“It is good that India took the lead and did something good for the future of tigers. We stated openly that we do not support China’s contention on saving tigers by breeding them in farms as that would not necessarily stop the trade. It was difficult to convince them but the fact that we have issued a common resolution shows that they have agreed. And now they have no option but to phase out farm-bred tigers,” Rajesh Gopal, Member-Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, told The Indian Express from the Hague.

Another amendment was suggested by the EU, which wanted the word “parties” replaced with the words “Range states” in the sentence: “Parties with intensive operations breeding tigers on a commercial scale shall implement measures to restrict the captive population to a level supportive only to conserving wild tigers.”

“This would have meant that someone can set up a farm in a country, which is not a Range state and breed tigers. Russia pointed this out but those in favour of adopting the words “Range states” could not get the required two thirds majority,” said a press release by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

“Today’s meeting has closed the chapter on even domestic trade in tiger parts in China. Till now, they were speculating and agreed to the resolution to save their face. They wanted to get away with it internally but the voting ruled that out. Now, the question that stares China in the face is what to do with its 5000 farm-bred tigers. They have spent a lot of money on them so obviously culling would be a major problem,” said Ashok Kumar from the NGO Wildlife Trust of India, who is also participating in the conference.