4 research outputs found
Evaluating the feasibility of pangolin farming and its potential conservation impact
Pangolins are threatened by overexploitation for local and international use. They are
subject to an international commercial trade ban, and are also the focus of other interventions,
including attempts at commercial captive breeding. The impact that the latter
could have on the conservation of wild populations deserves consideration. We critically
evaluate the feasibility of commercial captive breeding (or farming) of pangolins to
displace wild collection and assess its potential conservation impact on pangolin conservation using a recently published framework developed for this purpose. Of the 17
conditions posited that need to be met for supply-side interventions to displace wild
collection, we find that pangolins meet a maximum of only six conditions. This analysis
suggests that pangolin farming will not displace wild collection in the near future. Major
barriers include an inability to breed pangolins on a commercial scale and available data
suggest that it would be unprofitable. The immediate impact of pangolin farming on
conservation of the species’ is unclear, but it is unlikely to benefit the conservation of wild
populations. If commercial captive breeding were possible, it is uncertain how it would
affect economic incentives for poaching, interactions between legal and illegal markets,
stockpile policies, and how consumers and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners
would respond. To understand better the potential overall impact of pangolin
farming on wild populations there is a need for further research on these uncertainties.
The framework used has utility in analysing the potential impact of wildlife farming but
there remains a need for a more robust approach to evaluate potential impacts of supplyside
interventions.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/geccohb2020Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog
Evaluating the feasibility of pangolin farming and its potential conservation impact
Pangolins are threatened by overexploitation for local and international use. They are
subject to an international commercial trade ban, and are also the focus of other interventions,
including attempts at commercial captive breeding. The impact that the latter
could have on the conservation of wild populations deserves consideration. We critically
evaluate the feasibility of commercial captive breeding (or farming) of pangolins to
displace wild collection and assess its potential conservation impact on pangolin conservation using a recently published framework developed for this purpose. Of the 17
conditions posited that need to be met for supply-side interventions to displace wild
collection, we find that pangolins meet a maximum of only six conditions. This analysis
suggests that pangolin farming will not displace wild collection in the near future. Major
barriers include an inability to breed pangolins on a commercial scale and available data
suggest that it would be unprofitable. The immediate impact of pangolin farming on
conservation of the species’ is unclear, but it is unlikely to benefit the conservation of wild
populations. If commercial captive breeding were possible, it is uncertain how it would
affect economic incentives for poaching, interactions between legal and illegal markets,
stockpile policies, and how consumers and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners
would respond. To understand better the potential overall impact of pangolin
farming on wild populations there is a need for further research on these uncertainties.
The framework used has utility in analysing the potential impact of wildlife farming but
there remains a need for a more robust approach to evaluate potential impacts of supplyside
interventions.http://www.elsevier.com/locate/geccohb2020Mammal Research InstituteZoology and Entomolog
Growth Rate and an Evaluation of Age Estimation for the Endangered Big-Headed Turtle ( Platysternon megacephalum
Understanding growth patterns is critical for determining age and size at sexual maturity and longevity in species that are severely threatened by over-collection and habitat loss, particularly in poorly understood species in tropical East Asia. Using data collected during a 9-year mark-recapture study, we fit the von Bertalanffy and logistic growth models to examine growth patterns of the endangered Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). Growth rate of P. megacephalum was best described by the von Bertalanffy model. Mean age at maturation for female and male P. megacephalum was 8 and 13 years. At maturity for female and male P. megacephalum, mean carapace length was 100 mm and 130 mm, respectively. We determined that counting growth rings on the carapace and plastron was not a reliable method for estimating ages. The long time to maturation in P. megacephalum may be costly in harvested populations, with individuals potentially being removed from populations prior to first reproduction. The growth patterns we have documented, and associated information on body size and age at sexual maturity, yield metrics that may be used to assess the effects of harvesting in populations and may contribute to conservation efforts for this endangered species
Growth rate and an evaluation of age estimation for the endangered big-headed turtle (platysternon megacephalum) in China
Understanding growth patterns is critical for determining age and size at sexual maturity and longevity in species that are severely threatened by over-collection and habitat loss, particularly in poorly understood species in tropical East Asia. Using data collected during a 9-year mark-recapture study, we fit the von Bertalanffy and logistic growth models to examine growth patterns of the endangered Big-headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum). Growth rate of P. megacephalum was best described by the von Bertalanffy model. Mean age at maturation for female and male P. megacephalum was 8 and 13 years. At maturity for female and male P. megacephalum, mean carapace length was 100 mm and 130 mm, respectively. We determined that counting growth rings on the carapace and plastron was not a reliable method for estimating ages. The long time to maturation in P. megacephalum may be costly in harvested populations, with individuals potentially being removed from populations prior to first reproduction. The growth patterns we have documented, and associated information on body size and age at sexual maturity, yield metrics that may be used to assess the effects of harvesting in populations and may contribute to conservation efforts for this endangered species