Ulaanbaatar
Saiga Protection Work of Mongolia Appreciated
Society
Ulaanbaatar, 2024 February15 /MONTSAME/. The 14th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties to the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals is taking place in Samarkand, Uzbekistan on February 12-17, 2024, and a sub-meeting on Saiga antelope protection was held on the sidelines of the Conference.
Mongolian delegates
including Ts. Uranchimeg, Chair of the Natural Reserve Policy Regulation
Department; Justin Shanti, Director of Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Senior researcher B. Buuveibaatar, Researcher S. Bolortsetseg participated in the sub-meeting.
The sub-meeting organized by Saiga
Conservation Alliance (SCA) was attended by representatives from the government
organizations of Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Russian Federation, Tajikistan; Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat Office, United States Fish and Wild Animal Service, Golden Ocean Initiative (ADI), Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
Buuveibaatar, Senior Researcher for the
Wildlife Conservation Society and Manager of the life environment program made
a presentation on Saiga protection in Mongolia, and its plans. In his
presentation, Buuveibaatar underscored the Saiga Protection Strategy Plan to be
adopted by the Government of Mongolia in 2024 and how to protect the saiga
population during infrastructure development. He also noted the collaborative efforts
with international organizations and civil society organizations achieving saiga
population growth from 3391 to 15540 in 2018-2023.
Bolortsetseg, Manager and Researcher for the Wildlife Conservation Society presented about the successful collaboration of state and non-government organizations and civil society for ending illegal saiga trade. Moreover B. Chimeddorj, Director of Wildlife Protection at the World Wildlife Fund in Mongolia; G.Olonbaatar, Specialist at the Environment and Tourism Department in Gobi Altai aimag; Ch.Bayarmaa, Master of Science and Researcher of the Wildlife Protection Center introduced the saiga protection works carried out in Mongolia.
A study on saiga nutrition conducted by Researcher
Ch. Bayarmaa within the framework of a saiga protection project in 2023 attracted much attention
of participants and received the Small Grants Programme Award.
G.Olonbaatar, Biology Specialist at the
Environment and Tourism Department in Gobi Altai aimag was presented with the Excellence
in Saiga Protection award for his outstanding contributions to conservation of
the saiga antelope.
