057 - Law enforcement regarding commercial trade in tigers and tiger parts
057 - Law enforcement regarding commercial trade in tigers and tiger parts
RECALLING that four out of nine subspecies of tigers have become extinct largely due to [habitat loss], illegal wildlife trade, and hunting in the last century;
NOTING findings in a recent TRAFFIC report on tiger seizures from 2000–2018 showing that the survival of tiger populations continues to be [seriously] threatened by illegal trade in whole tigers and their parts;
RECOGNISING the positive efforts of existing international conventions and legislation to mitigate negative effects of wildlife trade;
ACKNOWLEDGING Resolution 6.010 Conservation of Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) and Amur leopard (Panthera pardus orientalis) in Northeast Asia (Hawai‘i 2016) which contributes to the conservation of Amur tiger in Northeast Asia;
BUILDING ON Resolution 5.024 Enhancing anti-poaching and wildlife resource protection efforts, using rhino and elephant as indicators (Jeju, 2012) that deplored the commercial exploitation of animal species by international organised criminal syndicates and requested IUCN to encourage State Members, governments and civil society, and local and international non-governmental organisations and foundations, to enhance anti-poaching and wildlife-resource protection efforts;
MINDFUL of Resolution 5.027 Conservation of tropical Asia’s threatened species (Jeju, 2012) that urges all governments to ensure that import of endangered species originating from South and Southeast Asia is legal and sustainable in accordance with the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Resolution 3.076 Illegal and unsustainable international trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Mekong river riparian states (Bangkok, 2004), which advocates an international effort to control illegal and unsustainable international trade in Southeast Asian states;
NOTING that only two tiger subspecies are included in the abovementioned Resolutions;
CONCERNED that high market demand persists for tiger body parts used as traditional medicine and luxury products;
DEEPLY CONCERNED that recent seizures have exposed well-organised trafficking networks for products originating from tigers that were from captive sources both in and outside of tiger range countries and territories; and
CONCLUDING that there is room for further actions and improvements to address the trade in tigers and tiger parts;
1. CALLS ON IUCN Members, including State, government agency and non-governmental organisations to take immediate action to eliminate illegal trade in tigers and tiger parts by:
a. providing data and expertise to assist with intelligence-led law enforcement;
b. sharing information, especially in relation to cross-border incidents;
c. identifying and, [where they exist,] removing legislative loopholes that facilitate illegal trade;
d. where appropriate, increasing penalties and fines to act as stronger deterrents;
e. employing more robust ‘wildlife diplomacy’ to promote conservation and discourage third countries from introducing measures and decisions that incentivise illegal trade; and
f. ensuring that the ex situ tiger populations in human care are appropriately registered and regularly monitored to evidence that they serve non-commercial purposes such as research, education and conservation breeding; [employing robust and transparent monitoring of ex situ tiger population in human care to ensure that they do not enter the illegal trade.;] and
2. REQUESTS states and government agencies, donors and funding agencies to make more funding available to improve enforcement and regulation as indicated above.