Animal Groups Urging Obama to speak about Tiger Trade to Chinese President Xi Jinping

Fourteen animal organizations are calling for President Obama to raise the critical issue of the tiger trade with Chinese President XI Jinping when he visits the U.S. this week   The NGO’s have  written a joint letter to Obama asking the U.S. impress upon China the importance of taking immediate action to protect the fewer than 3200 wild tigers remaining across Asia.

The letter which was given to Obama on Septmeber 20th states: “One of the most critical threats to the survival of wild tigers is trade in their meat, skin and bones to satisfy demand driven by wealth, rather than health – for high-status food, drink, home décor and even investment assets. An increase in tiger farms in China, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand is causing this demand.  Tigers are intensively bred for trade in their parts and products. China claims to house more than 5,000 tigers on farms.”

China is the main producer and consumer of captive bred tigers, their parts and their products  China’s State Forestry Administration has helped the demand grow by supporting the expansion of tiger farms despite its commitments under the under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.  They have also allowed a legal trade in skins from farmed tigers and approved  tiger farm wineries that make tiger-bone wine.

The letter ended with its authors saying “Zero poaching of tigers can only be achieved when there is zero demand…..We ask you to continue your leadership in tackling wildlife trade by seeking and end to tiger farming in Asia and the keeping of thousands of unregistered captive tigers in the United States.”

Tiger skin with official permit at Kia Feng, China (c) EIA

The letter’s signatories call on the United States to:

1. Urge China to destroy all stockpiles of tiger parts and products
2. Review the current certification of China under the Pelly Amendment to the Fisherman’s Act and urge China to phase out tiger farms
3. Encourage Congress to pass the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act so that the keeping and breeding of the more than 5,000 captive tigers in the US can be phased down
4. Urge China and Laos to address the trafficking and sale of tiger parts and products, ivory, rhino horn and other endangered species
5. Encourage adoption of legislation that increases the capacity of the US to assist in the international effort to combat illegal wildlife trade.

The letter to President Obama was issued by:

Carole Baskin, Big Cat Rescue

Adam Roberts, Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation

Debi Goenka, Conservation Action Trust

Kedar Gore, The Corbett Foundation

Sally Case, David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Debbie Banks, Environmental Investigation Agency

Iris Ho, Humane Society International / The Humane Society of the United States

Sean Carnell, National Tigers For Tigers Coalition

Kishore Rithe, Satpuda Foundation

Simon Clinton, Save Wild Tigers

Harshwardhan Dhanwatey, Tiger Research and Conservation Trust

Vicky Flynn, TigerTime

Belinda Wright, Wildlife Protection Society of India

Biswajit Mohanty, Wildlife Society of Orissa

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