[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 152 (Tuesday, November 4, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2173]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE RHINO AND TIGER PRODUCT LABELING ACT: NOVEMBER 4, 
                                  1997

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                            HON. JIM SAXTON

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 4, 1997

  Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today, along with 
my colleague, George Miller, the Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act 
of 1997.
  This legislation will amend the landmark Rhinoceros and Tiger 
Conservation Act of 1994, Public Law 103-391, to ensure that no person 
may import any product labeled or containing any species of rhinoceros 
or tiger into, or export any such product from, the United States.
  Regrettably, all five species of both rhinoceros and tigers are 
critically endangered. For nearly 20 years they have been listed as 
endangered on both appendix I of the Convention on International Trade 
in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora [CITES] and our own 
Endangered Species Act.
  In the case of tigers, their future is particularly bleak. In fact, 
it has been estimated that there are now less than 5,000 animals living 
in the wild, which is a 95-percent decline from the beginning of this 
century. There are fewer than 500 South China and Siberian tigers left 
in the world. Despite the enactment of Public Law 103-391 and the 
approval of several valuable tiger rescue grants financed by the 
Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund, these irreplaceable species 
continue to be killed by poachers for their fur, as well as for other 
body parts. Shamans and practitioners of traditional medicine, 
especially the Chinese, value almost every part of the cat.
  Tiger bone powders and tablets have been used for generations to 
combat pain, kidney, and liver problems, rheumatism, convulsions, and 
heart conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, the population estimates for the rhinoceros are slightly 
better than tigers with 11,000 animals living in the wild. 
Nevertheless, there are several rhino species that are teetering on 
extinction. For instance, there are only 100 Javan and fewer than 500 
Sumatran rhinos left on this planet.
  While human population growth and competition for land have 
contributed to the destruction of rhinoceros habitat, the major cause 
of this species' decline has been the insatiable demand for products 
made from rhino horn. In Asia, rhinoceros horn obtained almost 
exclusively from illegal sources has been used for generations to treat 
headaches and fever in children.
  By killing these flagship species, poachers are reaping huge 
financial rewards. In fact, Asian rhino horn is selling for up to 
$60,000 per kilogram and tiger bones can sell for over $1,400 a pound.
  In order to save these species, we must eliminate the market for 
these products and stop consumers from purchasing medicines made from 
endangered rhinos and tigers. While it may be difficult to change 
traditional healing practices in China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, we can 
stop their importation into the United States.
  I am told that on any given day, a consumer can visit a drug store or 
pharmacy in such cities as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San 
Francisco, and Washington, DC, and purchase prepackaged medicines that 
clearly indicate they contain rhino and tiger parts. While some U.S. 
Customs agents will confiscate these products prior to importation, 
unfortunately it is virtually impossible to conclusively determine even 
in a laboratory that the active ingredients in the medicine originated 
from a rhinoceros or a tiger.
  We can solve this problem by enacting the Rhino and Tiger Product 
Labeling Act. This legislation stipulates that if a label on a product 
says that it contains rhinoceros or tiger parts, then we can prevent it 
from coming into the United States by making the legal presumption, 
without any further scientific tests or analysis, that it violates our 
trade laws. In essence, it is a Truth in Labeling for these endangered 
species and if manufacturers choose to try to sell their medicines 
without a reference to rhinos or tigers, then consumers are not likely 
to purchase them.
  Mr. Speaker, if there is any hope of saving rhinoceros or tigers for 
future generations, then we must stop the sale of products containing 
these animals and 1998 is the year of the tiger according to the 
Chinese calendar, and passage of this bill would be an effective way to 
celebrate this occasion.
  I would urge my colleagues to join with me in this vital effort by 
cosponsoring the Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act of 1997. I would 
also like to thank the World Wildlife Fund and Traffic U.S.A. for their 
outstanding leadership in this issue and for dramatizing the plight of 
rhinos and tigers. We must work to ensure that the last rhino and tiger 
is not killed on our watch.




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