| THE STATE OF THE TIGER | |
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Introduction - Failure to Act
Despite some advances and outpourings of concern, there has been precious little action, especially from politicians. In tiger-part consuming countries much more still needs to be done to take wildlife crime seriously. Some countries have failed to enact comprehensive legislation and more have failed to enforce it. In Japan, a disgraceful lack of concern and refusal to draw up comprehensive legislation means it is easier to buy tiger medicine on the streets of Tokyo than in India, China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. In India, the bureaucracy and institutionalised corruption make it very difficult to achieve positive change. In a revealing study of the route that government tiger funds take, tiger champion Valmik Thapar identified 23 desks that the paperwork must pass through before reaching the field.10 In some cases little of the money is left. The deliberations by Prime Ministers and members of Parliament have been encouraging, but political instability has removed these individuals so quickly and politicians have prioritised their quest for power. New initiatives from the Minister of Enviroment and Forests and the Director of Project Tiger will need full and immediate support from the Prime Minister if they are to be turned into real action. |
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