CONGO DR: Government Allows Oil Exploration In Virunga And Salonga National Parks ,Environmental Activists Oppose

Combatting Wildlife Crime

Poaching is one of the most serious threats to wildlife in Asia and Africa, with too many forests devoid of the loud calls of gibbons, ecosystem engineering of Elephants, and the quite stalking of Tigers.

Those that are left are often isolated, poorly protected, and hold the last wild populations of some of the most endangered species in the world. Illegal wildlife trade is the fourth largest black market, and feeds directly into criminal and terrorist networks, which may fund other illegal activities.

At Global Wildlife Conservation, the approach to combatting wildlife crime is multi-faceted. In 2016, GWC became the newest member of the SMART Partnership. SMART, or the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool, helps wildlife rangers and managers around the world track and analyze illegal activities they observe during patrols.

The data helps them identify and address crime hotspots, ultimately benefiting threatened species such as Saola, Okapi, Elephant, Tiger and even turtles.

GWC’s Walter Steven Sechrest Endowment for Wildlife Protection protects endangered wildlife through anti-poaching efforts and by supporting wildlife rangers in parks around the globe. The endowment was established in honor of Lieutenant Colonel Steven Sechrest, late father of GWC Chief Scientist and CEO Wes Sechrest.

Steve protected the innocent throughout his life, and his legacy lives on in support of the world’s wildlife.

Project Goals
To provide the most effective tools to individuals enforcing anti-poaching laws. SMART helps bridge the gap between the sophistication of those involved in the illegal capture and trade of wildlife, and the number, skill level and motivation of wildlife authorities. SMART launched in 2013 and is now in its third release, which can be used for biological monitoring, fire monitoring and other protected area management needs in addition to law enforcement monitoring. The software is free, open source and up to date in 10 different languages.

To effectively engage with communities living with wildlife and around important areas for biodiversity, and to turn them into effective guardians of wildlife. GWC views communities as powerful allies in the conservation of biodiversity and strives to work with them to solve the problems that prevent them from being wildlife guardians.

To meet a Zero Loss goal for species such as the Saola. This means preventing poaching of any animals in GWC’s target areas—a lofty goal. GWC is part of the Zero Poaching partnership, which aims to provide governments and conservation organizations with a suite of best practice tools to holistically address the issues of poaching and trafficking. Useful tools and approaches exist across the Zero Poaching framework; a systematic approach to addressing all parts of the solution to poaching.

To improve park management in the most important sites for biodiversity around the world. Achieving zero poaching starts with good management. GWC is part of the Conservation Assured partnership, which is developing global protected area management standards. GWC strives to raise the level of protected area management effectiveness in all the sites where we work.

To provide training and support to rangers on the front lines. Rangers put their lives on the line, and their family life on hold, to protect the natural world. The much quoted International Ranger Federation statistic of 1,000 rangers killed in the line of duty over the past decade is horrific, but only starts to scratch the surface of the situation. Rangers receive little support, little training and are paid very little for a service that is vital to the future of biodiversity on our planet. For example, 42 percent of countries that employ rangers on temporary contracts do not provide any insurance benefits. GWC, with our partners, is committed to increasing ranger training, and improving their working and employment conditions. Check out the preliminary findings of a survey asking rangers about their insurance options

DR CONGO: Tourism Hope In DR Congo

Tourists perch perilously on a volcano's edge as swirling smoke belches from the fiery cauldron of lava below, the latest unlikely visitors holidaying in war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo.

Below, sounding like a roaring sea, spurts of molten rock fly high into the air, as one of the world's largest lava lakes and most active volcanos puts on its mesmerising show.

Eastern DR Congo has been mired for decades in rebel battles, but such sights are helping bring tourists back to Virunga National Park, which reopened last year after the battle lines shifted in its favour.

Surrounding misty forests in green hills of the vast park -- stretching for 7,800 square kilometres (3,010 square miles) -- are home to a quarter of the world's critically endangered mountain gorillas.

The tourists are vital: the income they bring funds the park's survival.

"The frontlines, they were down there," one porter says, peering down from the volcano through the jungles towards the lights of the lakeside city of Goma, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) southwards, referring to a rebel force who briefly took control in late 2012.

Nyiragongo, a 3470 metre (11,384 feet) peak and a steep and stiff five-hour hike from lush rain forests, is part of a chain of volcanoes in one of the world's most active regions.

- Tourism 'vital' to Virunga's future -

"Holiday on Mount Doom," said Fabian, a teenage Belgian tourist visiting with his mother, referring to the volcano in the fantasy world of British author J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" epic.

"Some things can only be believed by seeing," he added quietly, peering down from the cliff's edge in hushed awe at the raging fire below, the night sky turned red from the glowing lava.

The tourist industry in the region -- needed to keep the UNESCO world heritage site running and its animal inhabitants safe -- collapsed in 2012.

Militia forces remain active, and Virunga's chief warden Emmanuel de Merode was himself wounded by gunmen by 2014.

But the well-trained and armed guides say it is now safe, and visitors are coming back. For tourists, an hour with a gorilla family costs $400, while a night on the volcano costs $250.

Tourism revenue is "vital" to the future of Virunga, helping to benefit some four million people in and around the vast park, as well as "peace and prosperity" in general.

It gives people an alternative income than cutting down the forests for charcoal, and a motivation to protect the park.

"Every tourist that visits Virunga is contributing," Merode said.

In 2011, over 3,000 visitors came to Virunga, but violence forced the park shut the next year, and only fully reopening in late 2014.

But tourist numbers have bounced back, with almost 3,000 visiting already so far this year, bringing in much needed revenues to pay rangers.

A total of 16 tourists can hike up the mountain a day - on a recent trip in torrential rain and hail storms up the peak made by a dozen tourists took part, with nationalities including Americans, Belgians, British and Israelis.

The last major eruption in 2002 saw fast flowing lava devastate the Goma, covering the city of around a million in a river of molten rock flowing as fast as 100 kilometres (60 miles) per hour.

Oscar-nominated 2014 documentary "Virunga" -- which showed the efforts to protect Africa's oldest national park from war, poachers and oil companies -- has also brought back tourists.

"We saw the film, and said, we have to see that," said Jacques, a Belgian businessman working in Congo, after trekking into the steamy jungles to see the gorillas, the symbol of the park.

Rangers communicate with the gorillas, exchanging heavy grunts to reassure the groups, including the massive male "silverback" weighing an estimated 160 kilos (350 pounds).

"With each person coming to visit Virunga, there is a little bit more hope that things will get better," said Mélanie Gouby, a French investigative journalist, whose work to expose oil company expansion into the park is a key part of the film.

It's wonderful that so many tourists have come back in such a short time after the end of the conflict - to hear that the documentary is part of the reason why they are coming to Virunga is both incredibly exciting and humbling.

As night falls and temperatures drop below freezing, the warmth from the molten lava warms the hands of the tourists, dangling their legs over the sheer drop into the crater, watching plate tectonics in action.

"I saw how the Earth was born," one entry from an American couple read in the park's visitor's book. "How often can you climb a mountain and come back with an understanding of how we are all here?"