WWF-Russia 2015

During the winter of 2014/15, a comprehensive census of Amur tiger was conducted in the Russian Far East. The results demonstrated that predator numbers stabilised and grew in those areas in which WWF is active.

The new Bikin National Park was established in the Russian Far East. Its aim is to protect the intact Korean pine — broadleaf forests. Its area of 1,160,000 hectares is home to a large segment of the Amur tiger population as well as to the Udege and Nanai indigenous peoples.

During the winter of 2014/15, at the same time as the Amur tiger census took place, experts conducted a census of the Amur leopard. The results showed that the population size of this endangered species grew by 50% over two years.

The programme on the reintroduction of the Persian leopard into the Northern Caucasus acquired a new participant, a male leopard called Simbad. This young predator was flown to Russia from Parc des Félins zoological park in France and put into the Persian Leopard Breeding and Rehabilitation Centre in Sochi National Park. Should his adaptation be successful, he will be released into the wild in 2016 along with two other young leopards.

In the Russian Far East, the KEDR (CEDAR) system of remote sensing monitoring of changes in forest cover that was developed under the leadership of WWF is being introduced. During the testing period, the KEDR system helped to detect 11 cases of illegal logging. Dozens of cubic metres of illegally-harvested timber and machinery used for logging were confiscated.

Over 5 million trees have been planted by WWF and Yves Rocher since 2010. This fact was listed in the Russian Book of Records. During the autumn of 2015, a total of 355,000 trees were planted in the Altai Region and the Republic of Altai.

Drift net salmon fishing became illegal within Russia’s exclusive economic zone. The complete ban on drift net fishing within Russia’s exclusive economic zone is a major victory for all those who promote conservation and sustainable use of marine biological resources in the Russian Far East.

In December 2015, a new UN climate agreement was adopted in Paris. The decisions made at the Paris Conference are expected to provide urgent help to vulnerable and poor countries in adapting to climate change and in developing with minimal increase in emissions.

In 2015, WWF drew public attention to the problem of oil development in the Arctic seas and made it the theme for the year’s Earth Hour Campaign. Eighty thousands of Russians signed an appeal to the President of Russia urging him to introduce a 10-year moratorium on the extraction of oil in the Arctic. In addition, and together with leading Russian economists, WWF drew up and submitted to the Russian Government a position paper containing arguments against the costly development of the oil industry in the Arctic and urging increased efficiency in the exploitation of continental oil fields, the prevention of leakages from pipelines and the provision of support to the development of the gas chemical industry.

In partnership with the CREON Group and the National Rating Agency, WWF for the second time rated the environmental responsibility of the oil and gas industry. In 2015, the methodology was amended in order to incorporate the suggestions received from 11 companies who had participated in the first rating exercise. Many companies now no longer avoid communicating with the organisers of this rating exercise, as had happened in 2014, and agreed to make available a larger pool of information to the assessment.

The first phase of the pilot project on strategic environmental assessment (SEA) was completed in the Zabaikalsky Region. This project forms part of the efforts to develop and improve environmental legislation in Russia.