INDIA is home to most of the world鈥檚 remaining tigers. And China is the largest consumer of tiger products, most of which end up in traditional medicines. Last week, the two countries joined forces in a bid to prevent the flood of tiger parts between them. In the Great Hall of the People in Peking, Kamal Nath, India鈥檚 environment minister, and Song Jian, the Chinese minister for environment, science and technology, signed an agreement to tackle the problems of poaching, smuggling and trade in tigers.
The tiger protocol grew out of the Global Tiger Forum held a year ago in Delhi, where the Indian authorities said they were worried that the flourishing market for traditional Chinese medicines based on tiger bones, blood and organs, was eroding India鈥檚 tiger population. India argued that as China has no tigers of its own, supplies must come from poachers working in India. India later approached the Chinese government to make the case for a joint effort to ensure the survival of the tiger.
The protocol includes plans to establish joint research and training programmes, and an exchange of data to improve wildlife management. Both countries will begin with campaigns to try to stop the trade.
Advertisement
In the past year, the Indian authorities have made large hauls of tiger skins and bones and uncovered a number of poaching networks. A single tiger can fetch as much as $60 000 in the illegal markets of the Far East. 鈥淚t has been felt by the Indian government that unless the Chinese government takes steps to curb the demand in their country, the Indian tiger population will continue to decline rapidly,鈥� says a spokesman for the Ministry for Environment and Forests.
Mahendra Vyas, a lawyer in Delhi鈥檚 Supreme Court, and a wildlife enthusiast, explains that the main aim of such political agreements is 鈥渢o keep the tiger in focus鈥�. The reality, he says, 鈥渋s that there is still a great demand for tiger preparations and this is fuelling a huge clandestine trade鈥�.