China has postponed its decision to allow trading in tiger and rhinoceros parts a bare two weeks after the easing of the ban had raised fears the country was giving legal cover to poaching and smuggling of endangered wildlife.
The Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese State Council Executive Deputy Secretary-General Ding Xuedong (丁學東) as saying on Monday that the change had “been postponed after study.”
“Relevant departments of the Chinese government will soon continue to organize special crackdown campaigns with focus on addressing the illegal trade of rhinos, tigers and their by-products. Illegal acts will be dealt with severely,” Ding was quoted as saying.
The ban on the import and export of rhino and tiger parts and their use in traditional Chinese medicine would also be maintained, Xinhua said.
Ding’s comments did not address whether the postponement meant the decision would be revived.
The traditional medicinal uses of tiger bone and rhino horn have continued, despite no proof of their effectiveness and decreasing wild populations. China has also long tolerated the farming of tigers and the semi-legal sale of their parts.
Late last month, authorities said they would allow trading in products made from tigers and rhinos under “special circumstances,” bringing condemnation from conservation groups.
Farming of non-native rhinos is not known in China, but the changing law raised speculation it was being planned.
The WWF said overturning the ban would have “devastating consequences globally” by allowing poachers and smugglers to hide behind legalized trade.
The Chinese Communist Party-led government rarely responds to international pressure and the reversal appeared to reflect concerns over the country’s reputation as a supporter of environmental preservation.
China, home to the highly endangered giant panda, has frequently been named as a top market for endangered wildlife products, including ivory and skin from African elephants and meat and scales from the anteater-like pangolin.
Reacting to the latest development, Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the US called for China to completely ban the trade in tiger and rhino products.
“To truly protect tigers and rhinos we need an official written proclamation from the State Council that permanently reinstates a complete ban. Full stop,” Humane Society International wildlife program senior specialist Iris Ho (何燕青) was quoted as saying in a news release.
Several animal protection organizations have filed a legal appeal for a ban on US imports of all wildlife and their parts from China “unless or until China formally reinstates a complete ban on domestic trade in tigers and rhinos and their parts and products,” the groups said in a statement.
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