World’s largest photo mosaic of tiger unveiled at CITES;
World leaders urged to end tiger trade
07 June 2007
Contacts:
|
Jan Vertefeuille, WWF, +31-626-529-338
|
|
Judy Mills, STF, + 31-655-933-423
|
The Hague, The Netherlands
– A two-storey-high photo mosaic of a tiger, created from
personal photos of nearly 25,000 tiger lovers worldwide, was unveiled
here today to urge world leaders to end all trade in tigers.
Individuals from more than 140 countries contributed their pictures to
it.
The International Tiger Coalition, comprised of 35 organizations
working to save wild tigers, assembled the world’s largest photo
mosaic of a tiger in front of the World Forum Convention Center today
with the message, “End Tiger Trade.” Delegates from 171
countries are meeting here for the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species (CITES).
“We think a mosaic made from photos of tiger fans is a powerful
way to remind world governments that the eyes of the world are watching
what happens at CITES,” said Dr. Bivash Pandav, head of
WWF’s international tiger programme. “The fate of wild
tigers is in the hands of governments around the globe. Tigers
won’t survive without meaningful new commitments by governments
to scale up law enforcement and protection.”
Wild tigers face an emerging threat from Chinese tiger farms, which now
house nearly 5,000 captive-bred tigers. The farm owners are pressuring
the Chinese government to lift its successful 14-year ban on domestic
trade in tiger bones and products. The Chinese delegation to CITES
distributed a position paper this week saying it was maintaining the
ban for now, but listing the supposed benefits of trading products made
from farmed tigers.
“As someone who works in the field to stop tiger poaching,
I’ve seen how China’s ban has eased poaching pressure on
wild tigers,” said Prasanna Yonzon, CEO of Wildlife Conservation
Nepal. “Lifting the ban to allow a handful of investors to profit
from selling tiger parts would doom tigers in the wild by reigniting
demand. And poachers would have a greater incentive to go after wild
tigers.”
The coalition is calling on the Chinese government to reject the
pending petition by tiger farm investors that seeks to overturn the
country’s ban, close down the country’s numerous tiger
farms and destroy the stockpile of carcasses being stored on these
farms so they cannot enter illegal trade. .
Tiger Photo Mosaic Facts:
• So far, close to 25,000 people from at least
146 countries have submitted their photos online to create the
International Tiger Coalition’s photo mosaic. Of the 146
countries represented on the mosaic, 142 are members of CITES.
• Photos may be submitted for the online version
of the mosaic through 15 June. Link is at www.endtigertrade.org.
• Additionally, 32,000 signatures have been
collected for a message of appreciation to China, urging the country to
keep in place its successful ban on domestic tiger trade.
• The mosaic billboard unveiled at the CITES
meeting in The Hague covers 36 square meters and is the height of a
two-storey building.
• Citizens from every tiger range state
contributed photos to the mosaic: China, India, Myanmar, Bhutan,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Bangladesh, Russia, Laos,
Cambodia and Vietnam.
• The 10 countries submitting the most photos
were the Netherlands, the United States, Australia, Canada, the United
Kingdom, India, Indonesia, China, Sweden and Malaysia.
• The International Tiger Coalition is an
unprecedented alliance of environmental, zoo and animal protection
organizations as well as the traditional Chinese medicine community,
that has come together to speak with one voice in calling for an end to
trade in tiger parts and products through increased intelligence-led
law enforcement and strengthening existing tiger-trade bans.
Furthermore, the coalition joins leaders of the international
traditional Chinese medicine industry in asking China to make its
successful 14-year tiger-trade ban permanent.
Aaranyak
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Animal Welfare Institute
Animals Asia Foundation
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Born Free Foundation
Born Free USA
British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Care for the Wild International
Conservation International
Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicin
David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
Environmental Investigation Agency
Global Tiger Patrol
Humane Society International
Humane Society of the United States
International Fund for Animal Welfare
PeunPa
Ranthambhore Foundation
Save The Tiger Fund
Species Survival Network
The Corbett Foundation
Tigris Foundation
TRAFFIC
21st Century Tiger
WildAid
Wildlife Alliance
Wildlife Conservation Nepal
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Protection Society of India
Wildlife Trust of India
World Association of Zoos & Aquariums
World Society for the Protection of Animals
WWF
Zoological Society of London
|