IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Nowell, K.; Xu, L. | |
| Taming the tiger trade: China's markets for wild and captive tiger products since the 1993 domestic trade ban | |
| 2007 Full Book | |
Tigers are threatened with extinction, with a global effective population size of fewer than 2,500 adults in the wild. One of the primary threats to their survival is illegal trade in bone, used for traditional medicines or for health tonics. The illegal trade in skins for clothing is a growing threat, as well. With Tigers so rare, demand has widened to other Asian big cat species, including Leopard, Snow Leopard and Clouded Leopard. China's consumers have held the largest market share of these global, illegal trades. China's existing policy-a complete trade ban, implemented in 1993-has been vital to protecting Tigers in the wild. China's government should be congratulated for the positive, long-standing impacts of its policy, its enforcement actions and awareness efforts in support of Tiger conservation. This is particularly the case with traditional medicines. The TRAFFIC surveys of the current report found little Tiger bone available in China, with less than 3% of 663 medicine shops and dealers in 26 Chinese cities claiming to stock it. There was high awareness that Tiger is protected and that trade is illegal (with 64% of retail pharmacies mentioning this to the TRAFFIC investigators). China's medicinal industry now appears largely in compliance with the 1993 trade ban. The ban has greatly reduced the production, sale and use of Tiger and Leopard medicines. With regard to traditional medicine, China's policy is achieving its goal. |
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