McCaul seeks permanent Chinese ban on poaching-driven assault of endangered wildlife

U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) this week joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce a resolution requesting that China continue its ban on the illegal poaching and trafficking of wild rhinoceroses and tigers.

Wildlife trafficking has more than doubled since 2007 and now is one of the world’s largest transnational crimes, yielding an estimated $20 billion annually in illegal profits, according to the text of House Resolution (H.Res.) 1177, which Rep. McCaul introduced on Dec. 11.

In 1993, China’s State Council recognized the endangered status of both rhinoceroses and tigers due to poaching and issued a ban involving the sale, purchase, use, and import of rhinoceros horns, tiger bones and other body parts, according to a statement from Rep. McCaul’s office.

In October, China was expected to permit exceptions to this ban for medical and scientific research, but last month postponed lifting the ban on rhinoceros horn and tiger bone for medical and scientific research due to international pressure, particularly by conservation groups, according to the statement.

H.Res. 1177 would stipulate that Congress recognizes the need for China to set a permanent ban because rhinoceroses and tigers are at risk of extinction and are endangered primarily due to “rampant” poaching driven by high demand in Asia and Africa for their parts.

The high demand for these animal parts is due to traditional Chinese beliefs that the horn on rhinoceroses and tiger bones “are thought to have medicinal and healing properties,” according to the text of H.Res. 1177.

But “there appears to be little scientific evidence to support traditional claims of the health benefits of consuming rhinoceros horn or tiger bones,” according to the resolution.

“This resolution strongly encourages China to maintain a permanent prohibition on the sale of rhino and tiger parts, while continuing to support ongoing efforts at the Department of State and other agencies to combat poaching and international trafficking,” said Rep. McCaul, who was joined in introducing the resolution by U.S. Reps. Ed Royce (R-CA), Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE), and Henry Cuellar (D-TX).

Rep. McCaul’s statement summarized the resolution as aiming to reduce demand in Asian markets, work with the United States’ global partners to fight transnational criminal organizations engaged in poaching and trafficking, and condemn the farming of this wildlife.

“China’s consideration of allowing the sale of rhino horns and tiger bones would undeniably increase the $20 billion in annual illegal profits already made by wildlife trafficking,” Rep. McCaul said. “Worst of all, these profits are often reaped by transnational criminal organizations and foreign terrorist groups to fund their own malevolent ambitions.”

Rep. Cuellar added that it’s “unacceptable that each year, these sales generate billions of dollars in illegal profits at the expense of these endangered species. This resolution sends a strong message that the preservation of wildlife populations trumps the worth of their individual parts.”

He thanked Rep. McCaul for his “continued bipartisan effort on this matter.”

The resolution already has garnered support from several groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the Humane Society Legislative Fund.

The resolution has been referred for consideration to both the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee.