§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to help prevent the extinction of(a) the Tibetan antelope and (b) the gold snub-nosed monkey. [61900]
§ Mr. MealeThe Tibetan Antelope(Panthalops hodgsonii) and the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Pygathrix roxellana) are listed on Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Annex A of the EC Wildlife Trade Regulation which implements CITES within the European Union. International trade in these species is effectively banned. However, there is evidence that illegal trafficking in Tibetan Antelopes' wool (shahtoosh) is linked to smuggling in products from another Appendix 1, and critically endangered, species—the tiger. Last year the Metropolitan Police seized 138 shahtoosh shawls from a shop in Mayfair, the biggest seizure in the world so far. In October this year, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister received further information about this illegal trade during his visit to China. Next year, as Chair of the CITES Standing Committee, the UK will lead a mission to tiger range states and consumer countries to assist all concerned in their efforts to crack down on illegal trade by strengthening enforcement, raising public awareness of the threats to these species and gathering further information useful in tackling international wildlife crime.