‘31
Jul 2008 - Washington, U.S.A, 31 July 2008—Huge
gaps in U.S. regulations could make Tigers
held in captivity a target for illegal trade,
wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC
and WWF found in the first-ever report into
captive Tiger regulations across the United
States.
The report, Paper Tigers?:The
role of the U.S. captive Tiger population
in the trade in Tiger parts, found there
are currently no reliable regulatory mechanisms
to keep track of captive Tigers in the U.S..
While the report found no evidence that
these Tigers are currently a supply source
for the international black market, the
weak U.S. regulations could leave them vulnerable
to illegal trade, unless the issue is immediately
addressed.
“As a leader in promoting
the conservation of Tigers, the United States
has a responsibility to manage its captive
Tiger population effectively to prevent
any emergence of illegal trade,” said Leigh
Henry, programme officer for TRAFFIC North
America and co-author of the report. “Any
supply of Tiger parts into the black market
can stimulate trade and consumer demand,
which could pose a serious threat to already
dwindling wild Tiger populations.”
According to the report,
the U.S. government has no way to determine
how many Tigers there are in captivity within
its borders, where they are, who owns them,
or what happens to their body parts when
they die. Captive Tigers include animals
bred in zoos, used for entertainment in
carnivals or promotional exhibits, housed
at rescue facilities, and Tigers that are
privately owned. In many states there are
no controls on individuals keeping Tigers
as pets. Current estimates indicate there
are more than 5,000 Tigers in captivity
in the United States, more than exist in
the wild. A registration scheme for all
captive Tigers and a means to monitor disposal
of dead Tigers is urgently needed, says
the report.
The treaty that controls
international wildlife trade, CITES, has
agreed to a series of decisions and resolutions
for its 173 member governments to implement
to help protect Tigers from illegal trade.
In 2000, a CITES resolution agreed upon
by all member countries—including the United
States—urged governments to ensure they
had effective management and controls in
place to stop captive Tiger parts from entering
illegal trade. The U.S. lacks a comprehensive
management system for captive Tigers, which
means the U.S. has not implemented the CITES
resolution it agreed to, according to WWF
and TRAFFIC.
CITES member countries
also decided last year, by consensus, that
countries should not breed Tigers on a commercial
scale for trade in their body parts. The
report shows that while no Tigers are bred
on a commercial scale in the U.S. for trade
in their bones or other parts, there is
a lack of regulation at the federal and
state levels which could open the door for
this trade to begin.
Mahendra Shrestha, Director
of Save the Tiger Fund, which funded the
report, said, “The U.S. federal and state
governments have an opportunity to address
this vulnerability now to prevent potential
abuse and demonstrate their strong conservation
leadership. We must take all steps necessary
to protect Tigers to ensure their survival
into the future.”
WWF and TRAFFIC recommend,
among other steps, the federal government
rescind exceptions to laws that exempt certain
categories of captive U.S. Tigers from regulation,
specifically under the Captive-Bred Wildlife
Registration system, and that all persons
or facilities holding USDA licenses for
exhibition or breeding and dealing in Tigers
report annually on the number of Tigers
held, births, mortality and transfer or
sale.
Tiger populations are
fast declining worldwide due to poaching
for illegal trade and habitat and prey loss.
One of the main threats to their survival
is the global demand for their bones, skins
and other body parts for use as ingredients
in traditional Asian medicine and as fashion
items. There are fewer than 4,000 Tigers
remaining in the wild.
+ More
WWF mourns the loss
of Phil Ruhle Sr., fishermen, innovator
and advocate for ocean conservation
30 Jul 2008 - On the
evening of July 23 the fishing vessel Sea
Breeze was lost at sea 50 miles off the
coast of New Jersey. The vessel was skippered
by Captain Phil Ruhle Sr., co-winner of
WWF's 2007 Smart Gear competition for his
Rhode Island team's inspiring fishing gear
design "The Eliminator". Two crew
members were rescued by the coast guard
but it appears Phil Ruhle Sr. remained onboard
as the vessel capsized and sank.
Phil Ruhle Sr. had been
fishing for more than 40 years; his son
is the fourth generation of fishermen in
their family. In a recent interview Phil
shared how the Rhode Island team came up
with the fishing innovation that beat 70
other contenders from 22 countries. The
winning design, a fishing net that reduces
the incidental catch of marine species in
the haddock bottom trawl fishery, is now
being used in some European Union fisheries
on a test basis, with good results.
WWF was honored to have
the opportunity to work with Phil Ruhle
Sr. when his team won the Smart Gear Award.
We were deeply impressed by his enthusiasm
and his commitment to ocean conservation.
Our thoughts and best wishes are with Phil's
family at this sad time.
