. Pallone received commitments from both John Berry, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Matt Hogan, acting director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the save the tiger fund that they would investigate the problem, characterising it as serious, and report their results back to the subcommittee. "Virtually overnight, the status of the world's tiger populations and the protection of tiger habitats have become uncertain. The tiger is a vital symbol for the nation of India and one of the most seriously endangered large mammal populations in the world. Clearly, current international conservation efforts are failing, and we need to find out why before there are no more tigers in India," said Pallone, also a co-founder of the Congressional India Caucus. Pallone and Republican Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, chairman of the house subcommittee on fisheries and oceans, also agreed to send a letter to Indian Ambassador to US Ronan Sen, asking that India investigate the situation and work with American funding agencies to find the reasons for the decline in tiger populations and work to restore tiger habitats. |
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