The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has held its first meeting of a working group for the preparations for and conducting of a comprehensive survey of the Amur Tiger in the Russian Federation in the winter of 2014-2015.

The meeting was held under the leadership of Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision of Natural Resources (Rosprirodnadzor) Amirkhan Amirkhanov. Taking part in the meeting were representatives of prominent departments of the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, Primorye Territory, Khabarovsk Territory, Amur Region, Jewish Autonomous Region, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Pacific Institute of Geography at the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The monitoring of changes in number and registration of the endangered animals are important components of the tiger conservation programme. In accordance with Russia's obligations, which have been talked about in amongst other places at the International Tiger Conservation Forum in St Petersburg, registering and counting the numbers of Amur Tigers is one of Russia's policies and the main indicator of success in implementing the country's national strategy and global tiger conservation programme.

According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment a survey is carried out in accordance with approved guidelines every 10 years, and monitoring of changes in numbers are held annually in 16 locations. Under the latest survey, which was carried out in the winter of 2004-2005, the number of Amur tigers in Russia is stable, at 334-417 adults and 97-112 cubs, making a total of around 500 in all.

As well as providing data on numbers, the full-scale survey will enable information to be obtained on the present-day borders of their habitat areas, the sex and age breakdown of the population (in particular numbers and distribution of breeding females), relative numbers of the main species of tiger prey, and necessary tiger conservation measures. The main funding for conducting the survey is coming from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and non-governmental organisations also took part in raising funds.

Summing up the results of the meeting, Amirkhan Amirkhanov stressed that conducting the survey in the winter of 2014-2015 would be a crucial factor in evaluating how well Russia is implementing the Tiger Conservation Strategy in the Russian Federation, which was approved by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.