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	Vulture Advocacy Programme


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	The Vulture Advocacy Programme is spearheaded by Nita Shah of the Bombay Natural History Society she is based in Delhi. The programme was initiated in November 2004, with RSPB funding, and has received much of its further funding from the Global Environment Facility (UK Government, directed through British High Commission, Delhi), together with additional RSPB support. Since April 2007, RSPB is taking on full support to this crucially important programme. The main priority is to interact with the Indian Government senior officials, decision makers especially the Drug controller General of India, Ministries of Environment & Forests, Agriculture, Health (MoH), Commerce (MoC) and Chemical & Fertilizers (MoCF), facilitating their efforts to get an effective ban of veterinary diclofenac across the country. It is through sound interactions that prompt policy formulations have been taken to the advantage of the vultures and other species concerned. Interacting through the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) is another key axis of activity.


	Dr Nita Shah (left) with farmer representatives, Delhi March 2007

A summary of some of the major achievements of the programme include:

January 2005- The program was instrumental in getting the Secretary and ADG MoEF to visit Pinjore Vulture Breeding Centre with half a day of discussions. Discussions and having gaining consensus on the vulture issue with the NBWL members,

March 2005 - National Board of Wildlife, chaired by PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh gave a directive for veterinary diclofenac ban within a stipulated time frame.

January 2006 - International meeting organised by MoEF in Delhi with key BNHS and RSPB input and support. This formalised recommendations including the priority to ban diclofenac and for the conservation breeding programme. This resulted in Government Vulture Action Plan being produced in April 2006.

May 2006 - Drug Controller General of India issued directive to withdraw all licences to manufacture veterinary diclofenac within India by August 2006. (Similar measures were taken in Nepal and Pakistan within 4 months)

May - June 2007 - Multi-ministry minutes (meeting of March 07) circulated to concerned ministries by MoEF recommending the formulation of policies for effective ban of veterinary diclofenac its importation, creating new schedule of drugs and safety testing of other painkillers and the economics of meloxicam and diclofenac.

April 08 Multi-Ministry meeting organized by MoEF & MoA needs to promote the safe alternative meloxicam across the country an thereby create a demand for it and further reduction of price. Notification of new Schedule for problem drugs in process this will monitor the use of diclofenac for human and vigilance on its spill over to veterinary market

April 08 Major notification by Customs on anti dumping duty levied on China's dumping of diclofenac. This was a major achievement of the MoEF, MoC, MoF and BNHS vulture advocacy program.

Making these measures fully effective and any further steps needed are now the priority areas for the programme, and there is certainly still a major job to do. A full list and timeframe for advocacy activities is available here.

In addition, the programme has produced diverse campaign materials and instigated radio spots in 13 Indian languages as an outreach medium to farming and veterinary communities in rural India. Vulture conservation through the traditional Indian string puppetry and use of Muppets has been instigated and is a powerful tool in telling the vulture story to rural communities. A campaign documentary 'Vanishing Vultures' was supported by the Global Environment Facility produced by BNHS Vulture Advocacy Program in association with Mike Pandey. All these tools of communication have been key elements in the process of getting the veterinary diclofenac manufacturing ban in 2006. Screening and distributing this film has been an important part of the Advocacy Programme's activities, and a very major achievement to orientate the message of the film so effectively. See news links in 2006 for more on this film.