U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service U.S. Efforts to Regulate Tiger Trade
What is the status of tigers in the wild and what are the major conservation threats to them?
The tiger Panthera( tigris) is the largest and perhaps the best known of the wild cats. It is also one of the most imperiled. Nine subspecies of tiger are generally recognized, of which three are now considered extinct. Although the tiger once ranged across Asia from eastern Turkey to the Russian Far East, it currently survives only in scattered populations from India to Viet Nam, south to Indonesia, and China and the Russian Far East. The principal threats to wild tiger populations are illegal hunting and trade, loss of habitat, and a declining tiger prey base. Additionally, the growing popularity and use of tiger parts and products in traditional medicine poses a significant threat to wild tiger populations. By current estimates, there are only 3,200 to 3,500 tigers remaining in the wild worldwide.
What U.S. laws and international agreements protect tigers?
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is the principal Federal agency responsible for implementing and enforcing the U.S. Endangered Amur tiger - also called Siberian tigerPanthera ( tigris altaica) © Derek Ramsey Species Act (ESA) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered In 1994, the U.S. Congress passed the The RTCA labeling provision authorizes Species of Wild Fauna and Flora Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act OLE to seize tiger and rhinoceros (CITES). Both the ESA and CITES afford (RTCA) to assist in the conservation of products directly from vendors, protection to endangered species rhinoceroses and tigers by establishing distributors, shippers, or importers, and and wildlife of global concern. The the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation provides substantial criminal and civil United States has worked tirelessly Fund. Through this Fund, the Service penalties for violators. In conjunction along with other CITES member supports anti-poaching programs, with CITES and the ESA, the RTCA is a countries to encourage the adoption of habitat and ecosystem management, powerful tool in combating the global measures aimed at protecting wild tiger development of nature reserves, trade in products containing tiger and populations from poaching and illegal wildlife surveys and monitoring, rhinoceros parts. trade, and ensuring that breeding of management of human-wildlife conflict, tigers in captivity supports conservation public awareness campaigns, and goals. The ESA specifically prohibits other conservation-related efforts for the interstate and foreign commerce rhinoceroses and tigers. in listed species, such as the tiger, FAST FACT: and their parts and products without The RTCA was amended in 1998 to Tigers are classified by IUCN, a permit or authorization from the prohibit the sale, importation, and the International Union for Service. The Service’s approximately exportation of products intended for Conservation of Nature, as 200 Special Agents and 120 Wildlife human use containing, or labeled or Endangered. In addition, tigers are Inspectors within its Office of Law advertised as containing, any substance listed as Endangered under the U.S. Enforcement (OLE) help control illegal derived from any species of rhinoceros Endangered Species Act of 1973. trade and interstate sale of tigers and or tiger. their parts and products. How are captive tigers in the United What U.S. enforcement efforts are States regulated? being taken to control the trade in FAST FACT: tigers? The 2003 Captive Wildlife Safety Act Tigers once ranged widely across (CWSA) and associated regulations The Service investigates violations Asia, from Turkey to the Russian Far gave the Service a new enforcement of U.S. wildlife laws and treaties that East, but have now lost more than tool to help keep large cats, including protect tigers and works to intercept 90% of their historic range. Habitat tigers, in responsible hands. Except for illegal imports of tiger parts and loss and poaching are considered to certain specified groups and persons or products at the nation’s ports of entry. be the greatest threats to tigers. institutions licensed or registered by the In recent years, these efforts have U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal included identifying, investigating, and and Plant Health Inspection Service intercepting Internet-based trafficking in other medicinals made from (APHIS) under the Animal Welfare Act, tiger commodities such as live animals, endangered species in cities that range the CWSA makes it illegal to import, skins, rugs, meat, claws, and medicinals. from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, Service casework has documented Dallas/Fort Worth to Minneapolis, or purchase, in interstate or foreign violations of the ESA, the Federal Milwaukee, and Chicago. Recent port- commerce, live large cats (lion, tiger, smuggling statute, and the RTCA. based inspection efforts have targeted leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, medicinal shipments imported into and cougar, including all subspecies Policing the medicinal trade remains Los Angeles via ocean cargo and and hybrids of these species). While a priority. Such products are among medicinals arriving at international there is no Federal authority to regulate those commonly seized on import mail facilities in New York and Jersey or monitor ownership of live tigers, a by Service wildlife inspectors. In the City. number of States and local jurisdictions 5-year period during 2005-2009, Service have regulations controlling the enforcement officers worked on more The Service Office of Law Enforcement possession and intrastate sale of big than 300 cases involving violations of also works closely with enforcement cats. the RTCA. Service intelligence analysts counterparts around the world to recently launched a focused initiative to address tiger trafficking. Examples target potential commercial imports of include sharing intelligence with FAST FACT: Asian medicinals and assist inspectors at foreign investigative agencies, key ports of entry in screening high-risk maintaining liaison with the CITES Under the Rhinoceros and Tiger shipments for this type of trafficking. Secretariat and Interpol, and Conservation Act, it is illegal providing training and investigative to import or sell any products Service officers conduct inspection assistance on the ground to the 10 intended for human consumption member countries of the Association that contain, or are labeled as sweeps of grocery stories and medicinal markets potentially selling tiger and of Southeast Asian Nations Wildlife containing, any substance derived Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN). from rhinoceroses or tigers. In recent years, this partnership effort has included stationing a Service special agent in Bangkok as part of an ASEAN-WEN Support Program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service International Affairs Division of Management Authority 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 212 Arlington, VA 22203 703-358-2104 or 800-358-2104 703-358-2281/fax [email protected] www.fws.gov/international twitter.com/USFWSInternatl
Winter 2011
Sumatran tiger Panthera( tigris sumatrae) Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian National Zoo