Action Plan for Vulture Conservation for 2020-2025

Subject – Environment

Concept –

The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) October 5, 2020. An earlier one was formulated in 2006 for three years.
The new plan has laid out strategies and actions to stem the decline in vulture population, especially of the three Gyps species:
- Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
- Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
- Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)
These three vulture species were listed by IUCN, in 2000 as ‘Critically Endangered’, which is the highest category of endangerment.
This would be done through both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds pray on.
The new plan automatically removes veterinary use of a drug if it is found to be toxic to vultures. This is to be done with the help of Drugs Controller General of India.
Under the plan, every state will host at least one vulture safe zone to conserve the remnant population of vultures in the state. These centres will facilitate conservation and breeding of vultures.
A coordinated Nation-wide vulture counting is to be conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society, Forest Department, non-profit organisations, Research Institute, etc. These countings are to be conducted at regular intervals.

Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan

It was adopted at the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS) held in 2017.
The first strategy of the plan was launched at the CMS COP 13 held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
The major objectives of the plan are as follows
- To reduce mortality caused due to unintentional toxic substances
- To reduce mortality due to NSAID.
- To halt the trade of vulture parts
- To stop poisoning by poacher.
A National vulture Task Force is to be created in every member country. This task force shall help the respective governments to address the threats to vultures in their respective countries.
The report of success of the project is to be created in 2029.

Diclofenac

A veterinary nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) in 2004, which is used to treat pain and inflammatory diseases such as gout in carcasses that vultures would feed off.
Just 0.4-0.7% of animal carcasses contaminated with diclofenac was sufficient to decimate 99% of vulture populations.