�Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional music systems in Cambodia and Vietnam hint that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's robust and varied biodiversity and putting the primary health care resource of millions at risk.
The results of field studies carried out 'tween 2005 and 2007 launch a pregnant number of Cambodians and Vietnamese bank on traditional medicine. Relaxation of international trade barriers, the encroachment of release market economies and complex national government policies have led to an increment in the demand and supply for flora and fauna used in traditional medicine. The growing illegal wildlife trade in the region is fuelled by the difficulty of sourcing prescribed ingredients, including parts, from globally threatened species.
"The supply of many unfounded animals and plants for medicine in Cambodia and Vietnam is becoming scarce due to overexploitation," said Crawford Allan, TRAFFIC's director in North America. "Some of the trade is illegal and threatening endangered species. In Vietnam, we estimate betwixt 5-10 panthera tigris skeletons are sold annually to be used in traditional medicament. With each skeleton winning approximately $20,000, there is a strong incentive to poach and trade wind tigers that we must address from the grassroots up."
"An overview of the use and trade of plants and animals in traditional medicine systems in Cambodia" examined the exercise of wildlife products in Traditional Khmer Medicine and its possible impacts. Over 800 types of plants - roughly 35 pct of the country's native species - are victimized in Traditional Khmer Medicine. Eight of those plants species are considered high priority for national conservation.
"An overview of the use of plants and animals in traditional medicine systems in Vietnam", presents the findings of traditional practice of medicine market surveys conducted in north and south Vietnam where more than 3,900 species of plant and 400 species of fauna ar used in traditional remedies. Seventy-one of the animals traded and used for medicinal purposes in Vietnam are listed on the IUCN Red List of globally threatened species.
"Traditional music systems in Cambodia and Vietnam are important components of both national healthcare systems, and are much the only means of healthcare for rural communities," said Dekila Chungyalpa, manager of the Mekong Ecoregion Program at WWF-US. "Understanding which beast and plant species and products ar used and traded, and their fundamental trade mechanisms, can cater a useful tool to assess the sustainability of such trade, and furnish an 'early warning' for species that are threatened."
TRAFFIC, a joint program of WWF and IUCN, recommends further research, increased
