The 2009 winner is Elena Bykova and Alexander Esipov / the Institute of ZoologyWithin their current position in the Institute of Zoology, Elena Bykova and Alexander Esipov have been partners to FFI since 2003 providing invaluable experience and on-the-ground support to
FFl's saiga antelope conservation project. The saiga antelope is a keystone species, but during the last decade have become Critically Endangered (IUCN, 2008), with the global population decreasing by more than 95%. Achievements of Elena and Alexander to date include impressive results in the field of awareness raising and community engagement in saiga conservation, ranger trainings, policy and legislation development, research of saiga population dynamics and potential climate change impact on the steppe ecosystem, and incorporation of the destructive business sector in conservation planning. Especially their day to day engagement with local communities and governmental representatives, and the trust they built between them and FFI have been crucial for the success and the reputation of our work. Their professionalism, reliability and dedication are extremely rare in Central Asia. Root causes of saiga population decline are poverty driven poaching, rendered possible by a lack of state control, and habitat loss due to land degradation and fragmentation resulting from overgrazing and the construction of gas pipelines and associated infrastructures built without previous assessment or mitigation of environmental impacts. To address these causes state ranger trainings in both law enforcement and saiga population monitoring were implemented and anti-poaching strategies have been developed. A transboundary cooperation with Kazakh ranger forces has been initiated and is anticipated to be expanded in the near future. In addition, Elena and Alexander organised a workshop aiming at involving extractive and construction industries in conservation planning. Attendees included governmental representatives, scientists, six major oil, gas and road construction companies operating on the Uzbek Ustyurt, UNDP, and various national and international NGOs. A resolution about a programme of joint action has been drafted and a working group was formed, which will follow up the initial success. The workshop was accompanied by the mass media and broadcasted on the prime nationally channel and newspapers.
Directly linked to FFI's belief that conservation is best owned and delivered by those living closest to the species and habitats concerned, Elena and Alexander conducted a socio-economic
baseline survey in the region to better understand and subsequently address human needs. In their effort to raise awareness and mobilise communities in sustainable resource use and saiga
conservation, they have especially targeted villages, in which poaching and illegal trade in saiga sadly became a crucial source of highly needed cash income for local people. As a result many local people have joined the 'Saiga Friends' Groups, set up with FFl's support, which act as advocates for saiga protection and wider biodiversity conservation in the region. In addition,
Community Ranger Groups, personed primarily by former poachers, have been established,which now play an active role in saiga population monitoring and informing state ranger patrols. A
series of awareness raising campaigns addressing school children were conducted and, in cooperation with the Saiga Conservation Alliance, the Saiga News, a regular published printed
and online journal, has been produced by Elena and Alexander to keep stakeholders updated and informed on a national and international level.
The Marsh Award will be spent on expanding current awareness campaigns to inform communities and the broader public on a landscape scale about the importance of saiga antelope
conservation. Campaigns will cover critical areas of the saiga's range on the Ustyurt Plateau in Kazakhstan and will include the local production of film targeting school children
and a campaign to address the illegal trade in saiga across the Kazakh border as part of a broader anti-poaching strategy. Saiga tatarica is listed under CITES Appendix 11and both
countries, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, are member states to CITES. Thus, by addressing the trans-border trade of saiga parts, the governments of both countries will be assisted to fulfil their
responsibilities towards meeting these international agreements.
Email: | |
