by Christian Walzer and Dr. Petra Kaczensky
Poaching
Poaching remains a management problem in the Gobi B SPA. Signs of poaching of khulan and black tailed gazelle—and even snow leopard—can be found throughout the park. Most poaching seems to take place in fall, when people prepare their winter food. Although local people know that hunting is not allowed in the park, most are not familiar with park regulations, nor aware of the high fines issued in 2002. Poaching black tailed gazelles can bring a fine of 300 US$, while poaching of khulan is a fine of 100 US$.
Poaching in the park is facilitated by the fact that wolf hunting is legal and that it is not a criminal act to drive around with a gun. In addition, poachers have a low risk of being detected, as the few rangers are burdened with limited mobility and no communication system. For the entire Gobi B SPA (which covers 9,000 square kilometers) there are four rangers provided by the park administration, one “takhi man” by the International Takhi Group (ITG) and three rangers by the bag administration of Uench, Altai-Khovd and Soyombo. Better equipment and higher wages are much needed to ensure regular patrols of rangers through the entire park.
Saxaul collection
Especially in the western part of the Gobi B SPA collection of saxaul (Haloxylon ammodendron)—a woody bush—for firewood is widespread. In the Altai-Khovd Aimag, mostly saxaul, and not animal dung, is used for heating and cooking in gers and buildings. Human population numbers are increasing and so is saxaul consumption. At the present no alternatives to saxaul are provided to local people. With the highly inefficient stoves and the poor insulation of public buildings such as schools and hospitals, it is not possible to replace saxaul with dung. Projects focusing on alternative fuel and more efficient stoves are much needed to minimize saxaul collection in the park.
Need for alternative income
Close to 11,000 people live in the vicinity of the Gobi B SPA and more than 100 families and their livestock use the park. Although this does not seem like many people, the carrying capacity of the fragile desert ecosystem is low. At the moment main income is from livestock breeding and trade. In the rural communities, livestock is the “bank” of the local people and the young animals born every year are the “interest."
This system results in high stocking numbers and, because of a growing human population, will eventually result in overgrazing and habitat degradation. Projects focusing on quality instead of quantity in regard to livestock and alternative income projects need to be initiated. In the long-term, nature conservation in the Gobi B SPA will only be successful, if it involves local people and provides incentives to cooperate with the park.
About the author:Dr. Christian Walzer is Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarian at Zoo Salzburg in Austria. Dr. Petra Kaczensky is a wildlife biologist at Zoo Salzburg.
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