The government has criticised China’s decision to reverse its ban on rhino horns and tiger bones.
The Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife on Friday said the move to overturn the ban will only work to embolden rhino horn traffickers despite the rapidly decreasing number of the animals in the country.
“Based on the experience in ivory trade in the last 25 years, legalised trade has proven ineffective in stemming elephant poaching in Africa. It will not discourage existing illegal syndicates driving this trade,” read a statement from the ministry.
The statement added that China is using the false belief that the horns hold medicinal value, something that is yet to be proved.
Traditional Asian cultures believe that using certain animal parts aids in the treatment of various ailments.
“Allowing rhino horns to be marketed as medicine is dishonest and sends mixed messages to the marketplace at a time when a single clear message needs to be communicated to the billions of potential customers,” said the ministry.
On Monday, China announced that it would allow trade in the endangered species’ products for medical and research purposes.
There are about 25,000 rhinos left in the wild, according to a 2012 population census.
