三年一度華盛頓公約(瀕臨絕種野生動植物國際貿易公約，CITES)締約國會議22日達成協議，未來將比照查緝武器與毒品走私的作法，嚴密監控非法虎製品貿易。
CITES締約國同意建立一個資料庫，用以監測包括虎、豹以及雪豹製品的非法貿易。
世界自然基金會(WWF)物種計畫主任德魯茲(Carlos Drews)說：「這項提案雖然有妥協但仍有進展，不過對CITES國際保育協議是否能有效執行來講，仍然是一項挑戰。」「只是白紙黑字並沒有辦法拯救野生老虎，全球性的盜獵行為如同疫情般狂掃亞洲的森林，CITES締約各國必須不負今天所作出的承諾。」
就在該協議達成之際，一個總部設在新加坡的動物保護組織，提出了一份有關老虎製品貿易的最新證據給CITES與會代表們。
老虎製品用於傳統醫藥、珠寶、吉祥物或是裝飾品。小塊的虎皮被製成護身符或是宗教吉祥物，象徵權威、能力和保護。
新加坡動物關懷與研究協會(ACRES)野生動物犯罪防範小組主任布波(Anbarasi Boopal)說：「重要的是，我們必須指出，不論產品效果是否屬實，任何人廣告與推銷老虎製品都違反了此一法案；如果宣稱某項產品含有老虎的成分，經銷者就是在暗地提升對老虎產製品的需求，這等於是直接違反了公約精神與以執行CITES公約為目的的區域立法精神。」
新加坡與鄰近國家如印尼，過去曾被認為進行過虎製品的國內以及國際間轉口貿易。
三巴旺集選區的議員林博士(Lim Wee Kiak)說：「只要有需求，就會有供應。光是立法並不足以完全遏止瀕危物種及其產製品的非法貿易。我們必須對公眾進行更多的教育，喚起大眾保育意識，使虎製品的需求下降，供應自然就會終止。」
在杜哈會議上，政府代表們支持現有的決定，確保老虎農場不對非法市場供應大型貓科動物產品。
今年稍晚將會在俄羅斯的符拉迪沃斯托克(Vladivostok)舉辦元首老虎峰會，CITES締約方呼籲在這之前先召開高階警官與海關官員緊急會議。
至於這個由俄羅斯政府、全球性保育組織WWF和世界銀行共同發起的老虎峰會，將會有13個國家的元首參加。
WWF估計，俄羅斯的哈巴羅夫斯克(Khabarovsk)和濱海地區(Primorye regions)目前共有500隻東北虎。
就在3月3日，杜哈會議召開之前，俄羅斯遠東執行海關(Far Eastern Operative Customs)以及符拉迪沃斯托克海關的緝私犬小組，與WWF以及TRAFFIC野生動植物監測網絡共同在媒體前作了一份簡報，展示緝私犬小組在符拉迪沃斯托克國際機場的工作狀況。
海關人員告訴記者，將小件違禁品藏在身上或衣物中企圖闖關，是近來非法野生動植物交易的新趨勢，緝私犬對於打擊此類犯罪有很大的幫助。他們說，在這種情況下，只有受過專門訓練的緝私犬能夠在海關管制站中探測出隱藏的違禁品。
DOHA, Qatar, March 22, 2010 (ENS) - Countries could begin treating illegal trade in tiger parts as seriously as they treat arms and drug trafficking under a deal reached today at the triennial meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, CITES.
Parties to the CITES treaty agreed to develop a database to help monitor the illegal trade in tiger, leopard and snow leopard parts.
"This proposal was a test for the effectiveness of CITES as an international conservation agreement and despite the compromise, progress was made," said Carlos Drews, director, Species Programme, WWF International. "But words alone will not save wild tigers as a global poaching epidemic empties Asia's forests and CITES governments will need to live up to the commitments made today."
The agreement comes as fresh evidence of trade in tiger parts was presented to CITES delegates by an animal conservation organization based in Singapore.
Tiger parts are used for traditional medicine, jewelry, lucky charms and novelties. Pieces of tiger skin are made into amulets as religious lucky charms believed to bring authority, power and protection.
"It is important to note that anyone who advertises for sale any tiger parts contravenes the act, even if the products turn out to be not authentic. By making a claim that the product is from tigers, the dealer is potentially driving up the demand for tiger parts, which directly contravenes the spirit of CITES and the local legislation meant to enforce CITES," said Anbarasi Boopal, director of the ACRES Wildlife Crime Unit.
Singapore has previously been recognized as playing a role in the trade of tiger products from neighboring countries such as Indonesia, for both domestic trade and international re-exports.
Dr. Lim Wee Kiak, Member of Parliament for Sembawang GRC, said, "As long as there is demand, there will be supply. Legislation alone is insufficient to bring a complete halt to the illegal trading of endangered species and their parts. We must do more public education and awareness so demands for them can be curbed and supply will then terminate."
In Doha, government delegates supported an existing decision to ensure that tiger farms do not supply the illegal market for big cat products.
CITES Parties called for an urgent meeting of senior police and customs officers before a Head of State tiger summit to be held in Vladivostok, Russia later this year.
The Russian government, the global conservation organization WWF and the World Bank initiated the tiger summit, in which the heads of 13 states are expected to participate.
WWF estimates Russia's Khabarovsk and Primorye regions currently have 500 Amur tigers.
On March 3, in advance of the CITES meeting in Doha, the sniffer dog divisions of Far Eastern Operative Customs and Vladivostok Customs together with WWF and the TRAFFIC wildlife monitoring network held a briefing for the media and demonstrated their work at the Vladivostok International Airport.
Customs officers told reporters that the dogs help to combat a new trend that has appeared in illegal wildlife trade - smugging wildlife parts in small pieces hidden on the body or in clothing. In these cases, they said, only a specially trained dog can detect items hidden from customs control.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
