CHINESE MEDICINE & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

1. CHINESE MEDICINE &SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CURRENT STATE & PERSPECTIVES FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES

2. (Panthera tigris) Hu Gu Tiger • 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 90’s 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 90’s, governements and TM world, in partnership with NGO’s, 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 60’s). • 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 90’s.

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 40’s. • Population have fallen by around 80-90% in the last 10 years. • In some population, proportion of male is only 1% ( normal ratio : 1:4) 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 80’s. • 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 2000’s. • 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 • Phone: 011 33 689 033 669 • E-Mail: lastpath@aol.com Learning and Acting for the Survival of Threatened Plants and Animals used in Traditional Healthcare Get involved!

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_substitutes.html; http://www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cfm (left picture: WWF-Canon / Edward Parker); http://www.savethetigerfund.org/trouble/ConservationOrganizations/WWF/wwfcan.htm; L’Expansion n° 602 juillet-aout 1999 « L’Or Sauvage, la guerre économique autour de la protection des animaux »; Rhinos : http://www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cfm (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 Europe’s Role in its Trade. TRAFFIC Europe. http://www.wwf-uk.org/News/n_0000001264.asp (right picture); http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/387033.stm (left picture). Asiatic Black Bear : Courrier International n°787 « 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 d’une vie de torture », 2001. www.terrywhittaker.com/galleries/03bearfarming/03bearfarming.htm (pictures)

18. Sources (IV) Snow Leopard : http://www.worldwildlife.org/snowleopards/ecology.cfm; http://www.animalport.com/extinct-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.brchdia/galeri31.htm (right picture);http://www.zoologie.vd.ch/1_Actualite/Le_Matin_DCh/AcDCh27_04_03.html; http://www.wwf.fr/pdf/CPCITES0510.pdf; http://www.natureetdecouvertes.com/pages/popup/dossier_TS/DTS_11/DTS_11.htm. Sea Horses : http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/trade.html; http://seahorse.fisheries.ubc.ca/pdfs/parryjones_and_vincent1998_newscientist.html; http://biology.kenyon.edu/stures/Compsnelson/seadepletion.htm; http://www.samford.edu/schools/artsci/biology/vertzoo-03s/pages/148.htm (right picture); http://www.worldwildlife.org/trade/seahorses.cfm (left picture: WWF-Canon / Jürgen Freund) Plants : http://www.worldwildlife.org/trade/tcm.cfm; http://www.taoherbfarm.com/herbs/herbs/ulcers.htm (right picture); http://www.heritage.com.sg/prod40.htm (left picture)