John Kerry Brings Tiger Conservation to the Senate

Yesterday, Zachary Shahan, on the Change.org Environment blog, wrote about the first Global Tiger Initiative Summit. Set to begin on Sunday in St. Petersburg, Russia, the 4-day meeting is a chance for the thirteen countries that tigers still call home to figure out a way to save tigers from extinction.

Many non-profits and other conservation organizations, like World Wildlife Fund and Wildlife Conservation Society, have been urging President Obama, the Senate and the House to speak up for tigers.

Senator John Kerry answered the call for tiger conservation. Not surprising with his history of wildlife and environment conservation legislation, including protections for right whales and polar bears. On Wednesday, Senator Kerry introduced Senate Resolution 680 in support of the Global Tiger Initiative Summit.

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo introduced a comparable resolution in the House, H.Res. 1722. She believes that “This collaboration among an unprecedented number of world leaders is our chance to ensure the viability of tiger populations, by committing to the targeted protection of tiger source sites. The U.S. must continue to be a leader in efforts to conserve iconic species such as this one.”

While resolutions are not legally binding like bills are, they are a public opportunity for the Senate and the House to show their support for global and national tiger conservation efforts. They send a message to President Obama that the United States is committed to saving tigers and so should he. “By investing in tigers we can also promote local community development and create jobs for scientists here in the United States,” said Senator Kerry.

Tigers are not native to America, so why would anyone care what the U.S. government has to say in their defense? There is the part about how the U.S. does business with many of the countries where tigers are found. Or perhaps we should consider that the U.S. has more captive tigers than are found in the wild and have the potential to be front-runners in programs of captive breeding for wild release.

Poaching and trafficking of tigers and tiger products is a large part of the population decline. In India alone the tiger population has dropped by 96 percent since the late 1940s. While most of the demand for tiger parts is in China, the U.S. sees a fair share of illegal trade.

What actions can you take to conserve tigers? Contact your representatives in Washington D.C. and tell them to support the Global Conservation Act of 2010. President Obama also needs to hear from the public. Our voices spur the change that Obama campaigned for and the U.S. seeks.

This is the Year of the Tiger. With only an estimated 3,200 wild tigers left we cannot give up hope for double that number by the next Year of the Tiger in 2020. The U.S. has the potential to help influence global policy for a species on the brink of extinction by committing to the Tiger Summit, and supporting Kerry and Bordallo's resolutions.

Photo Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Cmdr. Jane Campbell