Between June 11 and 13, the Third National Workshop of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) was successfully conducted in Thakurdwara, Bardia. The workshop brought together some 100 WCCB officials from the central to the district unit level, including senior government officials and representatives from multiple line agencies tasked with handling wildlife crime control, protection, prosecution, and intelligence.
Participating at the workshop as chief guest was the Minister for Forests and Environment, the Hon. Birendra Prasad Mahato, who spoke about the importance of community participation and public education, and interagency alliance, intelligence and technologies, for strengthening wildlife crime response.
Together with the Hon. Minister Dr. Mahato, the event was addressed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Forest and Environment Dr. Rewati Raman Poudel, and the Mayor of Thakurbaba Municipality Mr. Tilak Ram Lamsal, both of whom were special guests. The Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, chaired the event as head of the Central WCCB.
Addresses were also made by the Director General of the Department of Forest and Soil Conservation Mr. Devesh Mani Tripathi, the Member Secretary of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) Mr. Sharad Chandra Adhikari, among other conservation partners, WWF Nepal and ZSL Nepal. Mr. Jarrad Scott from the US Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Combatting Wildlife Trafficking team, also addressed the event.
Workshop sessions included review and discussion of Nepal's institutional framework for wildlife poaching prevention and illegal trade control, strategies for breaking the illegal wildlife trade nexus, wildlife crime-related technologies and capacities in place, investigation and prosecution procedures, Illegal Wildlife Trade and Poaching Control Strategic Plan for Nepal (2023-2030), legal instruments concerning wildlife crime control in Nepal and court decisions in wildlife crime cases, the role of community in wildlife conservation and crime control, interagency coordination and cooperation, and ways forward. Global wildlife crime scenarios and response mechanisms were also discussed closely.
Participants were divided province-wise into seven groups to identify key issues, policy gaps, and ways to control wildlife crime and combat illegal wildlife trade. The workshop was also useful for interagency networking and collaboration.
WCCB was established in 2010 to build multi-agency cooperation and institutional capacities to counter wildlife crime operatives and networks in Nepal. It is led by the Director General of the DNPWC. Besides forest and park officials, WCCB represents numerous law enforcement and conservation organizations such as the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police, the Nepal Army, the Armed Police Force, the National Intelligence Department, the Department of Customs, the Department of Prison Management, Office of the Attorney General, Postal Services Department, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, Airlines Operating Committee, South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), NTNC, WWF Nepal, ZSL Nepal, among others. Currently, 34 WCCB units operate at the district level, where Divisional Forest Offices work closely with security agencies and government lines.
Since WCCB’s inception, NTNC has been playing a critical support role in the expansion and capacity development efforts of WCCBs, focusing on training frontline forest and park staff and institutionalizing standing operating procedures on-the-ground. At the community level, NTNC focuses on enhancing education and livelihoods.
Under the leadership of the Government of Nepal, the workshop was organized by the Central WCCB with support from various conservation partners, including NTNC. Funding support for the workshop from INL was significant. This is the third WCCB National Workshop, with the first conducted in June 2019 and the second in July 2020.
