KATHMANDU: The first ministerial-level meeting of tiger range countries, held in Bangkok from 27 to 30 January, with the view of saving the endangered big cat decided to hold another meeting in June in Bali of Indonesia.

“A few issues raised in Bangkok need some time for discussion in countries concerned so we decided to sit once again before the meeting of Heads of State to be held in Russia in September,” said Deepak Bohara, Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of 12 countries in the tiger range but the Indian minister was absent. “The Indian team apologised for the absence, which shows it was not a deliberate move. We got the assurance that the minister will attend the Bali meeting,” added Bohara.

Habitat degradation and poaching were agreed to be the main causes for the sharp fall in tiger population. Studies have shown tigers occupy less than seven per cent of their original range, which has decreased by 40 per cent over the past ten years. “Having reached a conclusion that habitat degradation is the most critical issue, the meeting agreed to protect the critical tiger habitat, to completely prohibit developmental works that directly or indirectly degrade the core habitat of the species and to work on the anti-poaching strategy more intensively,” said Dr Siddhartha Bajracharya, executive officer, National Trust for Nature Conservation.

Tiger is the topmost endangered species whose population decreased from 100,000 to 3,200 in the past five decades. The meeting also agreed on establishing a ministerial council comprising countries in the tiger range as a permanent high-level body to handle the issues regarding the endangered animal. “The delegates also expressed commitment for doubling the wild tiger population by 2022,” Minister Bohara added.

Save The Tiger USA and the World Wildlife Fund International have pledged support on strengthening the anti-poaching squad of the Nepali Army and park officials in Chitwan National Park, which boasts 91 adult tigers. According to the 2009 tiger population estimates, the country is home to 121 adult tigers.

The 12-member team, headed by minister Bohara, returned home from the Thai capital today. The tiger range countries are Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Malaysia, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.