Tiger Conservation and Japan Illegal Trade in Tiger Parts Government Policy, Legislation, and Enforcement Action of JWCS

GOVERNMENT POLICY, ENFORCEMENT, AND LEGISLATION

The ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES*, held in Florida in 1994, adopted Resolution Conf. 9.13 to recommend that the range states and consumer countries take urgent action. In reaction to the adoption of this resolution, CITES started the Tiger Technical Mission and the Tiger Political Mission to oversee the operation of the range states and consumer countries. They also advised these nations to improve their internal legislation and law enforcement by working closely with them. Due to this resolution, Japan finally amended the cabinet order for implementation of internal law -- the “Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (LCES)” -- to regulate the internal trade in tiger bone, penis and products containing tiger. The amendment went into effect in April 2000. In 2000, CITES set up the Tiger Enforcement Task Force, which works for the exchange of information and encourages capacity building for enforcement of poaching and illegal trade. This later applied to the protection of all Asian big cats (Resolution Conf. 12.5). Though legislation and law enforcement to protect tigers in range states and consumer states have been improved, reports reveal that poaching and illegal trade is still going on. Regulation targets of the LCES are live or dead tiger, as well as parts and derivatives**, including products*** thereof. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * CITES: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ** Parts and derivatives: "Hair, skin, teeth, claw, bone (only concerned with Panthera tigris or tiger), and penis (only concerned with male Panthera tigris or tiger)”. *** Products: Fur products, skin products, tooth products, accessories made of claw, products made from bone which people consume, products made from penis which people consume, and other products designated by the Ministry of the Environment.