In January 2000, the Japanese Government's Environment Agency announced an amendment to Japan's Law for the Conservation of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, strengthening restrictions on domestic trade in tiger parts and derivatives. Japan is a significant consumer of Asian medicines and products, and up until this law was passed, products had been on open sale and unregulated. This law closes that possibility. In addition, all species threatened by the medic- inals trade are protected by national legislation in their range States. Despite all of these measures, enforcement officers continue to encounter medicines labelled as containing parts of endangered species that are not legal
