CHINESE MEDICINE

1
CHINESE MEDICINE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
CURRENT STATE PERSPECTIVES FOR ENDANGERED
SPECIES
2
Tiger
(Panthera tigris)
Hu Gu

• 5100 7500 individuals (5 subspecies) remaining
  in the wild.
• 100 000 in the early XXth century.

• 3 subspecies (Bali, Caspian Sea, Javan) lost in
  the last 60 years.

• 6 -11kg of dry bone/1tiger. In the early 90s
  the average import of tiger bones into some
  countries could exceed 1.5t/year.

• Classified as Endangered in the 2006 IUCN Red
  List of Threatened Species Listed in Appendix
  I of CITES. Protected and trade illegal in many
  countries.

• Since the middle of the 90s, governements and
  TM world, in partnership with NGOs, became aware
  of tiger plight, and efforts have been made.

3
Rhinos
Rhinoceros
Xi Jiao

• Africa 11300 White Rhinos et 3600 Black rhinos
  (100 000 black rhinos in the 60s).

• Asia Less than 3000 individuals for the 3
  asiatic species together.

• Black, Javan and Sumatran Rhinos are classified
  as Critically Endangered in the IUCN Red List
  the Indian Rhino is Endangered and the white one,
  Near Threatened. All Rhinos are in Appendix I of
  CITES (except south african white rhinos in
  Appendix II). Protected and trade illegal in many
  countries.

• As for the Tiger, progresses have been made
  since the 90s.

4
Musk Deer
(Moschus spp.)
She Xiang

• Global population estimation 400 000 - 800 000
  individuals, divided in at least 4 species.

• Russian populations have fallen by around 50 in
  the last 10 years.

• 120-200 deer hunted for 1 kg of musk.

• Annual demand for musk in China alone 500
  1000 kg
• Farming production about 50kg/ year.

• Strong increasing of demand and supply.

• All species listed in Appendix II of CITES,
  except the Siberian Musk Deer, in Appendix I and
  classified as Vulnerable in the 2006 IUCN Red
  List. Protected in most of the concerned
  countries.

5
Asiatic Black Bear
(Ursus thibetanus)
Xiong Dan

• 15 000 individuals in China. Half living in
  captivity.
• Farming in Vietnam and Korea.

• Deplorable conditions of detention, painfull
  traitement and bile extraction,
• poaching of wild individuals.

• Strong increasing of demand and supply.
• Worlwide bile consumption 4-5 t / year (500
  kg, 25 years ago).

• Protected species and bile trade is illegal in
  some countries.
• Classified as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List,
  and in Appendix I of CITES.

6
Snow Leopard
(Uncia uncia)
Bao Gu

• 4000 7000 individuals remaining in 12
  countries.
• Extinct in several areas where it formerly
  could be found.

• Leopard products are used as substitute to tiger
  products.

• Strong increasing of demand and supply (mostly
  since the ban on tiger products).

• Classified as Endangered in the IUCN Red List
• listed in Appendix I of CITES.

7
Saïga Antilope
(Saïga tatarica)
Ling Yang Jiao

• Extinct in China in the 40s.

• Population have fallen by around 80-90 in the
  last 10 years.

• In some population, proportion of male is only
  1 ( normal ratio 14) This leads to a
  reproductive collapse.

• Chinese import from 1990 to 1992 represent more
  than 440 000 individuals (about 1/3 of the
  population at that time).

• Classified as Critically Endangered in the IUCN
  Red List and listed in Appendix II of Cites.

8
Seahorses
(Hippocampus spp.)
Hai Ma

• Trade in Seahorses boomed in the 80s.

• Consumption increases by between 8 and 10 /
  year.

• Because of high demand and decreasing catches,
  demand far exceeds supplies.

• Global consumption at least 25 million
  individuals/year (70t) in the 2000s.

• Populations from several coutries declined by 50
  between 1990 and 1995 South-eastern
  populations like Phillipines population have
  slumped by 70 between 1985 et 1995.

• All Seahorses species with sufficient datas are
  at least classified as Vulnerable and listed in
  Appendix II of Cites.

9
Plants

• More than 70 of plants collection are made in
  natural environment. Several species are on the
  verge of extinction.

• Unsustainable collection of wild ginseng (Ye
  Shan Shen). US exports 60t/year of American
  Ginseng (Xi Yang Shen). Russian and american
  ginseng are listed in Appendix II of CITES.

• Licorice root (Gan Cao, Glycyrrhyza sp.)
  threaned by unsustainable collection. Growth area
  deacreased from 50000miles² to 19000miles².

Costus root (Mu Xiang, Saussurea lappa) is
listed in Appendix I of CITES.
10
From Henry, L.A. 2004. A Tale of Two Cities A
Comparative Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Markets in San Francisco and New York City.
TRAFFIC North America. Washington D.C. World
Wildlife Fund.
11
Farewell ?
12
SOLUTIONS (I)

• Boycott of endangered species
• Better prevention of diseases
• Promote other therapeutic methods of TCM
• Research for development of substitutes coming
  from global pharmacopoea

13
SOLUTIONS (II)

• Increased repression of illegal trade, stronger
  involvment of governments.
• Obligation for sensitive products to be available
  only on prescription.
• Information to the general public and
  professionals about the real usefulness of
  endangered species-based products and their
  substitutes.

14
Last Path
Learning and Acting for the Survival of
Threatened Plants and Animals used in Traditional
Healthcare
Get involved!

• Phone [phone]
• E-Mail lastpath_at_aol.com

15
Sources (I)

• www.iucnredlist.org

16
Sources (II)
www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.pdf
Henry, L.A. 2004. A Tale of Two Cities A
Comparative Study of Traditional Chinese Medicine
Markets in San Francisco and New York City.
TRAFFIC North America. Washington D.C. World
Wildlife Fund. (data tables in diapo 6)
Fratkin, J.P. (2001). Chinese Herbal Patent
Medicines, Appendix 6 reference notes
concerning the use of endangered animals, heavy
metals and chemical contaminants pp.1125-1127.
17
Sources (III)
Tiger http//www.worldwildlife.org/tigers
http//www.traffic.org/factfile/factfile_substitut
es.html http//www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cf
m (left picture WWF-Canon / Edward Parker)
http//www.savethetigerfund.org/trouble/Conservati
onOrganizations/WWF/wwfcan.htm LExpansion n
602 juillet-aout 1999 LOr Sauvage, la guerre
économique autour de la protection des animaux

Rhinos http//www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cf
m (left picture Esmond Bradley Martin )
http//www.rhino-irf.org
Musk Deer Homes, V. (1999). On the Scent
Conserving Musk Deer The Uses of Musk and
Europes Role in its Trade. TRAFFIC
Europe. http//www.wwf-uk.org/News/n_0000001264.as
p (right picture) http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/
tech/387033.stm (left picture).
Asiatic Black Bear Courrier International n787
En Asie du Sud-Est les ours se font de la bile
, Janet Raloff from Science News IFAW en
Action, Sauver les ours à collier dune vie de
torture , 2001. www.terrywhittaker.com/galleries/
03bearfarming/03bearfarming.htm (pictures)
18
Sources (IV)
Snow Leopard http//www.worldwildlife.org/snowle
opards/ecology.cfm http//www.animalport.com/exti
nct-animals/Snow-Leopard.html (right picture)
www.snowleopard.org/images/slrolledintarp (left
picture).
Saïga Antilope http//www.heritage.com.sg/prod41
.htm (left picture) http//cienciahoje.uol.com.br
chdia/galeri31.htm (right picture)
http//www.zoologie.vd.ch/1_Actualite/Le_Matin_DCh
/AcDCh27_04_03.html http//www.wwf.fr/pdf/CPCITES
0510.pdf http//www.natureetdecouvertes.com/pages
/popup/dossier_TS/DTS_11/DTS_11.htm.
Sea Horses http//seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/trad
e.html http//seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/pdfs/parr
yjones_and_vincent1998_newscientist.html
http//biology.kenyon.edu/stures/Compsnelson/seade
pletion.htm http//www.samford.edu/schools/artsci
/biology/vertzoo-03s/pages/148.htm (right
picture) http//www.worldwildlife.org/trade/seaho
rses.cfm (left picture WWF-Canon / Jürgen
Freund)
Plants http//www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cf
m http//www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/herbs/ulcers.h
tm (right picture) http//www.heritage.com.sg/pr
od40.htm (left picture)