Protection
Endangered Species Act
All species in danger of extinction are listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This act was and has been crucial to the survival of many species, including the Siberian Tiger, that were on the road to extinction (Endangered Species Act, 2015). Under this act, species are identified as either endangered or threatened, and protected both in the U.S. and abroad by prohibiting the import or export if tiger parts. Plans are made for their recovery and they are protected on a federal level. This act was one of the biggest environmental policies adopted by any nation and had a huge impact on the Siberian Tiger.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
The Siberian Tiger is protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Flora and Fauna (CITES), which was signed by 178 countries. It lists 926 species that are in danger of extinction and therefore cannot be commercially traded for their parts or products. It bans the hunting, capturing, and selling of more than 5,000 species of animals. This convention has helped to reduce the trade of the Siberian Tiger, yet there is room for improvement. Enforcement of protective conventions and treaties vary from country to country; consequences can be insignificant, and there are still many countries that have not yet signed any treaty, so in this sense, there is still work to be done in furthering the enforcement of these acts (CITES, 2013).
The Rhinoceros and Tiger Convention
In 1994 the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act (RTCA) was passed in Congress to further the conservation efforts on behalf of the tigers and rhinoceroses (Tigers, 2015). “The service supports anti-poaching programs, habitat and ecosystem management, development of nature reserves, wildlife surveys and monitoring, management of human-wildlife conflict, public awareness campaign and other conservation related efforts for rhinoceroses and tigers.” (U.S. Efforts to Regulate Tiger Trade, 2015) The act was later amended in 1998 to include the prohibition of importation, possession, or exportation of tiger or rhinoceros parts. The RTCA has the right to confiscate any tiger or rhino products from any seller, buyer, importer or exporter. This Convention provides funding for the protection, education, research, resource management, and support for these two important species (U.S. Efforts to Regulate Tiger Trade, 2015).
Together, these three acts have been HUGE in combatting the international and national trade of tiger parts and products internationally.
Across the Borders
Several laws and regulations specific to the Siberian Tiger in the Russian Far East are also in place to discourage illegal poaching and hunting. The Ministry of Natural Resources Environment in Russia, Siberia, and China have long since banned the trade and sale of Siberian Tiger parts both in and between Russian and China. Now the transport or possession of any tiger parts is also considered a criminal offense as well. Though these laws have helped to protect the species, they still need to be heavily enforced (Wildlife Tigers, 2015).
The country has also began protecting parts of the Russian Far East forests, where the majority of the Siberian Tigers live. The Forest Program of WWF Russia is working to reduce illegal logging, promote sustainable management, and improve the forest legislation in Russia (Illegal Logging in the Russian Far East, 2015). It is estimated that in the last decade, illegal logging was responsible for the destruction of around 91 million acres of forest. At this time around 4 times the amount of legal timber was being exported to China (Logging of Russian Far East Damaging Tiger Habitat, 2014). The Chinese furniture manufacturers are stripping the Russian Far East Forests at a rate that far surpasses the legal and sustainable supply. The illegal logging industry also undermines the legal timber companies, who work at sustainable and legal rates. It causes these companies to go bankrupt because there rates are slower and more expensive. Since habitat destruction poses one of the greatest threats to the Amur Tigers, the WWF’s work has been beneficial to the species, however, illegal logging still has a massive presence in the furniture and manufacturing market in Russia and China (Amur Tiger, 2015).
Now
Great strides have made to protect the scarce and sacred Siberian Tiger. There are international laws, treaties, conventions and acts. They are protected in China, the U.S., Siberia and the Russian Far East, yet there is still much more to be done. The steady increase of population of these tigers has been an incredible success, and is largely due to the nonprofits and organizations working on their behalf. Illegal logging and poaching have now become the tiger’s greatest threat, so in order to continue seeing an increase in population, these specific issues need to be met. Visit out page What Can You Do? to learn how you can help!
HIPPCO
HIPPCO is an acronym for what environmentalists and biologist believe to be the key reasons a species goes extinct and how an environment is affected by succession.
H- Habitat Destruction
I - Invasive Species
P -Population Growth
P - Pollution/Pesticides
C - Climate Change
O - Overexploitation
These are belived to be the main causes of environmental degredation and extinction of plant and animal species.