Surprisingly for the first time China has admitted in public that it allows trade in skins from captive tigers. The awful submission was made at a meeting of an international convention to protect endangered species that was attended by good many participants and officials.
They said that earlier China had never reported this to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. According to the reports obtained, a participant said that a Chinese delegate had remarked that they do not ban trade in tiger skins but trading in tiger bones are strictly prohibited by them. However, China had strongly reported during the convention’s standing committee meeting in Geneva, that it bans trade in tiger bones and refrains from such malpractices.
Around 5000-6000 tigers are in captivity in China and undoubtedly such an admission from the Chinese delegate comes more of a shock to the Wildlife organisations who have long demanded an end to trade in tiger skins. Wildlife experts are of the view that tiger farming in China has mobilized the demand for poaching and trafficking of the endangered species in other regions. They believe that such an awful admission at the meeting will aggravate pressure on China to refrain from such activities.The submission was followed by a presentation that showed how the Chinese government had allowed commercial trade in skins from captive tigers.
A participant who wished to remain anonymous, said that the report presented in the Cites meeting created a situation, whereby China had to respond. Such an admission created quite a sensation and a buzz in the atmosphere of the meeting. Back in 2005, China had declared that it was in a state of re-opening domestic trade in tiger bones from tiger breeding facilities. However two years later, Cites parties decided to completely phase out such facilities in no time.
