Kathmandu, April 19:

Nepal should not agree to lift a ban on the sale of tiger parts as proposed by a Chinese delegation during an international tiger symposium, experts said.

“Nepal should show serious concern and intervene on the issue of legalisation of trade and commercial farming of tigers,” Steven Broad of the Traffic International (TI) told this daily.

The UK-based TI coordinates with the world-wide traffic network, established to monitor trade in wild plants and animals.

An international tiger symposium is going on here and a group of Chinese delegation is lobbying to have tiger trade legalised as illegal farming of tigers and selling tiger parts to produce medicine and wine is a big business there. Though China has a few wild tigers, it has over 5,000 tigers in captive breeding, according to a study done by TI.

“Tiger parts from such breeding places are supplied to factories for medicines and wines while some luxury restaurants even serve tiger meat,” says the TI report.

Broad said that the lifting of ban on tiger trade in China is going to make a direct impact on Nepal’s tiger conservation, adding, “If Nepal fails to convince the world that the open trade is a threat, Nepal’s tigers will see a very bleak future.”

“The lifting of the ban is going to make a catastrophe for Nepal’s tigers. As the market opens, it is not sure whether the tigers from famers will be sold or not but chances are there that wild tigers from Nepal’s jungles will be openly marketed in China,” he said. “Opening of tiger market in China means waste of the millions of dollars of investigation on tiger conservation in many countries, including Nepal,” he said.

Anil Manandhar, the country representative of the World Worldlife Fund (WWF) Nepal, said that the domestic trade of tiger in China has direct relation with poaching and smuggling of tigers in Nepal. “The lifting of ban on tiger trade in China means acceleration of wildlife trade in Nepal. This is gong be out of control soon, if the government fails to come up with a wise stand,” he said.

Nepal is yet to make its official stance on tiger trade.