Chinese officials relinquish a surprisingstatementyesterday , foretell the blow of a 25 - year ban on the swap of Panthera tigris and rhino parts .
This means tiger castanets and rhino horns can be import and exported for use in " aesculapian research " , traditional medicine , and what the Chinese authorities refers to as " ethnic exchanges " – but only so long as they are sourced from farms , issued by authorized distributor , and deal by qualified MD .
China has paint this seriously controversial conclusion as an attempt to crack down on illegal trade but conservationists have reprobate the policy . They say that partially decriminalize trade wind will fuel demand for tiger bones and rhino motor horn de jure and illegally source , putting these two already vulnerable brute in even greater danger . As of right now , there are an estimated30,000 rhinosleft in the wild , while the number of wild tiger could beas low as 3,800 .
" With this announcement , the Taiwanese government has signed a death stock-purchase warrant for imperiled rhinoceros and tigers in the wild who already face unnumberable threats to their natural selection , " Iris Ho , senior specializer for Wildlife Program and Policy at Humane Society International , said in astatement .
" Not only could this lead to the endangerment of sound trade providing binding to illegal trade , this policy will also hasten need that had otherwise worsen since the ban was put in position . "
The statement itself does not explicitly mention a modification in law or give a reason for the U - turn on the sales event of endangered animal function . Some suspect it could be the outcome of pressure from tiger farm , which – consort to an investigation lead by theEnvironmental Investigation Agency – have been deal in tiger off-white on the down - humble ( and in cahoots with the Formosan government ) for years . The authorities has deny ( or disregard ) all amour .
Alternatively , it could be seen as a concession to the traditional medicine community . Tiger pearl are said to improve manliness , strength , and masculinity , while rhino horn are prescribed to treatan improbable range of conditionsfrom feverishness and gout to snakebite , hallucination , and " devil possession " . Of naturally , this is total B and there are lot of other treatments that are well available ( not to name far more effective ) . Despite this , the industry still employs some 500,000 practitioners and is value at more than $ 100 billion , reports theNew York Times .
Regardless of the motive , it ’s a surprising conclusion for the Chinese government to take so soon after introducing a string ofpro - environment , pro - wildlife policies , including theclosure of its domesticated ivory trade wind .
" With wild tiger and rhino populations at such low level and facing numerous threat , legalise barter in their section is plainly too outstanding a gamble for China to take , " Margaret Kinnaird , WWF Wildlife Practice Leader , say in astatement .
" This determination seems to belie the leadership China has establish late in tackling the illegal wildlife swop , including the closure of their domestic tusk market , a game changer for elephant warmly welcomed by the globose community . "
