Strategy for conservation of the Snow leopard in the Russian Federation

Strategy for conservation of the Snow leopard in the Russian Federation

Appendix to the decree of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment of the Russian Federation from August 18, 2014 (№ 23-р) 

The Strategy concentrates on the following priorities:

• Conservation of stable snow leopard subpopulations in Altai Republic, Tyva Republic, and in southern Krasnoyarsky Krai; restoration of a sustainable snow leopard population in the Argut River basin (Altai Republic);
• Development of transboundary collaboration with Mongolia and Kazakhstan in areas where snow leopards are found;
• Conservation of key snow leopard subpopulations by developing and increasing the effectiveness of a functioning system of special protected areas;
• Optimization of natural resource use and increased environmental responsibility in the area of subsurface resource use in snow leopard habitat;
• Reducing conflicts between herders and snow leopards;
• Development of stimuli for the development of economic activity for local residents to aid conservation of snow leopards and their habitat; inevitability of responsibility, including criminal, for illegal hunting, possession, and trade in snow leopards and their derivatives;
• Strengthening the fight against illegal snare-poaching and poaching in general with regard to snow leopards and wild ungulates;
• Develop managed hunting and increase populations of wild ungulates living within snow leopard habitat;
• Creation of an effective snow leopard monitoring system;
• Ongoing clarification of the current distribution and population dynamics of the snow leopard in Russia, implementation of new research methods.