Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-02-18-Speech-1-042"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080218.19.1-042"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, in the lead-up to the Beijing Olympics, the focus of the international community is on China’s record for violations of human rights. However, we must not forget that other species, primarily the tigers, are suffering too. Their numbers are being devastated due to huge demand – largely from China – for tiger-related products.
The cause of their looming extinction is the illegal poaching of tigers in India. Even in reserves, keepers have been shot to get at the tigers. These are then illegally transported across the border to China. It is estimated that one tiger is killed every day. At this rate the tiger will be virtually extinct within the next five years.
I welcome the news last week that the Indian Government plans to create eight new reserves to protect their dwindling population of tigers. Nevertheless, it will take five years to set up new reserves, and in the last five years the population of tigers has already dropped by over 50%. Therefore, unless the European Union and international community take urgent action in curbing demand and tackling illegal poaching and trafficking, and changing attitudes in China on tiger-related products, the new reserves will be too little too late.
Finally, I hope you will support me on Tiger Protection Awareness Day."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples