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! Sarah.ferguson@traffic.org Special thanks to Sasket Badola and Serene Chng and to FAO for inviting me to speak