Rochdale MEP welcomes progress against tiger slaughter

12.00.00am GMT Wed 6th Feb 2008

Rochdale MEP Chris Davies says that conservationists seeking to prevent the extinction of tigers in the wild have been given a smaller glimmer of hope.

A century ago there were 100,000 tigers worldwide, but latest estimates put the figure at less than 3,000, most of them in India.

Trade in tiger skins is the biggest threat to the future of the world's tiger population, with poachers making big profits by serving markets in the Far East. Tiger skin rugs are popular in India and China, and costumes made out of the pelts are worn in festivals in China and Tibet.

Intervention by the Dalai Lama appears to be having some success. At a recent Tibetan horse festival none of the people wore a tiger skin in contrast to previous years when hundreds of performers and officials were draped in the furs.

Mr Davies hopes it is not too late for the world's tigers.

He said: "These great animals are being driven to the brink of extinction in the wild. Governments need to take firm action to halt the trade while the world still has some tigers left.

"Although there is an international ban on trade in tiger skins, trafficking of tiger skins between India, Nepal and China is controlled by sophisticated criminal gangs."

Mr Davies is calling on the Chinese, Indian and Nepalese governments to enforce the laws and stop trade in the skins.

The campaign against the trade is being co-ordinated by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).