Bio-diversity

Tien Shan Brown Bear is small (in numbers) subspecies of bears having strong tendency to reduction of population. Poaching is the main cause of bear population reduction in Jerkapchygai gorge. Every year poachers from villages Chakmaksuu, Bashki-Terek, Korgon-Sai, Kanyshkiya kill 1-2 bears for the sake of selling meat, fat, liver and skin. Total income from a killed bear is 500 US dollars. The main purpose of the project is creation of plot that will be guarded by voluntary ranger patrol and that will have good forage fields for bears. It is expected that forage fields will attract bears and protection regulations will lead to keeping and increasing of bears population in this place. In the course of project implementation it is expected obtaining of the following results: Ecological -conservation and enlargement of habitat of wood and grass vegetation included into Red Data Book of Kyrgyzstan; -rehabilitation and enlargement of plot of wood and bush and grass vegetation as a habitat of Tyan-Shan brown bear; -reproduction of other species of wood vegetation through organizing nursery (Korjinskiy pear, Nedzvetskiy apple, Knorring hawthorn, walnut); Economic -collecting and processing of fruits, selling of saplings as a supplement to traditional cattle-breeding and market-gardening -increase of marmots population will give opportunity to do legal hunting for marmots that in turn will be an economic alternative to illegal hunting for bears. Social and cultural It is possible that several families that will do planting and participate in voluntary patrol will change their attitude to wild animals as to only the object of hunting. Also it is possible that level of poaching will decrease. Actions to be undertaken by Public Association Blue Lake 1. Conducting training seminars and conference for the local population. 2. Establish community based nursery forest. 3. Planting saplings of Nedvedskiy apple, Central Asian pear, Kashgarskiy barberry and sow seeds of clover, sainfoin. 4. Organizing community patrol to protect Tien Shan Brown Bear. 5. Publishing brochures, posters and establishing boards. 6. Information campaign. 24 families of Jerkapchygai village, members of Public Association Blue lake will be involved in project implementation. The main project activity will take place in the vicinity of Jerkapchygai village, 20 km west of border of state reserve Padysh-Ata and 30 km east of border of state reserve Besh-Aral. The main expected ecological and economic benefits of the project are: -reducing rate of destruction of endemic species and species included into Red Data Book of Kyrgyzstan -promotion of additional types of management that support conservation and reproduction of wood and bush and grass vegetation.

Kyrgyzstan