Bill To Crack Down On Black Market For Tigers Approved In Senate

State Sen. Ray Lesniak

TRENTON – The state Senate approved a bill which would create a registration and reporting system for privately-owned tigers within the State of New Jersey in order to discourage the worldwide black market for tiger body parts on Thursday by a vote of 37-0.

“New Jersey has been a national leader in many social justice causes, like abolishing the death penalty, or public policy initiatives, like environmental protection,” said state Sen. Ray Lesniak, D-Union, a sponsor of the bill. “Today, we can add to that leadership by sending a message to other states, our federal government and the international community, that New Jersey cares. We care about protecting other animal species that share the planet with us. We care about their inhumane treatment. We care, and we want to do something about it.”

The bill, S-3061, would require the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to administer a system in which private owners or zoos which own tigers would register certain information with the state. Under the bill, tiger owners would be required to provide their name, address and telephone number, the address and exact location where the tiger is kept, the birth date, weight and sex of the tiger, a description of any distinguishing marks and a digital color photograph of the tiger, a hair sample sufficient to meet any future need for DNA analysis of the tiger. Upon review and approval of an application, the Department would be required to issue a certificate of registration for the tiger, complete with a unique identification number, and the tiger’s owner would be required to have a subcutaneous microchip implanted in the tigers’ neck with the ID number as well as other identifying information.

The bill also stipulates that within five days of a tiger’s death, the tiger’s owner would be required to submit the tiger’s remains to a qualified disposal agent to remove the ID chip and dispose of the remains properly, and the owner would be required to submit a sworn affidavit to DEP detailing the time and cause of death, and the ID number provided by the department.

“The penalties, registration and reporting requirements under S-3061 should make breeding tigers in captivity for sale of their parts a risky business,” said Lesniak. “It costs $6000 a year to feed a fully grown tiger, while the value of its parts is multiple times that amount. Those who breed tigers in captivity are not likely to keep them under humane conditions. And they could easily sell their parts for a profit and fuel the trade in tiger parts that has also spurred killing of tigers in the wild.”

Lesniak noted that the black market for tiger body parts, among other factors, has resulted in the animals being hunted to near-extinction worldwide. Over the last century, the world’s tiger population has fallen from about 100,000 to just 3,200 in the wild according to the World Wildlife Fund. Tigers are hunted, bought and sold not only for their teeth, skins and claws, but also for their body parts, which are used in many traditional Asian medicines.

Lesniak added that the body parts of a single tiger can be sold for a sum of $10,000 or more on the black market. He also noted that, at the time of the recent tragedy in Ohio, in which animals escaped from a private nature preserve, criminals were seeking to steal lion carcasses in order to profit from the illegal trade of their body parts.

“It’s not often we have an opportunity in the Legislature to change the world,” said Lesniak. “Today, we are blessed with such an opportunity. Today, we can send a message to the international community that New Jersey is joining the campaign to save tigers from extinction and to stop the illegal trafficking in tiger parts and the inhumane treatment of tigers that goes along with it.”

The bill now heads to the Assembly for consideration.

Read more: http://njtoday.net/2011/12/16/bill-to-crack-down-on-black-market-for-tigers-approved-in-senate/#ixzz1gktZkEyX
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NJ Senate Unanimously Approves Tiger Regulation Bill

Thanks to the combined resources of Big Cat Rescue, Born Free, Tigers in America, WWF, Mark O’Donnell and Senator Lesniak, there was such overwhelming support for this bill that it passed 37 to 0 !

It will go before the full Assembly next and we will alert you when to contact your Assembly members in NJ.

	Stop tigers being killed for their parts in NJ  SENATE VOTED THURS 12/15  PLEASE EMAIL SUPPORT

Tigers are worth far more dead than alive because of demand in Asia and in some communities in the U.S. for tiger bone wine and alleged medicinal and aphrodisiacs made from their parts. The rapidly declining wild tiger population is now estimated to be only about 3000 tigers, with the greatest threat coming from poaching of tigers for their parts.

There are more tigers in captivity in the U.S. than in the wild. Cubs are bred constantly to exploit by charging for petting and photo opportunities. But, there is no system in the U.S. to effectively track whether, once they are too big to use for petting and photos, they are being killed for their parts.

Senator Ray Lesniak, Chairman of the Senate Economic Growth Committee, has introduced a landmark bill to require registration and detailed tracking of all tigers in New Jersey to prevent them from being slaughtered for the trade in their parts. We hope this bill will become a model for other states and possibly a federal law.

The bill passed the Committee unanimously and now needs your voice to continue its momentum onto the full Senate floor for a vote. Animal exploiters are lobbying to gut this bill, so it is important that you speak up now for the tigers! Please scroll down to send an email to your Senator urging them to support this bill. If you take a minute to customize the suggested language in the form, your email will have more impact. Thanks for helping stop the slaughter of tigers for their parts!

Animal Exploiters are Lobbying to Gut This Bill

Please contact the Committee members below and let them know that you want the Senate to pass S. 3061 as it was submitted by Senator Lesniak, with no “grandfathering” clauses to diminish its effect.

Assembly Agriculture Committee Members:

Nelson T. Albano, Chair
21 North Main St.
Cape May Court House, NJ 08210
(609) 465-0700  – Phone
(609) 465-4578  – Fax
asmalbano@njleg.org

Celeste M. Riley, Vice-Chair
14 East Commerce St. 3rd Floor
Bridgeton, NJ 08302
(856) 455-1011  -Phone
aswriley@njleg.org

John F. Amodeo
1801 Zion Rd. Suite 1
Northfield, NJ 08225
(609) 677-8266  – Phone
asmamodeo@njleg.org

Ronald S. Dancer
2110 W. County Line Rd.
Jackson, NJ 08527
(732) 901-0702  – Phone
asmdancer@njleg.org

Gilbert L. Wilson
Audubon Commons Shopping Center
130 Blackhorse Pike 1st Floor, Suite D-3
Audubon, NJ 08106
(856) 547-4800- Phone
asmwilson@njleg.org