News and Views on Tibet

3,000 Highly Endangered Tibetan Antelope Die for High-priced Fashion, Species on Brink of Extinction

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New Delhi, April 8 – The Delhi state wildlife department yesterday seized the largest-ever illegal haul of high-priced shahtoosh wool skinned from highly endangered Tibetan antelope, shocking the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW – www.ifaw.org), its partner the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI – www.wildlifetrustofindia.org), and other conservation groups that have worked over the years to protect this rare antelope from extinction.

The 215kg of wool seized by the Indian officials, represents an estimated 3,000 Tibetan antelope, or chiru as they are known locally, which must be killed for the fine underbelly wool to be harvested.

“This is devastating news – six per cent of the entire population of Tibetan antelope has been wiped out in this one instance alone to satisfy the demands of the high-end fashion industry,” said Jenny Hawley, IFAW campaigns officer.

The wool from the Tibetan antelope is known as shahtoosh, ‘the king of wools,’ for its fine texture. It is woven into luxury shawls which can sell for up to £11,000 (US$17,500) each on the international market.

A century ago, more than one million Tibetan antelope roamed the high plateaus of Tibet, today it is estimated that only 50,000 remain in the wild. The Government of China estimates that poachers kill 20,000 Tibetan antelope each year to feed the demand for shahtoosh. At the current rate of population decline the antelope will become extinct long before the Beijing Olympic games in 2008.

“This seizure indicates that the illegal trade is alive and well and this is a matter of great concern,” said Ashok Kumar of WTI, IFAW’s partner in the campaign to wrap up the shahtoosh trade. “Despite all the ongoing efforts to prevent the trade and new legislation banning the trade in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, further action is clearly needed. The authorities in China, India and Nepal must cooperate closely in this regard.”

“IFAW applauds the Indian authorities for this seizure, but it shows that shahtoosh shawls are still in great demand in India and internationally,” said Jenny Hawley.

IFAW is calling for urgent action at all levels, from consumers to law enforcement, to save the Tibetan antelope from extinction. IFAW is calling for:

· Those trading in the wool seized this week to be prosecuted and sentenced bearing in mind the extremely serious nature of the crime. The case should serve as a deterrent to others involved in this illegal and immoral trade.

· Greater resources to be devoted to enforcing the law intended to protect the Tibetan antelope, in China, India and Nepal. This should include creating a specialised unit in India to combat illegal trade in wildlife.

· Customs authorities around the world to make greater efforts to stop imports and exports of shahtoosh shawls. In 2002, IFAW helped to produce shahtoosh identification kits for use by customs officials. Copies can be obtained from the UK government.

· The demand for shahtoosh shawls must stop. Consumers should purchase the alternative wools, such as cashmere and pashmina.

Background information

According to the Delhi wildlife department, the wool seized was being transported in a truck along with dozens of bags of sheep wool from Pithoragarh in Uttaranchal to Majnu Ka Tila. The wool was to be taken to Kashmir to be woven into shawls. Three people have reportedly been arrested.

Tibetan antelope are protected under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which prohibits any international trade in their products. They also have Class I protection status under China’s Wildlife Law and are protected by the Wildlife Protection Laws of India, which provide for a minimum of three years’ imprisonment for offences related to wildlife. IFAW provides support to the Chinese authorities in its efforts to stop poaching and campaigns in partnership with the Wildlife Trust of India for an end to the trade in India.

The Tibetan antelope grazes the remote plateaus of Tibet, Qinghai and Xinjiang provinces of China. Small populations are also found in parts of India. They are killed solely for their pelts. Poachers gun down females in their calving grounds and leave orphaned young to die.

Shahtoosh is Persian for “the king of wool” and is ultrafine with a softer feel than cashmere or angora. The wool is so fine the shawl can be passed through a wedding ring. Three to five animals are killed to make one shahtoosh shawl, depending upon its size.

The illegal trade is also linked to the trade in tiger parts. Traffickers bringing illegal tiger parts from India to China trade them for Tibetan antelope pelts or wool.

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