DiCaprio’s praise for Kazakhstan’s conservation efforts
DiCaprio lauded the Kazakh government for its significant investment in conservation work. He highlighted the collaboration between the authorities, conservation organizations, universities, and scientists as a shining example of successful nature conservation based on joint efforts.
Mixed reactions from fans
While many fans were thrilled that Kazakhstan had managed to preserve the saiga, others disagreed with DiCaprio’s congratulatory message. Some fans pointed out that the government of Kazakhstan had recently allowed the hunting of these animals.
Saiga’s conservation status
A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Ecology reported that the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had reclassified the saiga from “endangered” to “near-threatened” on the international Red List. This change was attributed to a significant increase in the species numbers in Kazakhstan.
Since 2006, Kazakhstan has expanded specially protected natural areas in saiga habitats, totalling more than 5 mn hectares. Additionally, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have signed a memorandum of understanding on the conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of the saiga antelope.
Controversy: saiga hunting in Kazakhstan
Despite these conservation efforts, the increasing saiga numbers have caused problems for local farmers, who complained that these animals were eating their crops and damaging their fields. As a result, the government of Kazakhstan decided to allow the hunting of saigas as part of a program to regulate the number of wild animals.
The government aims to reduce the saiga population to around 1 mn, meaning that if saigas become more numerous, some of them will be culled, but no more than 20% of the total population. The Ministry of Ecology proposed to set the timing of the saiga hunting season from October 1 to November 15.
Public outcry and Presidential intervention
The decision to allow the hunting of saigas provoked a negative reaction from citizens who believe that saigas are a unique and valuable species that should be preserved. In response to this outcry, the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, supported this position and instructed the Ministry to find another way to regulate the saiga population. Consequently, a moratorium on saiga hunting has been in place since December 2022.
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