Kathmandu, May 23: A gathering today pointed out that Nepal needed separate and strong laws for implementation of CITES (Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species). So far, Nepal has relied on Forest Act, National Parks and Wild Life Conservation Act and other complementary Acts to enforce the anti-wild life trade convention.

Speaking at the “CITES Conference and Nepal’s Participation” organised by Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists with support from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Ukesh Dhuju of WWF said that Nepal’s performance in the area of preventing trade on wildlife contrabands is less than satisfactory. “Nepal is being used as a transit point for international trade on endangered species,” he claimed. He also added that without participation of local people and co-operation of police stopping such illegal trade would remain unachievable.

Madhu Sudan Bishta, Director General of Department of Plant Resources and Shyam Sundar Bajimaya of National Parks and Wild Life Conservation Department, who had represented Nepal to the Nairobi CITES Conference which was held in April 2000, informed the gathering that Nepal supported conservative approach to wild species. Nepal was a proponent country to the transfer of pangolin and musk deer listed in Appendix II to Appendix I. They informed that the Conference adopted the proposal with amendment that pangolin will remain in the Appendix II but will be given zero quota status for international trade.

“Having gained zero quota status on international trade is as good as putting the species on Appendix I regarding the international seriousness to stop trade on this particular species,” Bista said.

Likewise, musk deer was not shifted to Appendix I but a resolution was adopted for conservation of the animal and was agreed to take immediate action to demonstrably reduce illegal trade on them.

Bajimaya on the other hand said reviewing the national laws related to wild species conservation and ban on their trade, periodical review of the list of protected species, updating and upgrading the documentation on protected wild species would be the initial steps towards their conservation and ban on their international trade.

Lekh Nath Acharya, President of Natural Resources and Means Committee at the House of Representative said Nepal needed to have separate law to end international trade on wild species, but he cautioned implementing the Acts would be the bigger challenge.