Two sides of the same coin – Wildmeat consumption and illegal wildlife trade at the crossroads of Asia

Abstract

Domestic trade and consumption of wildmeat is intricately linked with the international trade of wildlife and together they are driving a biodiversity crisis across Southeast Asia. Forming a key juncture between countries and bioregions, Myanmar is an important piece of this puzzle and acts as a source and a conduit for illegal wildlife trade across Asia. While some information on key markets and border crossings exists, this is frequently limited to single taxa. An assessment of wildlife trade across Myanmar that quantifies international and domestic trade, and consumption is missing. We summarize results from a nationwide hunter survey, linking hunting practices at the local level to specific markets and to broader trends in illegal wildlife trade. Our survey results reveal widespread, intense hunting around Myanmar for local trade and wildmeat consumption. The majority of hunters surveyed can be classified as 'subsistence harvesters'. Hunters report declines in populations across a range of species of conservation concern. Pangolin is hunted extensively, and Myanmar is a major contributor to the illegal pangolin trade. A better understanding of internal trade routes is needed to prevent wildlife products reaching markets that are largely outside government control. Legislative changes are encouraging, but enforcement at the local level must be combined with community-level action to provide alternatives for subsistence harvesters to halt the rapid declines reported in endangered animal populations.