Brendan Moyle has previously provided us with alternative ways to save tigers from extinction.
Now the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies states that tiger parts are not necessary for traditional medicines, and alternatives are available and effective. Can this statement from the organisation save tigers?
Excerpts from an opinion letter to the Los Angeles Times , by Vinod Thomas, director general of the Independent Evaluation Group at the World Bank states :
“How has the tiger’s fate come to this? The foremost reason is poaching to meet demand for tiger products used in traditional medicines in China and other parts of East Asia. The other crucial factor is the continuous loss of tiger habitat, which is down by about 40% across India in the last decade, along with which has disappeared much of its prey.
“To make matters worse, there now is relentless pressure from tiger farmers in East Asia to legalize the trade in the bones, fur, paws, penis and teeth of their animals. On the surface, the case made for legalizing the sale of tiger parts is beguiling. By flooding the market with parts from farm-raised tigers, it’s argued, prices will plummet, reducing the profitability of poaching. A cited analogy: People don’t hunt wild turkeys for Thanksgiving when supermarkets overflow with farmed supplies.
“But to reduce poaching, those who raise tigers in captivity would need to undercut the cost of supplying the parts from wild tigers. That’s improbable. Poaching in India, by poisoning or with simple steel traps, costs less than $100 a tiger (plus transport and other costs). Raising one in captivity — even three or more to a cage — costs about $3,000.
“Conservationists warn that legalizing the tiger trade would be the death knell for tigers in the wild. That’s because it will always be cheaper to hunt tigers, and poaching will be less risky if poached parts can be easily laundered — that is, passed off as coming from captive-bred animals”.
“What now?
“It is essential to deal with poaching and the demand for tiger parts in traditional medicine immediately. The World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies states that tiger parts are not necessary for traditional medicines, and alternatives are available and effective. So there are solid reasons to strongly enforce the international ban on the tiger trade, and for China to keep its 1993 domestic ban securely in place.”
“As the symbol of countries, teams and corporations, the tiger has helped sell beer, sports goods and breakfast cereal. Now it could use some high-profile reciprocity. Support from private corporations — such as Exxon Mobil’s Save the Tiger Fund — as well as the Asian business diaspora and international agencies could prove decisive. But the moment for action is now. Without immediate financial and political commitments, it will be too late to save this mesmerizing animal”
So can the tigers survive with the help of Exxon Mobile , that Greenpeace has proclaimed as the “Criminal # 1 of the Planet”?
Ann Novek
Sweden
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Good old Exxon, contributing to our oil dependent standard of living, funding climate realists, and now saving Tigers.
“As the symbol of countries, teams and corporations, the tiger has helped sell beer, sports goods and breakfast cereal. Now it could use some high-profile reciprocity. ”
Esso / Exxon got tremendous PR and profits from the ” Put a tiger in the tank ” campaign. Indeed it’s time to pay back, or is everything just about greenwashing???
Exxon Tiger Fund:
http://www.savethetigerfund.org/Content/NavigationMenu2/WhoWeAre/Timeline/default.htm
Well they’d have to have something positive to balance the karma deficit.
They’ve also apparently invested $100M in research into low emission technology.
http://www.energyme.com/energy/2004/pr_04_0103.htm
They probably wear the “Criminal # 1 of the Planet” badge with honour Ann – considering who bestowed it!
No single Avenue or approach can save Tigger, obviously.
Some of them will be captive animals on or in reserves. Some will be farmed, I think must be, while the market exists. Poaching has always served the underground markets and only drives the prices up, when the product is illegal.
The marketing thing will take decades for re education from the cultural part of the problem and it is cultural. The market is huge and extends thru out many nations.
Poaching only stops when better incomes are found elsewhere. Of course you can turn poachers into game keepers but that will take significant monies and new poachers will arise unless the population surrounding the preserves are in non poverty. Perhaps a media blitz re education and intensive penalities.
As for funding, instead of people blaming, contract the use of the money by the recipients, ie the fund states specifically in contract form what they will have the funding for. If you use the animal symbol for advertising then pay a premium, it’s one of the most powerful pieces of animal imagery there is.
Surely the Africans should be consulted there have been great success stories as well as failures on that continent.
The tiger the second greatest land predator on the planet. (Bears dont count because they go vegan from time to time).
Last time I looked Exxon hasn’t actually been caught illegally harvesting tigers and I rather doubt a ship running aground and an oil leak will be mitigated in the public fora because they protect Tigers.
Excerpt from India Times ( written by the same author as in LA Times):
” Strong follow-up action is required at all levels. These efforts also call for sizable financing. Indian corporations, such as Tata, and the Asian business diaspora could help in the investments. Corporations featuring the symbol of the tiger, such as Exxon Mobil (they have a Save the Tiger fund), Kellogg or Asia Pacific Breweries with Tiger beer, as well as international financial institutions, could support the cause. The drive could get a boost if illustrious personalities lend their prestige to it — imagine a campaign fronted by Tiger Woods.”
My question is this though. Can celebrities help wildlife? It’s very popular that celebrities are engaged by NGOs ( for example , look at the save the whales campaigns). Are they preaching for the choir or are they role models in the countries that are targeted?