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Borhani M, Fathi S, Harandi MF, Simsek S, Ahmed H, Wu X, Liu M. Trichinella infections in animals and humans of Iran and Turkey. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1088507. [PMID: 36817781 PMCID: PMC9932804 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1088507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichinellosis is considered as a cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by different species of the small nematodes of the genus Trichinella. The present study aimed to provide a broad review for exploring Trichinella sp. infection in humans and animals of Iran and Turkey. Additionally, we aimed to explore bases for trichinellosis prevention and control. Two reports of human trichinellosis following the consumption of meat of wild boar are available in the northern Iran. A large outbreak of trichinellosis and some other sporadic cases are reported mainly as a result of eating wild boar or pork meat from Turkey, where T. britovi is present. Field studies show that Trichinella sp. infections occur in wild carnivores of Iran, particularly the golden jackal (Canis aureus) as the most frequently infected species. T. britovi has been reported to be present elsewhere in Iran in wild mammals, where wild boar is the main source of Trichinella sp. infection. In Turkey, Trichinella spp. has been reported from animals including both domesticated and wild pigs and gray wolf (Canis lupus). However, current data on the distribution of Trichinella taxa are fragmentary in the Anatolian region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Borhani
- State Key Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Saeid Fathi
- Department of Parasite Vaccine Research and Production, Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
| | - Majid Fasihi Harandi
- Research Center for Hydatid Disease in Iran, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Sami Simsek
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Firat, Elaziğ, Türkiye
| | - Haroon Ahmed
- Department of Biosciences, COMSATS University Islamabad (CUI), Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Xiaoxia Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Mingyuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases, Key Laboratory of Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, China,*Correspondence: Mingyuan Liu,
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2
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Wang Y, Tilley HB, Phalke S, Andersson AA, Dingle C, Hatten CER, Leung EYM, Murphy D, Wierucka K, Mumby HS. Discussion of wildlife trade before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in professional opinion pieces and scientific articles. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022; 38:e02270. [PMID: 36043198 PMCID: PMC9411019 DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife trade is a multi-billion-dollar sector that impacts a wide range of species, and thus is of significant research and conservation interest. Wildlife trade has also become a prominent topic in the public-facing media, where coverage has intensified following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic due to the potential connection between wildlife trade and the origin of the SARS Cov2 virus. Given the importance of the media in shaping public understanding and discourse of complex topics such as wildlife trade, this could impact the implementation of and public support for policy decisions. In this study, we followed a standardised protocol to extract wildlife trade-related discussion from 285 professional opinion pieces (NGO reports or articles in conservation-themed forums) and 107 scientific articles published in two time periods: "pre-COVID" (June 1-December 31, 2019) and "during-COVID" (January 1-May 31, 2020). We compared opinion pieces and scientific articles across the two time periods and to each other to investigate potential differences in the presentation of wildlife trade and associated speakers. We found a shift in the way that wildlife trade was discussed in professional opinion pieces between the periods, in that the discussion became less specific in terms of defining the legality and purpose of trade, and the animal groups involved in the "during-COVID" period. The generalised framing of wildlife trade in our dataset also coincided with an increased discussion of highly generalised management strategies, such as blanket bans on wildlife trade. We also found that publications included more quotes from researchers in the "during-COVID" period. In both professional opinion pieces and scientific articles, we found that quotations or research were often from speakers whose affiliation region was different to the geographic range of the trade they were speaking about. This highlights the importance of incorporating local knowledge and considering the diversity of speakers and interviewees in both research and the public-facing media about the wildlife trade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifu Wang
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hannah B Tilley
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Sagarika Phalke
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Astrid A Andersson
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Caroline Dingle
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Chloe E R Hatten
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Even Y M Leung
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Derek Murphy
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Kaja Wierucka
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Hannah S Mumby
- Area of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- Department of Politics and Public Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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3
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Ghoddousi A, Van Cayzeele C, Negahdar P, Soofi M, Kh Hamidi A, Bleyhl B, Fandos G, Khorozyan I, Waltert M, Kuemmerle T. Understanding spatial patterns of poaching pressure using ranger logbook data to optimize future patrolling strategies. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 32:e2601. [PMID: 35366036 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Poaching is driving many species toward extinction, and as a result, lowering poaching pressure is a conservation priority. This requires understanding where poaching pressure is high and which factors determine these spatial patterns. However, the cryptic and illegal nature of poaching makes this difficult. Ranger patrol data, typically recorded in protected area logbooks, contain information on patrolling efforts and poaching detection and should thus provide opportunities for a better understanding of poaching pressure. However, these data are seldom analyzed and rarely used to inform adaptive management strategies. We developed a novel approach to making use of analog logbook records to map poaching pressure and to test environmental criminology and predator-prey relationship hypotheses explaining poaching patterns. We showcase this approach for Golestan National Park in Iran, where poaching has substantially depleted ungulate populations. We digitized data from >4800 ranger patrols from 2014 to 2016 and used an occupancy modeling framework to relate poaching to (1) accessibility, (2) law enforcement, and (3) prey availability factors. Based on predicted poaching pressure and patrolling intensity, we provide suggestions for future patrol allocation strategies. Our results revealed a low probability (12%) of poacher detection during patrols. Poaching distribution was best explained by prey availability, indicating that poachers target areas with high concentrations of ungulates. Poaching pressure was estimated to be high (>0.49) in 39% of our study area. To alleviate poaching pressure, we recommend ramping up patrolling intensity in 12% of the national park, which could be achievable by reducing excess patrols in about 20% of the park. However, our results suggest that for 27% of the park, it is necessary to improve patrolling quality to increase detection probability of poaching, for example, by closing temporal patrolling gaps or expanding informant networks. Our approach illustrates that analog ranger logbooks are an untapped resource for evidence-based and adaptive planning of protected area management. Using this wealth of data can open up new avenues to better understand poaching and its determinants, to expand effectiveness assessments to the past, and, more generally, to allow for strategic conservation planning in protected areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Corinna Van Cayzeele
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Pegah Negahdar
- Tropical Ecology, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mahmood Soofi
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
- CSIRO Land and Water, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | | | - Benjamin Bleyhl
- Geography Department, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Guillermo Fandos
- Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Igor Khorozyan
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Matthias Waltert
- Department of Conservation Biology, University of Goettingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Integrative Research Institute for Transformations in Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys), Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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4
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Sardari P, Felfelian F, Mohammadi A, Nayeri D, Davis EO. Evidence on the role of social media in the illegal trade of Iranian wildlife. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pourya Sardari
- Department of Biological Sciences Simon Fraser University 8888 University Blvd Burnaby British Columbia Canada
| | - Farshad Felfelian
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver British Columbia Canada
| | - Alireza Mohammadi
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources University of Jiroft Jiroft Iran
| | - Danial Nayeri
- Department of Wildlife California State Polytechnic University Humboldt California USA
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5
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Khanwilkar S, Sosnowski M, Guynup S. Patterns of illegal and legal tiger parts entering the United States over a decade (2003–2012). CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarika Khanwilkar
- Wild Tiger San Antonio Texas USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York New York USA
| | - Monique Sosnowski
- John Jay College of Criminal Justice City University of New York New York New York USA
| | - Sharon Guynup
- Environmental Change and Security and China Environment Programs Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Washington District of Columbia USA
- National Geographic Washington District of Columbia USA
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6
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Takashina N. Long-Term Conservation Effects of Protected Areas in Stochastic Population Dynamics. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.672608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial and marine protected areas are essential tools in mitigating anthropogenic impacts and promoting population persistence and resource sustainability. Adequately implemented protected areas (PAs) aim to promote conservation by increasing population size and reducing its variability. To resolve how these effects depend on PA features, I develop and analyze new models of stochastic processes that encompass the fluctuations generated by demographic or environmental stochasticity in PAs management. The stochastic model is built upon individual processes. In the model, density-independent mortality, migration between PAs and non-PAs, organism preference for PAs, and size characterize the features of the PA. The effect of PAs size is also examined. The long-term conservation effects are quantified using the coefficient of variation (CV) of population size in PAs, where a lower CV indicates higher robustness in stochastic variations. The results from this study demonstrate that sufficiently reduced density-independent mortality in PAs and high site preference for PAs and immigration rate into PAs are likely to decrease the CV. However, different types of stochasticity induce rather different consequences: under demographic stochasticity, the CV is always reduced because PAs increase the population size therein, but an increased population size by PAs does not always decrease the CV under environmental stochasticity. The deterministic dynamics of the model are investigated, facilitating effective management decisions.
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7
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Chanyandura A, Muposhi VK, Gandiwa E, Muboko N. An analysis of threats, strategies, and opportunities for African rhinoceros conservation. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:5892-5910. [PMID: 34141191 PMCID: PMC8207337 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The complexity and magnitude of threats to black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhinoceros conservation in Africa have triggered global concerns and actions. In this study, we analyzed (i) threats to rhinoceros conservation including external shocks, (ii) historical rhinoceros conservation strategies in Zimbabwe and Africa, more broadly, and (iii) opportunities for enhanced rhinoceros conservation in Zimbabwe and Africa. A literature search from 1975 to 2020 was carried out using a predefined search protocol, involving a number of filters based on a set of keywords to balance search sensitivity with specificity. A total of 193 articles, which were most relevant to key themes on rhinoceros conservation, were used in this study. The common threats to rhinoceros conservation identified in this paper include poaching, habitat fragmentation and loss, international trade in illegal rhino products, and external shocks such as global financial recessions and pandemics. Cascading effects emanating from these threats include small and isolated populations, which are prone to genetic, demographic, and environmental uncertainties. Rhinoceros conservation strategies being implemented include education and awareness campaigns, better equipped and more antipoaching efforts, use of innovative systems and technologies, dehorning, and enhancing safety nets, and livelihoods of local communities. Opportunities for rhinoceros conservation vary across the spatial scale, and these include (a) a well-coordinated stakeholder and community involvement, (b) strategic meta-population management, (c) enhancing law enforcement initiatives through incorporating real-time surveillance technologies and intruder detection sensor networks for crime detection, (d) scaling up demand reduction awareness campaigns, and (e) developing more certified wildlife crime and forensic laboratories, and information repository for international corporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Admire Chanyandura
- School of Wildlife, Ecology and ConservationChinhoyi University of TechnologyChinhoyiZimbabwe
| | - Victor K. Muposhi
- School of Wildlife, Ecology and ConservationChinhoyi University of TechnologyChinhoyiZimbabwe
| | - Edson Gandiwa
- Scientific ServicesZimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management AuthorityHarareZimbabwe
| | - Never Muboko
- School of Wildlife, Ecology and ConservationChinhoyi University of TechnologyChinhoyiZimbabwe
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8
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Liew JH, Kho ZY, Lim RBH, Dingle C, Bonebrake TC, Sung YH, Dudgeon D. International socioeconomic inequality drives trade patterns in the global wildlife market. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/19/eabf7679. [PMID: 33952526 PMCID: PMC8099177 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf7679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The wildlife trade is a major cause of species loss and a pathway for disease transmission. Socioeconomic drivers of the wildlife trade are influential at the local scale yet rarely accounted for in multinational agreements aimed at curtailing international trade in threatened species. In recent decades (1998-2018), approximately 421,000,000 threatened (i.e., CITES-listed) wild animals were traded between 226 nations/territories. The global trade network was more highly connected under conditions of greater international wealth inequality, when rich importers may have a larger economic advantage over poorer exporting nations/territories. Bilateral trade was driven primarily by socioeconomic factors at the supply end, with wealthier exporters likely to supply more animals to the global market. Our findings suggest that international policies for reducing the global wildlife trade should address inequalities between signatory states, possibly using incentive/compensation-driven programs modeled after other transnational environmental initiatives (e.g., REDD+).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Huan Liew
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
- Science Unit, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Zi Yi Kho
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Sha Tin, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Rayson Bock Hing Lim
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore 117558, Republic of Singapore
| | - Caroline Dingle
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Timothy Carlton Bonebrake
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Yik Hei Sung
- Science Unit, Lingnan University, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong SAR
| | - David Dudgeon
- Division for Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR
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9
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Kuemmerle T, Bluhm H, Ghoddousi A, Arakelyan M, Askerov E, Bleyhl B, Ghasabian M, Gavashelishvili A, Heidelberg A, Malkhasyan A, Manvelyan K, Soofi M, Yarovenko Y, Weinberg P, Zazanashvili N. Identifying priority areas for restoring mountain ungulates in the Caucasus ecoregion. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Kuemmerle
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
- Integrative Research Institute on Transformations of Human‐Environment Systems (IRI THESys) Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Hendrik Bluhm
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Arash Ghoddousi
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | | | - Elshad Askerov
- WWF‐Azerbaijan Baku Azerbaijan
- Institute of Zoology, Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences Baku Azerbaijan
| | - Benjamin Bleyhl
- Geography Department Humboldt‐University Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Mamikon Ghasabian
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia Yerevan Armenia
| | | | | | | | | | - Mahmood Soofi
- School of Biological Sciences University of Aberdeen Tillydrone Avenue, Zoology Building, Aberdeen UK
- Workgroup on Endangered Species, J. F. Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Goettingen Bürgerstr Göttingen Germany
| | - Yuriy Yarovenko
- Daghestan Federal Research Centre Russian Academy of Sciences Makhachkala Russia
| | | | - Nugzar Zazanashvili
- WWF‐Caucasus Tbilisi Georgia
- Institute of Ecology, Ilia State University Tbilisi Georgia
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10
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Opportunistic or Non-Random Wildlife Crime? Attractiveness Rather Than Abundance in the Wild Leads to Selective Parrot Poaching. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12080314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Illegal wildlife trade, which mostly focuses on high-demand species, constitutes a major threat to biodiversity. However, whether poaching is an opportunistic crime within high-demand taxa such as parrots (i.e., harvesting proportional to species availability in the wild), or is selectively focused on particular, more desirable species, is still under debate. Answering this question has important conservation implications because selective poaching can lead to the extinction of some species through overharvesting. However, the challenges of estimating species abundances in the wild have hampered studies on this subject. We conducted a large-scale survey in Colombia to simultaneously estimate the relative abundance of wild parrots through roadside surveys (recording 10,811 individuals from 25 species across 2221 km surveyed) and as household, illegally trapped pets in 282 sampled villages (1179 individuals from 21 species). We used for the first time a selectivity index to test selection on poaching. Results demonstrated that poaching is not opportunistic, but positively selects species based on their attractiveness, defined as a function of species size, coloration, and ability to talk, which is also reflected in their local prices. Our methodological approach, which shows how selection increases the conservation impacts of poaching for parrots, can be applied to other taxa also impacted by harvesting for trade or other purposes.
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11
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Thomas‐Walters L, Veríssimo D, Gadsby E, Roberts D, Smith RJ. Taking a more nuanced look at behavior change for demand reduction in the illegal wildlife trade. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Erica Gadsby
- Centre for Health Services StudiesUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - David Roberts
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and EcologyUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
| | - Robert J. Smith
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and EcologyUniversity of Kent Canterbury UK
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12
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Eikelboom JAJ, Nuijten RJM, Wang YXG, Schroder B, Heitkönig IMA, Mooij WM, van Langevelde F, Prins HHT. Will legal international rhino horn trade save wild rhino populations? Glob Ecol Conserv 2020; 23:e01145. [PMID: 32835033 PMCID: PMC7273149 DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild vertebrate populations all over the globe are in decline, with poaching being the second-most-important cause. The high poaching rate of rhinoceros may drive these species into extinction within the coming decades. Some stakeholders argue to lift the ban on international rhino horn trade to potentially benefit rhino conservation, as current interventions appear to be insufficient. We reviewed scientific and grey literature to scrutinize the validity of reasoning behind the potential benefit of legal horn trade for wild rhino populations. We identified four mechanisms through which legal trade would impact wild rhino populations, of which only the increased revenue for rhino farmers could potentially benefit rhino conservation. Conversely, the global demand for rhino horn is likely to increase to a level that cannot be met solely by legal supply. Moreover, corruption is omnipresent in countries along the trade routes, which has the potential to negatively affect rhino conservation. Finally, programmes aimed at reducing rhino horn demand will be counteracted through trade legalization by removing the stigma on consuming rhino horn. Combining these insights and comparing them with criteria for sustainable wildlife farming, we conclude that legalizing rhino horn trade will likely negatively impact the remaining wild rhino populations. To preserve rhino species, we suggest to prioritize reducing corruption within rhino horn trade, increasing the rhino population within well-protected 'safe havens' and implementing educational programmes and law enforcement targeted at rhino horn consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper A J Eikelboom
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Rascha J M Nuijten
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700 AB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Yingying X G Wang
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Bradley Schroder
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Welgevonden Game Reserve, P.O. Box 433, Vaalwater, South Africa.,Arkaba Conservancy, Flinders Ranges Way, Hawker, SA, 5434, Australia
| | - Ignas M A Heitkönig
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wolf M Mooij
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), P.O. Box 50, 6700, AB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Frank van Langevelde
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, the Netherlands.,School of Life Sciences, Westville Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 4000, South Africa
| | - Herbert H T Prins
- Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, De Elst 1, 6708 WD, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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13
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Paudel K, Potter GR, Phelps J. Conservation enforcement: Insights from people incarcerated for wildlife crimes in Nepal. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jacob Phelps
- Lancaster Environment CentreLancaster University Lancashire UK
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14
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Gentry RR, Gaines SD, Gabe JS, Lester SE. Looking to aquatic species for conservation farming success. Conserv Lett 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/conl.12681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca R. Gentry
- Department of Geography Florida State University Tallahassee Florida
| | - Steven D. Gaines
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California
| | - Jeremy S. Gabe
- School of Business University of San Diego San Diego California
| | - Sarah E. Lester
- Department of Geography Florida State University Tallahassee Florida
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15
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Edwards DP, Socolar JB, Mills SC, Burivalova Z, Koh LP, Wilcove DS. Conservation of Tropical Forests in the Anthropocene. Curr Biol 2019; 29:R1008-R1020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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