5 research outputs found
Exploring differences in stakeholders' perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus
Abstract Background Cyprus is recognised as a hotspot for illegal bird trapping in the Mediterranean basin. A consumer demand for the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is driving the use of non-selective trapping methods, resulting in the indiscriminate killing of millions of migratory birds. Efforts to tackle the issue have so far been characterised mostly by a top-down approach, focusing on legislation and enforcement. However, trapping levels are not decreasing and conflict between stakeholder groups is intensifying. Methods To understand why efforts to stop illegal bird trapping have not been effective, we used semi-structured interviews to interview 18 local bird trappers and nine representatives from the pertinent environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the governmental agencies responsible for enforcing the legislation. Results We found distinct differences between the views of the local trapping community and the environmental NGOs, particularly on why trapping is occurring and its impact on the avifauna. This disparity has contributed to misrepresentations of both sides and a high degree of conflict, which is potentially proving counterproductive to conservation interventions. In addition, it appears that trappers are a heterogeneous group, likely driven by various motivations besides profit. Conclusion We argue that stakeholders interested in reducing illegal bird trapping need to develop anti-poaching strategies that aim at minimising the disparity in the views, and subsequently the conflict, acknowledging also that trappers are not a homogenous group, as often treated
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 speciesâ 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
Mitochondrial genomes of African pangolins and insights into evolutionary patterns and phylogeny of the family Manidae
Abstract Background This study used next generation sequencing to generate the mitogenomes of four African pangolin species; Temminckâs ground pangolin (Smutsia temminckii), giant ground pangolin (S. gigantea), white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis) and black-bellied pangolin (P. tetradactyla). Results The results indicate that the mitogenomes of the African pangolins are 16,558Â bp for S. temminckii, 16,540Â bp for S. gigantea, 16,649Â bp for P. tetradactyla and 16,565Â bp for P. tricuspis. Phylogenetic comparisons of the African pangolins indicated two lineages with high posterior probabilities providing evidence to support the classification of two genera; Smutsia and Phataginus. The total GC content between African pangolins was observed to be similar between species (36.5% â 37.3%). The most frequent codon was found to be A or C at the 3rd codon position. Significant variations in GC-content and codon usage were observed for several regions between African and Asian pangolin species which may be attributed to mutation pressure and/or natural selection. Lastly, a total of two insertions of 80Â bp and 28Â bp in size respectively was observed in the control region of the black-bellied pangolin which were absent in the other African pangolin species. Conclusions The current study presents reference mitogenomes of all four African pangolin species and thus expands on the current set of reference genomes available for six of the eight extant pangolin species globally and represents the first phylogenetic analysis with six pangolin species using full mitochondrial genomes. Knowledge of full mitochondrial DNA genomes will assist in providing a better understanding on the evolution of pangolins which will be essential for conservation genetic studies