Wildlife Law Enforcement Training Completed

South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN) organized 'Training on Wildlife Law Enforcement to Officials from NID, Nepal' on 19-21 June 2019 in Godavari, Lalitpur. The training aimed to create awareness on wildlife crime prospects covering ranges of issues associated with this subject matter to National Investigation Department (NID) officials.

Twenty-eight participants from Shankhuwashava, Tehrathum, Sunsari, Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Chitwan, Nawalparsai (East), Banke, Baridya, Dang, Kanchanpur, Darchula, Baglung, Gorkha, Kathmandu, and Rasuwa districts were participated in the training. Three days training covered biodiversity conservation prospects in Nepal, global/ regional/ local wildlife crime scenario, institutional mechanism in controlling wildlife crime, modus operandi, legal provisions, and importantly identification of wildlife parts and products with special reference to Nepal.

After completion of the formal technical sessions, a closing program was held in the chairpersonship of Mr. Man Bahadur Khadka, Chief Enforcement Coordinator of SAWEN and Director General of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and in presence of the chief guest Mr. Ganesh Prasad Adhikari, Chief Investigation Director, NID Nepal.

Mr. Ujjwal Meghi from INTERPOL recalled importance of organizing the training and shared that due to the nature of wildlife crime, intelligence is essential in curbing the crime. Sincere thanks to the organizers and facilitators for their support and elaborative presentation on various sessions was extended from the participant. Mr. Pradeep Bhattarai from SAWEN briefly recalled about the training content, discussed points and feedback received from the participants.

Chief guest, Mr. Adhikari recognized the training as knowledge booster and directed the trainees to apply gathered knowledge in the work field. He encouraged the participants to share information and intelligence in coordination with other relevant stakeholders. Closing the program, Mr. Khadka reminded the importance of biodiversity and without which human life is difficult to sustain and therefore urged all the participants to join hands to curb wildlife crime in an organized way.

During the training, participants gathered knowledge on various aspects of wildlife crime ranging from the basic of protected area systems and protected species in Nepal; wildlife crime; major illegally traded species in Nepal; controlling mechanism such as institutional, legal; interventions from law enforcement agencies; identification of wildlife derivatives; legal provisions and more. Field visit to national forensic science laboratory and hands on experience of morphological identification tips to the participants was one of the highlights among the participants. They learnt about major illegally traded species through Nepal and observe the distinguishing features of the commodities theoretically and practically.