Wild Meat Consumption and Motivations in Asia
CPW FORUM
21 NOVEMBER 2018
SARAH B. FERGUSON- TRAFFIC VIET NAM
DIRECTOR
A hotspot for Critically Endangered vertebrates
Jenkins et al 2013 Mammals
Status of Wildlife Trade in Asia
Consumer, transit, source
Domestic and international consumers
Physical and online markets
Cultural/traditional drivers
Environmental laws are confusing and numerous
Political will/corruption
This is a Shared Problem
Species in the wild meat trade
• Barking Deer
• Saola
• Bearded Pig
•Orangutan
• Sun Bear
•Asiatic Black Bear
• Monitor Lizards
• Freshwater Turtles
•Civets
•Marine turtles
•Sambar
•Serow
•Assamese macaque
•Goral
•Delacourts langur
•Takin
•Musk deer
•Malayan sun bear
•Pangolin
and more…
Pangolins
One of the most commonly
encountered mammals in
Asia’s illegal wildlife trade
As populations decline in traditional
hunting sites - sources and trade
routes shift to adapt.
Pangolin seizures
Malaysia 22,200 pangolins traded in 13 months
China parts and pieces from 10,460 pangolins seized in18 months
104,600 pangolins traded in 18-months
Pangolin Seizures Involving Viet Nam*
Year No. of Seizures Weight (kg) Items
2018^ 12 2449.9 327
2017 12 589.50 255
2016 3 15 8
TOTAL 27 3054.40 590
* Seizures made in Viet Nam, made elsewhere going to/coming from Viet Nam, and/or involving Vietnamese nationals. ^ The 2018 figures given are current as of 30 June 2018
436 live
19 bodies
1,504kg
scales
Rhino Seizures Involving Viet Nam*
Year No. of Seizures
Weight (kg) Horns/Horn Pieces
2018^ 3 27.92 12
2017 10 199.28 124
2016 6 64.80 33
TOTAL 19 292 169
* Seizures made in Viet Nam, made elsewhere going to/coming from Viet Nam, and/or involving Vietnamese nationals. ^ The 2018 figures given are current as of 30 June 2018
76 horn piece
s
93 horns
Total weight = 292kg
State No of shops selling
wild meat
Sarawak 88 Sabah 83 Johor 54 Pahang 35 Perak 29 Selangor 13 Kelantan 8 Melaka 8 Kedah 7 Negeri Sembilan 3 Penang 3 Terengganu 1 TOTAL 332
Sarikei
© TRAFFIC SEA
Julau
Sarikei
© TRAFFIC SEA
Wild Meat Trade: Malaysia 2012
Pangolin Trade Routes Involving Viet Nam
• January 2016 – June 2018
• Total number of incidents mapped = 15
Borneo has become a major source of wild
pangolins for the trade
Motivations case studies
Wild Meat Common motivations
Traditional medicine properties: Crocodile meat improves asthma, wild boar warms the body to fight disease, and pangolin soup increases lifespan.
Human/ wildlife conflict: The monkeys would come in large groups of up to 20 and wreak havoc with the fruits. Once the fruits are bruised or smashed, they are no longer saleable.
India
“…wild meat is not contaminated like the
meat of domestic animals that eat refuse around the villages”
Motivations
Tribal rituals
Gifting of fresh or dried wild meat
Weddings and other special occasions
Priests offer at ceremonies
Certain species that have valuable commercial parts are hunted primarily for sale
Who hunts?
People begin hunting from the age of 10–12 years and most continue hunting while their health permits
Indiscriminate harvest
Number of animals hunted/eaten based on: frequency of hunting remoteness of village awareness of law use of guns use of traps
Methods include: catapults (for birds and squirrels) traps on the village farms bows and arrows spears metal noose pitfall box log-fall
guns
China and Viet Nam “The opportunities provided by newly mobile domestic tourists have been fully exploited by the locals and the creation and marketing of expensive 'traditional specialities' by savvy entrepreneurs has contributed to the availability of wildmeat around popular tourist destinations.”
Who consumes?
Consumed mostly by successful, high-income, high-status males of all ages and educational levels
Motivations
Rare and precious:
demonstrates wealth and status
fashionable
luxurious
Expensive:
used to show respect
communicate prestige
obtain social leverage
demonstrate competence negotiating deals and initiating new business relations
important where a projected image is critical to social success
Farmed vs Wild
The increase in farmed wild meat seems to encourage status consumers to place greater emphasis on wildness in order to communicate prestige
Common themes
Wild meat is considered healthier than farmed or domestic meat
Targeted techniques (gun, crossbow) increase yield of specific species
Demand drives supply
Thank You! [email protected] Special thanks to Sasket Badola and Serene Chng and to FAO for inviting me to speak