18 November 2020.

Introduction:

The National Action Plan for Vulture Conservation, 2020-25 was recently approved by National Board for Wild life. The plan suggests that new veterinary Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) should be tested on vultures before they are commercially released.

Highlights:

• The new plan automatically removes veterinary use of a drug if it is found to be toxic to vultures.
• This is will be facilitated by 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.

The Vulture Multi-Species Action Plan:

• This plan  was adopted at the Convention for 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, in Feb 2020.
• The major objectives of the plan are to reduce the mortality caused due to unintentional toxic substances, to reduce mortality due to NSAID.
•  To halt the trade of vulture parts and to stop poisoning by poaching activities.

The Vulture conservation programme :

• It is a part of the UNEP and every member country is expected to create a National vulture Task Force.
• Each of the member countries have to create the report of success of the project in 2029.

Threats:

• The major threats leading to decline in vulture population are unintentional and intentional poisoning.
• Death due to power grid infrastructure (collision or electrocution).
• Reduction in food availability,
•  Diseases,
• Habitat loss (fragmentation and degradation),
• Disturbance from human activities and climate change.

Significance of Vultures:

• Vultures act as  scavengers and  play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.