New Delhi, Aug. 3 (PTI): Opposing legalising of trade in tiger parts as a measure to protect the endangered animal, wildlife conservationists today claimed that it was the growing demand for tigers in China which had fuelled the decline of the species in India through poaching.

"China has repeatedly said that it wants to open tiger trade and promote tiger farming," wildlife activist Belinda Wright said here at the release of the report 'The roar of the tigers' by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

She, however, asserted that this would not help in conserving the species as it was cheaper to poach tigers than rear them.

"People anyway prefer wildlife species for medicinal purposes and they are considered to be more potent," Wright said.

"The declining tiger population in China in the 1990s had led to smugglers and poachers eyeing the Indian tigers and this resulted in a drastic drop in the tiger population in this country," she said.

Agreeing that India needs to take urgent steps to tackle the "severest ever" crisis on the tiger front, the experts asked the country to approach China to sort out the issue.

On the steps taken by India to prevent the dip in the tiger population, they said the enforcement of anti-poaching laws needs to be strengthened by operationalising the Wildlife Crime Bureau on a priority basis.

"There needs to be a dialogue with China on a continuous basis on the issue of tiger trade, both bilaterally and multilaterally, to oppose any rethink on their domestic ban on tiger derivatives and parts," they said.