On the World Bee Day on May 20, UAZ Patriot off-roader was handed over from WWF Russia and the Credit Bank of Moscow (MCB) to the first inter-farm anti-poaching brigade of game users and beekeepers which united efforts to preserve honey-bearing forests and wildlife of the eastern Siniy Ridge (Blue Ridge) in Primorsky province.

Early in 2021, WWF-Russia has launched a project to preserve honey-bearing forests within Amur tiger home range with the support of the Credit Bank of Moscow (MCB). The unique forests of Sikhote-Alin Mountain Ridge become the territory of interaction between 4 hunting clubs “Fauna”, “Sinegorye”, Yakovlevsky RZOP and “Mikhailovskoye” and the Union of Beekeepers of Primorsky province for sustainable development and protection. New off-roader UAZ Patriot, as well as further support from WWF for the work of the inter-farm anti-poaching brigade, will ensure the public control over the situation in the forest. The project goal is to preserve honey-bearing forests and wildlife on the area of more than 100 thousand hectares.

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UAZ Patriot off-roader was handed over from WWF Russia and the Credit Bank of Moscow (MCB) to the first inter-farm anti-poaching brigade of hunters and beekeepers

Elena Starostina / WWF Russia

“Tiger-bee-mobile”, as our partners aptly named the car, will be used to patrol the forests on the territory of 4 hunting leases located on the eastern Siniy Ridge and adjacent territories - unique in terms of flora and fauna, where tigers and people live together, the area of active development of sustainable hunting and taiga beekeeping. The integrated nature management, which takes into account the interests of different groups of people and wildlife, formed the basis for this partnership. With the support of WWF-Russia, such a union of game users and beekeepers made it possible to create the first united group for public control over wildlife and forest management. Its members were trained at the courses of public forest inspectors, some of them are game managers and are ready to help the Ministry of Forestry and Hunting Management of Primorsky province to combat poaching and restore order in the forest,” comments Evgeny Lepeshkin, senior project coordinator on sustainable forest management at WWF-Russia Amur Branch.

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The joint anti-poaching brigade went on the first patrol on "tiger-bee-mobile" on the next day after handing over

Elena Starostina / WWF Russia

The Far Eastern lindens (Amur, Manchurian and Take linden species) are the most valuable honey-bearing plants in the Russian Far East. Their felling causes colossal damage to the Ussury taiga and beekeeping - an important and unique component of the socio-economic development of the region. Thus, according to WWF-Russia, the real volume of linden timber export in 2018 in the Far East has exceeded the allowed cutting permit by more than 4 times. The public raised the alarm and appealed to the authorities to take urgent measures to preserve the Far Eastern lindens. In 2019, the Governor of Primorye supported the primary regional steps: special linden “no-cut zones” appeared in the Forest Management Plan of Primorsky province, where linden logging is prohibited.

The situation began to change for the better. However, the issue of preserving valuable honey plants has not yet been removed from the agenda.

Comments Andrey Yanchuk, first deputy head of Anuchinsky district administration, chairman of the regional society of beekeepers:

“The next stage after the introduction of linden no-cut zones is to control the implementation of the regulations and to achieve a complete ban on linden harvesting. Now, for many reasons, the number of employees in the forest units has been reduced, and these specialists will not be able to get into every corner of the forest. The beekeepers and game users are exactly the people who are interested to keep the forest in order. Therefore, the creation of a joint mobile group is a good help. Public inspectors will be able to arrive to the site, take photos, record the coordinates and, through the official bodies, initiate an inspection. We must minimize the harvesting of linden in our area”.

Comments Pavel Fomenko, senior project coordinator of rare species conservation unit at WWF-Russia Amur branch:

“It should be noted that hunting clubs involved in this project have already delineated protection zones on their territories by their own initiative in 2020. These are areas of various sizes and configurations which are necessary to create good conditions for reproduction of game species as well as tigers. In fact, these are mini-reserves for tigers, with a complete restriction of hunting, and they can be as effective as the existing protected areas. If we manage to limit forest use in these territories, we can get plus 5% of protected areas or even more.”

For additional information please contact

Evgeny Lepeshkin

Leading Project Coordinator

Elena Starostina

Press-Officer

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