Conservation

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 (WLPA) is the single most significant statute on Protected Area (PA) conservation in India. However, the term “protected area” was only introduced in 2002 when the 1972 Act was comprehensively amended for the sixth time to enlarge the categories of protected areas. Prior to that, National Parks and sanctuaries designated under the 1972 Act were commonly referred to as PAs but it was not a legal term. Under the WLPA over 85 National Parks and 500 sanctuaries have since been created or given legal protection. Although there were several laws relating to wildlife prior to 1972, the WLPA was India’s first comprehensive legislation, covering the whole country. Its objectives are primarily three-fold:

• to create uniform legislation for the protection of wildlife
• to regulate and control trade in wildlife and wildlife products
• to establish a network of protected areas in the form of National Parks, sanctuaries

and two newly introduced categories of conservation reserves and community reserves.
It is under this 1972 Act, as amended, that the Great Himalaya National Park was established and eventually finally notified (fully legally established) in May 1999.

There are other acts at the national level which have an important bearing on the PA network, including the Indian Forest Act, (1927), Forest Conservation Act, (1980), Biological Diversity Act, (2002), as well as the Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, (1996) (PESA). All these Acts do not create protected areas, but they nevertheless can affect them because their provisions may supersede the WPLA. This can be especially important in the wake of numerous Supreme Court orders and judgments issued during past two decades.

Implementing Protective Measures
Protective measures currently being implemented in GHNP are laid out in the Management Plan approved in 2006, and in turn are based upon provisions of the amended WPLA 1972 and relevant provisions of Acts and government orders. The approach is fundamentally based on enforcing a permit system that stipulates that no one (visitor or Ecozone resident) can enter without first obtaining a permit. Enforcement of this permit system and other regulations is accomplished through regular visits of GHNP’s field staff, who also provide monitoring of key resources and collection of data for use in resource management.

Training Staff
With high incidence of wildlife and other key resources such as unique habitats, water resources, and geological features of the Park, staff training is on-going including:

• Field (Jungle) craft including recognition of wildlife signs, response to an encounter with a wild animal, survey and census techniques and related aspects.
• Rock climbing and mountaineering.
• Legal Process and Procedures related to prosecution.
• Weapons training (if appropriate).

Wildlife Protection Maps
Preparation of a series of special-focus Wildlife Protection maps has been accomplished with the help of scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India. These have been prepared for various animal habitats (employing a GIS) and are used for management purposes. This enhances protection of wildlife hot spots of the GHNP as well as its unique topography, water/salt points, vegetation types associated with hotspots, and along trekking routes of special concern. There are eight patrolling huts in Park that facilitate this kind of protective management.

Poaching & Patrolling
Organized poaching of wildlife or illegal collection of medicinal plants is usually the work of a few individuals who are not residents of the Ecozone. Ecozone villagers who share the benefits of Park’s ecodevelopment programme typically have latent resentment against such poachers, and there is a system of informers from among local people who help Park staff in protection work. GHNP is an example where Park management is involving local community in wildlife protection through alternative income generation sources. Park field protective measures include:

A system of group patrolling and reporting, in which a group consisting of the Wildlife Guards and Wildlife Watchers participate is in place. This has been introduced for more effective patrolling by staff and watchers. A Forest Police Station is now operational just outside the Park near Ropa in Sainj Valley. Activities include:

• Each group patrol originating from Ropa in the Ecozone covers certain interior areas of GHNP. The patrolling party has maps with their required route shown.
• Full daily reporting is required from every patrol, which includes collection of biological information.
• Biological information collected during patrolling is organized and tabulated so that it is readily available for reference.
• Patrol reports are directly used in evaluation of management effectiveness and for monitoring habitats and populations of target species.

The regular inflow of patrolling reports also enables GHNP management to ensure that the Forest Guards are active and determine if there are weak points in the patrolling system. To more effectively control continued poaching, Park staff work first to better understand its character, including:

• Whether it is commercial or subsistence poaching.
• If it takes place during the: day or night.
• In what season: wet or dry.
• Number of people involved or size of the party.
• How wildlife parts are ultimately sold – to middlemen, or as trophies.
• Poaching methods (snares/dogs/guns) of local villagers in the poaching case.

When poaching has been identified as an active or suspected threat, the Park staff implement the following:

• Undertake spot checks of vehicles and places where wild animals or their remains are suspected to be sold (done outside the Park).
• Maintain an adequate patrolling intensity
• Maintain and routinely visit existing patrolling huts in the Park so that poachers do not get to use them.
• Mark any poaching incidents on a “Poaching Map” and update it regularly.
• Vary Patrol routes and schedules and keep the patrol group small and mobile

Rewards

Another anti-poaching approach involves rewards, which are recommended by the Park management to be given to a person or villager who renders assistance in the detection of an offence or the apprehension of the offenders as per decision of the Chief Wildlife Warden, HP.