(IN): China's reported move to lift trade in tiger body parts flayed

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*Message Source: WPSI

 

THE HINDU

*Friday, June 22, 2007

 

 

 

New Delhi, June 22 (PTI): A senior government official on Thursday sharply

reacted to China's reported plans to review its 14-year-old ban on trade in

bones from captive-bred tigers for traditional medicines and vowed to oppose

the move.

 

" If they do any thing like that we will strongly and seriously oppose the

move again. They have signed a resolution at the global forum to work for

the protection of Asian Big Cats, " Rajesh Gopal of Tiger Conservation

Authority of India said here.

 

He was referring to the recent meeting of the 171 members of the Convention

of International Trades for Endangered Species (Cites) which in a recent

meeting at The Hague had warned China that lifting the ban on the trade

could drive wild tigers to extinction.

 

" They are bound by the Cites' regulation, " Gopal said. Conservationists too

have expressed their concern over China's move, saying that it would prove

death-knell to the Asian big cats in the wild.

 

" China has got a clear message from the world that it doesn't want any trade

of tiger's body parts. If China decides so, it will be opposite to the what

world wants, " Belinda Wright, prominent conservationist said.

 

Quoting Wang Wei, deputy wildlife director at the State Forestry

Administration, China's state media reported that " the ban would not be

there forever, given the strong voices from tiger farmers, experts and

society. "

 

Ravi Singh, secretary General of World Wildlife Fund was of the similar view

saying that it (lifting of ban) would prove disaster to the tigers in the

wild.

 

" China has its own internal trade of tiger's body parts. But there is no

method to segregate wild tiger from those bred in captivity, " he said.

 

Presently China has only about 50 tigers in wild but about 5,000 in

captivity.

 

* http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200706220321.htm

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