Conservationists seek ban on three vulture-toxic veterinary drugs

Conservationists seek ban on three vulture-toxic veterinary drugs

Subject :Environment

• Sixteen years after India banned veterinary use of diclofenac, found to be toxic for vultures, scientists and conservationists are calling for a ban on veterinary painkiller aceclofenac.
• Recently, it was found that aceclofenac was rapidly converted to diclofenac in the cattles.
• Diclofenac was present in the plasma within 20 minutes of the treatment of aceclofenac.
• The concentration reached its peak between four and eight hours.
• Consevationists said tha allowing the use of aceclofenac was a very unfortunate loophole in India’s vulture conservation.

Background

• Aceclofenac is a pro-drug of diclofenac and behaves similarly in domestic water buffalo as it does in domestic cattle, posing the same risk to vultures.
• It is one among the three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) drugs—aeclofenac, ketoprofen and nimesulide—were introduced as alternatives to diclofenac, that India banned in 2006 for animal use because it caused widespread vulture deaths.
• However, India’s vulture conservation action plan for 2020-25 recommends a ban on the veterinary use of the three drugs.

Diclofenac

• Diclofenac, a drug used to treat cattle, was linked to kidney failure in vultures and a decline in the bird’s population.
• Though the drug was banned in 2006, it is reportedly still available for use.
• Diclofenac, that is potentially toxic to vultures being used by vets for treating cattle. The drugs make their way into the vulture’s system as they feed on carcasses.
• Three of India’s vulture species of the genus ‘Gyps’— the long-billed (Gyps indicus) and the slender-billed (G. tenuirostris) had declined by 97%, while in the white-rumped (G. bengalensis) declined nearly 99% between 1992 and 2007.

Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025

• It proposes to establish Vulture Conservation Breeding Centers in Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
• There would also be a conservation breeding programme for the Red Headed vulture and Egyptian vulture, and at least one “Vulture Safe Zone” in every State for the conservation of the remnant populations.
• There would be four rescue centers in different geographical areas:
• Pinjore in north India,
• Bhopal in central India,
• Guwahati in northeast India and
• Hyderabad in south India,
• There will also be regular surveys to track population numbers, the plan envisages.
• Also, the vulture action plan recommends meloxicam over diclofenac and Tolfenamic acid is the other safe option.

SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction)

• The consortium of like-minded, regional and international organizations, created to oversee and coordinate conservation, campaigning and fundraising activities to help the plight of south Asia’s vultures.
• Objective: To save three critically important species from extinction through a single programme.
• SAVE partners: Bombay Natural History Society, Bird Conservation Nepal, RSPB (UK), National Trust for Nature Conservation (Nepal), International Centre for Birds of Prey (UK) and Zoological Society of London.

About Vultures

• Vultures are one of the 22 species of large carrion-eating birds that live predominantly in the tropics and subtropics.
• India is home to nine species of vultures and these are :