On 8 May, Acting Governor of the Primorye Territory Andrei Tarasenko had a working meeting with Sergei Aramilev, director general of the Amur Tiger Centre, to discuss Amur tiger conservation efforts and their impact on Primorye Territory residents.

Sergei Aramilev noted that the main force behind Russia’s Amur tiger conservation strategy is the local hunting supervision service, which is part of the Primorye Territory Administration. The Amur Tiger Centre is ready to further provide equipment and resources to the service as well as to promote the job prestige of hunting supervision inspector.  

“One of our main tasks is to make sure the hunting supervision service is as well-equipped as poachers. Primorye was the first region in Russia to create a group to resolve conflicts between tigers and humans. We fully support it by providing financing and training for employees,” Sergei Aramilev stressed.

The officials also discussed counter-poaching measures. Acting Governor Andrei Tarasenko expressed willingness to cooperate on the issue. Sergei Aramilev pointed out that it is important to create conditions for the local population to derive legal income in the rural areas so as to prevent poaching of ungulates, illegal cutting of fine woods and rare animal trading.

“The hunting supervision service employs only 60 people for the entire Primorye Territory. You can’t assign an inspector to watch every single hunter and poacher. Therefore, comprehensive action is required. For example, this refers to the ban on linden tree cutting. The more people can earn from honey-making and agriculture, the less they will want to kill animals to sell. Tigers can’t exist without ungulates, and ungulates can’t exist without a forest. Wood products and ungulates’ meat is the main commodity for the rural population,” Aramilev explained.

The acting Primorye governor noted that the local administration will continue to work on the measures to protect one of the territory’s main honey sources.

Photo courtesy of the Primorye Territory Administration official website.