China's legalising tiger bone and rhino horn will lift demand that had fallen
World Wide Fund for Nature says it is deeply concerning that China has reversed its 25-year-old ban‚ allowing a trade that ‘will have devastating consequences globally’
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has expressed concern over China’s announcement that it has legalised the use of tiger bone and rhino horn from captive-bred animals by hospitals and domestic trade. “It is deeply concerning that China has reversed its 25-year-old tiger bone and rhino horn ban‚ allowing a trade that will have devastating consequences globally‚” said Margaret Kinnaird‚ WWF wildlife practice leader. “Trade in tiger bone and rhino horn was banned in 1993. The resumption of a legal market for these products is an enormous setback to efforts to protect tigers and rhinos in the wild. China’s experience with the domestic ivory trade has clearly shown the difficulties of trying to control parallel legal and illegal markets for ivory. Not only could this lead to the risk of legal trade providing cover to illegal trade‚ this policy will also stimulate demand that had otherwise declined since the ban was put in place.” WWF is calling on China to maintain the ban on tiger bo...
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