| Tiger Conservation and Japan Illegal Trade in Tiger Parts Government Policy, Legislation, and Enforcement Action of JWCS |
|
| ILLEGAL TRADE IN TIGER PARTS | |
| Since the early1990s, poaching and illegal trade of tigers and tiger parts has been extremely active. For example, in Oct. 2003, authorities confiscated skins from 32 tigers and 579 leopards en route from Nepal to Tibet. Blocking the illegal trade routes from India, Nepal and Tibet would be a vital step toward a solution to this problem. The other side of this problem is the merchants who sell tiger products to consumers. A number of shops in Japan, including traditional pharmacies and Chinese restaurants, currently carry items containing tiger parts. A recent JWCS survey found 6 shops currently dealing in tiger bone wine. Although traditional medicine containing tiger bone is becoming rarer in shops, online sale of these medicines appears to be increasing due to a lack of regulation. JWCS has also confirmed that some merchants deal in tiger glue, which is usually drunk with hot water or liquor. Another popular product among Japanese consumers is tiger penis. Tiger penis is most often consumed in sake (rice wine) as an aphrodisiac, and shops generally sell either dried penis or domestically prepared wine. Both customers and merchants seem to take the serious illegality of their actions lightly, as the number of tiger penises being sold in Japan is increasing. Advertisements and sales of tiger products through websites have increased since 2001, with new websites appearing all the time. This is a serious problem, since online consumers can buy them without deep consideration of regulations, especially since there are absolutely no regulations regarding marketing through websites. |
  Tiger Skins |
 Tiger Bones |
|
 Tiger Penis |
|