Saving the Chiru

Spring 2000 Earth Island Journal, Vol. 15 No. 1, Page 11

Xining, China -- The widespread poaching of Tibetan antelope in China first became apparent in the early 90s. The antelope (also called "chiru"), is hunted for shahtoosh, its fine woolen undercoat. Experts estimate the chiru population at less than 75,000. As many as 20,000 may be killed by poachers every year.

Last October 12-14, environmental organizations, wildlife conservation agencies and law enforcement authorities from China, France, India, Italy, Nepal, the UK and the US met in Xining, China and resolved to step up efforts to protect the antelope and halt the trade in shahtoosh.

The International Workshop on Conservation and Control of Trade in Tibetan Antelope was hosted by the secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Chinese CITES office. Under CITES, trade in shahtoosh and other Tibetan antelope products has been wholly banned since 1979. The Tibetan antelope is classified in the highest protected category under Chinese law -- the same protection that covers the giant panda. Domestic trade in shahtoosh is banned in both China and India.

Chiru herds are widely poached in protected areas of Tibet and Western China. After the antelope are skinned, the raw shahtoosh is collected and smuggled to India for transport to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Jammu and Kashmir Wild Life (Protection) Act, trade in Tibetan antelope products is permitted within the state. J&K is the only region in India that has an independent wildlife law and the only location in the world where shahtoosh possession and manufacture are officially legalized. Shahtoosh shawls -- considered the softest and warmest in the world -- are manufactured there and then smuggled to fashion capitals worldwide.

The shahtoosh issue gained higher visibility after Time magazine featured a report last October and the Wall Street Journal ran a page-one article. A feature story in the November 1999 Vanity Fair described the dilemma of socialites and celebrities (such as supermodel Christie Brinkley) who have reportedly been subpoenaed by a New Jersey grand jury and ordered to relinquish any shahtoosh products in their possession. The investigation is said to have stemmed from a 1994 fundraiser at New York's Mayfair Hotel.

Under CITES, it is illegal to import shahtoosh into the US. Penalties for knowing violation of the law with intent to sell include fines of up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for corporations. Violators can face maximum jail sentences of five years.

Following the October meeting in China, government representatives and non-governmental organizations -- including the Tibetan Plateau Project (TPP) -- issued the "Xining Declaration." Noting that "consumer markets for shahtoosh shawls are the fundamental reason leading to continued large-scale poaching of wild populations of Tibetan antelope," attendees agreed that "the total eradication of production of, and markets for, shahtoosh and its products is the key to the survival of the Tibetan antelope."

The Xining workshop renewed hope that the chiru may yet receive adequate protection. It is an encouraging sign that world governments are committed to ending Tibetan antelope poaching by reducing market demand and attempting to halt the illegal manufacture and trade of shahtoosh goods. However, a great deal remains to be done to improve international conservation management and law enforcement efforts.

In China, better coordination is needed between nature reserves, law enforcement personnel, and regional and national wildlife management authorities. A detailed conservation plan also will be necessary if China is to protect the Tibetan antelope. India and Nepal must move decisively to cut off shahtoosh smuggling, while Indian authorities need to renew their efforts to discourage shahtoosh manufacture in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ultimately, however, responsibility for halting the shahtoosh trade lies with consumers and law-enforcement agencies in consumer nations. Despite numerous seizures of the wool, there have been no convictions under CITES for trafficking shahtoosh in consumer countries. China, France, India, Italy, Nepal, the UK and the US need to ban all internal trade in Tibetan antelope products.

Last October, TPP and the Wildlife Conservation Society submitted a formal proposal to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to add the Tibetan antelope to the list of endangered species, under provisions of the US Endangered Species Act. An ESA listing would ban the interstate transport and sale of shahtoosh -- a distinct problem where buyers cross state lines to purchase shahtoosh, as the New Jersey investigation discovered.

TPP is encouraging shahtoosh owners to cooperate with law enforcement authorities to expose this contemptible trade and is urging consumers to boycott shahtoosh and shahtoosh vendors anywhere in the world.

During 2000, TPP's Tibetan Antelope Conservation Campaign will be working with fashion industry leaders to reduce the demand for shahtoosh and to publicize alternatives. These include "shahmina," a type of pashmina produced from Tibetan cashmere by the same weavers who make shahtoosh shawls in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as yak wool products produced by Tibetan communities. By purchasing products like shahmina and yak wool shawls, consumers can contribute to the protection of the Tibetan antelope while maintaining the livelihoods of traditional communities.

What You Can Do: To learn how you can support TPP's proposal to win Endangered Species Act protection for the Tibetan antelope, or for information on shahtoosh alternatives, contact TPP at 300 Broadway, Suite 28 San Francisco, CA 94133, (415) 788-3666 ext. 132, fax: 788-7324, tppei@earthisland.org. Look for the latest updates on the Tibetan Antelope Conservation Campaign on our Tibetan Antelope Resource Page at: http://www.earthisland.org/tpp/antelope.htm.

©1998-2001, Tibetan Plateau Project. All rights reserved.