(IN): China wants tiger parts trade made legal

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THE TIMES OF INDIA

China wants tiger parts trade made legal

16 May, 2007 l 1200 hrs IST l Abantika Ghosh/TIMES NEWS NETWORK

 

NEW DELHI: China is lobbying hard for Indian support for its plans to

legalise trade in tiger parts to facilitate its traditional medicine

industry.

 

An eight-member Chinese delegation of state forestry administration

(SFA) officials on Tuesday met senior officials of the ministry of

environment and forests to discuss the matter.

 

This is the second time China has sought Indian support for the plan,

the first time being in November 2006 when a Chinese delegation had

discussed the modalities of segregating " farm and wild products " .

 

In Tuesday's meeting, the Chinese asked for a response to the

proposal. The ministry refrained from giving an official response.

 

Sources in the ministry said that among the other items that came up

for discussion were issues of general forestry, including joint

afforestation efforts. The Chinese delegation is led by Li Yuchi, vice

administrator, SFA. Among the Indian officials present in the meeting

were MoEF DG G K Prasad, National Tiger Conservation Authority chief

Rajesh Gopal, Wildlife Institute of India head P R Sinha and head of

project elephant, A N Prasad.

 

Under pressure from its tiger farming lobby, the Chinese government is

now building a case for lifting the ban for which India's support is

crucial as the country is home to 50% of the wild tigers of the world.

 

During the fourth general assembly of the Global Tiger Forum held in

Kathmandu last month, Chinese officials wrote to the Convention on

International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) how the ban on trade

in tiger parts had cost the economy $4 billion. Captive-bred tigers in

Chinese farms, they claimed, could sustain the trade and replenish the

wild stock.

 

Wildlife activists are meanwhile fuming over the fact that India has

so far shied away from a unequivocal " no " to the proposal. " Lifting

the ban will only increase poaching because you need $10,000 to raise

a tiger in captivity and just Rs 40 worth of poison to kill it in the

wild. It is morally outrageous for India to support lifting of the

ban, " said activist Belinda Wright.

 

Said former Project Tiger director P K Sen, " There is no way to limit

the trade to only parts from captive tigers once it is legalised.

Poaching will always be cheaper as these rackets cash in on the

poverty in India. If the ministry agrees it will mean changing its 30

year stand. Releasing captive tigers in the wild is just a myth. It is

impossible. "

 

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WILDLIFE PROTECTION SOCIETY OF INDIA (WPSI)

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Tel: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5920 & 4163.5921

Fax: (Int+ 91.11) 4163.5924

E-mail: wpsi

Website: www.wpsi-india.org

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