Illegal trade with terrestrial vertebrates in markets and households of
Laos

Date:
August 19, 2020
Source:
Pensoft Publishers
Summary:
Scientists provide the first interdisciplinary assessment of human
involvement into the terrestrial vertebrate trade in Laos and its
impact on the survival of the local fauna populations. Sixty-six
traded species found on wildlife trade markets were documented,
and more than half of them were found to be the species protected
either by national law or international convention.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
It's not a surprise to anyone that numerous vertebrate species are
being sold at different wildlife markets, but at the moment there is
still no comprehensive understanding of how much people are involved in
those actions in Laos (Lao PDR), nor what the impact on local wildlife populations really is.


==========================================================================
The majority of Laotians live in rural areas and their income largely
depends on wildlife. Since wildlife products are used as one of the major
food sources, numerous species of terrestrial vertebrates are currently
being offered at local markets.

Across the tropical regions, mammals and birds have been vanishing,
with recent models estimating up to 83% decline by 2050. Furthermore, wild-caught reptiles have been reported from Southeast Asian wildlife
markets for over 20 years, with Laos occupying the position of a very
popular source.

Due to the large number of native endemic species, Lao PDR should assume
the responsibility to introduce conservation measures to keep control
over the predicted population declines. At the moment, the regulations on wildlife use and trade in Laos are mostly based on the Lao Wildlife and
Aquatic Law, which, however, largely disregards international statuses
of the species and other biological factors.

Stricter and reinforced legislation is needed in the fields related
to wildlife trade and consumption, since such practices are not only
causing biodiversity loss, but also suggested to pose a great threat
of wildlife-associated emergence of zoonotic parasites and pathogens
to humans. As an immediate example, the outbreak of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) is primarily considered to be a consequence of human
consumption of wild animals.

An international group of students and scientists, led by Professor
Dr. Thomas Ziegler at the University of Cologne and the Cologne Zoo
(Germany), has conducted a number of extensive surveys on wildlife markets
(66 observational surveys at 15 trade hubs) and households (63 households
at 14 sites) in the Khammouane Province of Laos. The key question of the
survey was: "Which species are traded and to what extent?" The results
of the study are published in the open-access journal Nature Conservation.

The surveys showed overlaps between the most traded species at wildlife
markets and those of highest conservation importance.

As for the households, approximately 90% of the surveyed respondents
confirmed the use of wildlife. For the majority of the population,
wildlife harvesting was found to be important for their livelihood
and trapping activities were mostly aimed at self-consumption /
subsistence. The reason for this could be explained by the prices
of domesticated meat, which can be three times as higher as those of
wildlife products.

The demand for the species on the wildlife market remained the same
over time, according to the opinions of 84,1% of respondents, while
the availability of wild meats was reported to have decreased, due to increasing price.

"We recommend local authorities to assess the markets within the province capital Thakhek in particular, as they showed the highest quantity of
wild meats. The markets at Namdik and Ban Kok turned out to be very
active trade hubs for wildlife as well, regardless of the vertebrate
group. The loss of certain species may cause a cascade of unforeseeable
effects in the ecosystems.

Therefore, the biodiversity of tropical Southeast Asian countries like
Lao PDR must be protected.," shares Dr. Thomas Ziegler.

To help the local population to avoid the crisis related to the change
of activity and growing unemployment, scientists propose to introduce
new activities in the region.

"Eco-tourism presents a great opportunity to combine conservation
efforts and an alternative source of income. Former hunters with
excellent knowledge of the forest and wildlife habitats can serve as professional wildlife tour guides or their involvement in the Village
Forest Protection Group could help to protect natural resources in Laos," suggests Dr. Thomas Ziegler.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Pensoft_Publishers. The original
story is licensed under a Creative_Commons_License. Note: Content may
be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Katharina Kasper, Jonas Schweikhard, Max Lehmann, Cara Leonie Ebert,
Petra Erbe, Sengdeuane Wayakone, Truong Q. Nguyen, M. D. Le,
Thomas Ziegler. The extent of the illegal trade with
terrestrial vertebrates in markets and households in Khammouane
Province, Lao PDR. Nature Conservation, 2020; 41: 25 DOI:
10.3897/natureconservation.41.51888 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200819084957.htm

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