Wildlife trade

scale | drivers | governance

Featured work

TCM 101

  • 1. Numerous treatments in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) involve the use of wildlife products, including some that utilize ingredients derived from endangered flora and fauna. Demand for such endangered wildlife products in TCM can threaten the survival of species and pose serious challenges for conservation.

    2. Chinese medical practice is embedded in the cultural fabric of many societies in East and Southeast Asia, and remains an integral part of everyday life and knowledge. It is grounded in principles and theories that have grown over hundreds of years and differ substantially from those of mainstream allopathic biomedicine.

    3. In order to address the threats posed by the medicinal consumption of endangered wildlife, conservation scientists and practitioners will benefit from a basic understanding of TCM. Such knowledge will enable conservationists to craft culturally nuanced solutions and to engage constructively with TCM stakeholders. However, conservationists typically lack familiarity with TCM as the incompatibility of many TCM concepts with those of the biomedical sciences poses a barrier to understanding.

    4. In this paper, we examine the core theories and practices of TCM in order to make TCM more accessible to conservation scientists and practitioners. A better understanding of TCM will enable conservationists to deliver more effective and lasting conservation outcomes.

  • Cheung, H., Doughty, H., Hinsley, A., Hsu, E., Lee, T.M., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Possingham, H.P. and Biggs, D. (2020). Understanding traditional Chinese medicine to deliver conservation outcomes. People and Nature, 3 (1): 115-128. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10166

Chinese consumers & rhino horn

  • The medicinal use of rhino horn in Asia is a major driver of poaching and illegal trade. Research into the different actors involved in this trade is needed to inform policymaking and improve conservation outcomes. While researchers have investigated rhino horn consumers in Vietnam, studies have yet to focus on China. Here, we conducted a large-scale online survey to investigate medicinal rhino horn consumption in China's Guangdong province. One in seven respondents reported having used rhino horn in the past year. These individuals tended to be older, male, wealthier and better educated; several healthcare usage variables were also associated with rhino horn consumption. These findings can help guide the development of tailored demand reduction interventions. Our results question the effectiveness of the global community's current approach to rhino conservation. We conclude by highlighting the need for conservationists to work more closely with key stakeholders to find lasting and sustainable solutions.

  • Cheung, H., Mazerolle, L., Possingham, H.P. and Biggs, D. (2021). Rhino horn use by consumers of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Conservation Science and Practice, 3 (5): e365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.365

Illegal online turtle trade

  • The Internet is being exploited as a medium for illegal wildlife trade, and protected wildlife can now be sold and bought across social media and e-commerce platforms. This article is a 13-mo study on the online trade of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)–listed chelonians on a localized Hong Kong website. During this period, more than 400 posts were collected, with more than 300 posts selling CITES-listed chelonians. Based on our findings, we give 2 general recommendations in enforcing the online illegal wildlife trade: 1) increase knowledge of CITES regulations on pet trade forums and 2) introduce digital solutions to monitor pet trade forums.

    2. Environmental solutions are more politically feasible if fundamentally aligned with the core interests of key policymakers. Understanding the political agendas of decision-makers enables conservationists to identify where political will already exists, and allows environmental objectives to piggyback on the motivation to deliver results.

    3. In this paper, we explore the core interests of the Chinese leadership to uncover opportunities to leverage Beijing's political will for sustainability and conservation gains. China's growing influence on ecosystems and natural resource use both within and beyond its borders makes an analysis of its leadership's political will valuable and timely.

  • Wong, R.W.Y., Lee, C.Y., Cheung, H., Lam, J.Y.K. and Tang, C. (2020). A case study of the online trade of CITES-listed chelonians in Hong Kong. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 19 (1): 95-100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2744/CCB-1344.1