“Tigers should not be bred for trade in their parts or derivatives,” according to a decision by the 171 nation U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in The Hague.

Beijing told CITES last week that it was considering allowing domestic trade in parts from its 5,000 captive bred tigers if a scientific review proved it would reduce poaching and help stocks of wild tigers worldwide.

But many nations, including India, Russia, Nepal, Bhutan and the United States, said any domestic Chinese sales would simply encourage poachers to cash in and shoot remaining tigers in the wild around Asia.

“This is a clear message that when these folks go back to China, they are going to have a strong time justifying (sales) at all,” said Todd Willens, head of the U.S. delegation at the June 3-15 talks in the Hague.

Tiger numbers in the wild are thought to have plunged from 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to perhaps 5,000 because of hunting and loss of habitats. Tigers are prized for furs and their parts are used in traditional medicines.

The CITES decision was adopted by consensus even though China argued strongly against, delegates said. Beijing says its breeding centres support conservation of wild tigers — China has only about 30 tigers left in the wild.

The CITES decision also said that countries with “intensive breeding operations” should limit numbers to “a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers.” China has not successfully introduced farmed tigers to the wild.

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