IUCN Urges
Continued Prohibition of Shahtoosh Trade
29th Nov, 2004
The IUCN World Conservation
Congress passed a motion on 25 November 2004, urging
the "continued prohibition of shahtoosh production
and trade". The Motion was passed by a virtually
unanimous vote by Members of the World Conservation
Union, both government and non-government, on the final
day of the Congress.
"We are delighted by the overwhelming support
of the world's premier conservation body, and to be
a part of this historic motion", said Belinda Wright,
Executive Director of the Wildlife Protection Society
of India, who attended the World Conservation Congress
as a Member of IUCN.
The shahtoosh motion was sponsored by four Members
of IUCN - Wildlife Conservation Society (USA), Fauna
and Flora International (UK), Conservation International
(USA), and Wildlife Protection Society of India.
The Motion noted that the production and illegal trade
in shahtoosh remains a threat to the survival of the
Tibetan antelope and commended the governments of India
and China for their commitment to the protection of
the Tibetan antelope. The World Conservation Congress
urged the maintenance of a strict ban on hunting of
the Tibetan Antelope and the sale of its fur, and the
production of shahtoosh. The Congress further urged
"the government of India to prepare a road map
for the protection of the Tibetan antelope and for the
government, its legal institutions, and its wildlife
laws to remain obligated to continue to enforce the
ban on the shahtoosh processing and trade; and under
no circumstances to lift the ban". Lastly, the
Congress called upon consumer countries to ensure effective
enforcement to stop the trade in shahtoosh."
In the largest conservation gathering in history, the
Congress - which was held in Bangkok - was attended
by over 6,000 delegates from 160 countries.
|
