Santa Cruz, CA, Feb. 2008: China imposed a ban on the trade of tiger bones in 1993. There has been continuing pressure on the Chinese government to lift the ban. The tiger product ban has significantly contributed to the survival of the few remaining tiger populations in the wild. One source, reported in China’s Xinhua news agency, requests that the bones of deceased tigers in a Heilongjiang Siberian tiger refuge be allowed for sale to help fund expansion of the refuge. Conservationists note that easing the ban and allowing the legal sale of tiger products opens the door for the poaching of wild tigers.
China has about 30 tigers in the wild and has several breeding centers which house approximately 5,000 tigers. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES), a consortium of 171 member countries, has supported the ban and has resisted pressure to lift the ban. In 2007, CITIES cited strong language in favor of the tiger product ban. The World Wildlife Fund has also supported the tiger ban and a continuing education effort to better inform individuals and governments about this issue. Investors in tiger breeding farms are expected to make substantial profits should this ban be lifted. Since the inception of the ban, the market for tiger products has dramatically reduced.
Acupuncture Continuing Education
Historically, Hu Gu (tiger bone) was used in Chinese Medicine to treat weakness and soreness of the lower back and knees. HealthCMI encourages the use of plant based replacements for Hu Gu including Mu Gua (Fructus Chaenomelis) and Wu Jia Pi (Cortex Acanthopanacis). Tigers are precious and are endangered, as such, HealthCMI strongly supports the Tiger trade ban to help protect and preserve the future of Tigers on our planet.
