WWF helps combat new wave of forest fires in Siberian tiger habitat
Copyright 2001 WWF International
October 4, 2001
GLAND, Switzerland - The Fire brigades set up two years ago with WWF's support in the Khabarovsk region, in Far Eastern Russia, are leading the fight against a massive outbreak of fires in the habitat of the critically endangered Siberian tiger, the conservation organization said today.
Forest fires are currently raging across an area of 600 square kilometres south of the Khabarovsk region and in northern and central parts of the Primorsky region. Strong winds increase the threats of rapid spreading of the fires.
Following the dismantling of the Russian Federal Forest Service, and the resulting scarcity of resources allocated for fire-fighting measures, the main capacity and means to combat this year's fires are provided by six - out of nine - WWF-funded Fire brigades. Some 200 people and 30 vehicles are involved in the present operations.
WWF has been working to prevent fires in the Russian Far East for three years, with the protection of the Siberian tiger habitat as one of its main objectives.
The Fire brigade project started in 1999. Apart from vehicles - including 30 tractors, 10 fire-fighting and 16 four-wheel vehicles - WWF contributed to the acquisition of clothing and special equipment, hundreds of mobile telephone sets, and 21 motorized water pumps, for a total of 1.5 million dollars US.
"Today, we do not have any other equipment, to battle against the fires, than the one provided by WWF," confirmed Nikolai Seltin, a Russian Forestry Director, whose forest unit is currently burning.
Fires occur on an annual basis in the Khabarovsk and Primorky areas. Recent major outbreaks of fires occurred in October 1998, and in May and July 1999.
WWF believes the main reason for this year's upsurge is a combination of very dry weather during August and September, and carelessness linked to intense human recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting and mushroom gathering.
In 1998, fires affected 2,5 million hectares of forests, including key areas for the Siberian tiger population. According to WWF, there are only some 450 Siberian (or Amur) tigers left in the wild, the vast majority of them roaring in the Khabarovsk and Primorky regions.
WWF's work to protect this species and its habitat includes the creation of anti-poaching brigades, the monitoring of commercial logging - together with TRAFFIC (the wildlife trade monitoring programme of WWF and the World Conservation Union-IUCN) - and promotion of sustainable forestry and protected areas management.
"When we started the Fire brigades project, we specifically targeted the areas where Siberian tigers live," pointed out Vladimir Dmitriev, a Forest Officer with WWF-Russia. "This years, fires are spreading exactly in these territories, which proves we have put our efforts at the right place."
For further information:Katya Pal, Press Officer, WWF Russian Programme Office, tel.: +7 095 727 0939 ; email: kpal@wwf.ru
Olivier van Bogaert, Press Officer, WWF International, tel.: +41 22 364 9554 ; e-mail: ovanbogaert@wwfint.org