Criminal syndicates are emptying Asian forests to feed an unrelenting, multibillion-dollar trade in illegal wildlife, conservationists warned today.

A 13-nation symposium opened in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu to develop strategies toward ending poaching in the region, with tigers, rhinos and elephants particularly under threat.

Host nation Nepal recorded zero cases of poaching during 2011-13. The confirmed wild tiger population currently stands at 198 adults.

India recorded a 30-per-cent increase in its tiger population since 2010.

“Our efforts should now focus toward controlling the illegal wildlife trade, to break the network of poachers and implement stringent law enforcement strategies to protect our wildlife,” Nepalese Minister for Forests Mahesh Acharya said.

Wild animal body parts are traded as rare decorative commodities and prized for alleged medicinal properties in some countries. China is one of the biggest buyers.

The symposium that ends Feb 6 includes Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.

- dpa