Two reports from TRAFFIC, the world's largest wildlife trade monitoring network, on traditional medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam suggest that illegal wildlife trade, including entire tiger skeletons, and unsustainable harvesting is depleting the region's rich and varied biodiversity and putting the primary healthcare resource of millions at risk.
The results of field studies carried out between 2005 and 2007 found a significant number of Cambodians and Vietnamese rely on traditional medicine. Relaxation of international trade barriers, the impact of free market economies and complex national government policies have led to an increase 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 wild 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 between 5-10 tiger skeletons are sold annually to be used in traditional medicine. With each skeleton fetching approximately $20,000, there is a strong incentive to poach and trade 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 use of wildlife products in Traditional Khmer Medicine and its possible impacts. Over 800 types of plants--approximately 35 percent of the country's native species--are used in Traditional Khmer Medicine. Eight of those plants species are considered high priority for national conservation.
The second report “An overview of the use of plants and animals in traditional medicine systems in Vietnam” presents the findings of traditional medicine market surveys conducted in north and south Vietnam where more than 3,900 species of flora and 400 species of fauna are 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 medicine systems in Cambodia and Vietnam are important components of both national healthcare systems, and are often the only means of healthcare for rural communities," said Dekila Chungyalpa, manager of the Mekong Ecoregion Program at WWF-US. "Understanding which animal and plant species and products are used and traded, and their underlying trade mechanisms, can provide a useful tool to assess the sustainability of such trade, and provide an 'early warning' for species that are threatened."
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Ripoti mbili kutoka kwa TRAFFIC, mtandao mkubwa wa ulimwengu wa ufuatiliaji wa biashara ya wanyama wa porini, juu ya mifumo ya dawa ya jadi nchini Cambodia na Vietnam zinaonyesha kuwa biashara haramu ya wanyama wa porini, pamoja na mifupa nzima ya simbamarara, na mavuno yasiyo ya kudumu yanapunguza utajiri na utofauti wa kibiolojia wa mkoa na kuweka rasilimali ya msingi ya huduma ya afya ya mamilioni. Uchunguzi wa utafiti uliofanywa kati ya mwaka 2005 na 2007 uligundua idadi kubwa ya Wakambodia na Wietinamu wanategemea dawa za jadi. Kupunguzwa kwa vizuizi vya biashara ya kimataifa, athari za uchumi wa soko huru na sera ngumu za serikali za kitaifa zimesababisha ongezeko la mahitaji na usambazaji wa mimea na wanyama inayotumiwa katika dawa za jadi. Biashara haramu ya wanyama wa porini katika eneo hilo inaongezeka kwa sababu ya ugumu wa kupata viungo vilivyopendekezwa, ikiwa ni pamoja na sehemu, kutoka kwa spishi zilizo hatarini ulimwenguni. "Utoaji wa wanyama wengi wa porini na mimea kwa ajili ya dawa nchini Kambodia na Vietnam unakuwa mdogo kwa sababu ya unyonyaji kupita kiasi,"" alisema Crawford Allan, mkurugenzi wa TRAFFIC katika Amerika ya Kaskazini." "Sehemu fulani ya biashara hiyo ni haramu na inahatarisha spishi zilizo hatarini mwa kutoweka. Katika nchi ya Vietnam, mifupa ya tiger inazidi kuuzwa kila mwaka kwa ajili ya matumizi ya dawa za kitamaduni. "Kila mifupa ya tiger inagharimu karibu dola 20,000, na kuna kichocheo kikubwa cha kuwinda na kuuza tiger, jambo ambalo ni lazima tujihusishe nalo kutoka chini hadi juu.""" "Uchunguzi wa matumizi na biashara ya mimea na wanyama katika mifumo ya dawa ya jadi nchini Kambodia" ilichunguza matumizi ya bidhaa za wanyama wa porini katika Tiba ya jadi ya Khmer na athari zake zinazowezekana. Zaidi ya aina 800 za mimea - karibu asilimia 35 ya spishi za asili za nchi - hutumiwa katika Tiba ya jadi ya Khmer. Mimea minane kati ya hiyo huonwa kuwa ya kipaumbele sana kwa ajili ya kuhifadhiwa kitaifa. "Takwimu ya pili, ""Uchunguzi wa matumizi ya mimea na wanyama katika mifumo ya dawa za jadi nchini Vietnam,"" inatoa matokeo ya uchunguzi wa soko la dawa za jadi uliofanywa kaskazini na kusini mwa Vietnam ambapo zaidi ya spishi 3,900 za mimea na spishi 400 za wanyama hutumiwa katika dawa za jadi." Mnyama mmoja kati ya saba anayetumiwa kwa ajili ya dawa nchini Vietnam ameorodheshwa kwenye orodha ya IUCN ya spishi zilizo hatarini. "Mifumo ya dawa za jadi nchini Cambodia na Vietnam ni sehemu muhimu ya mifumo yote miwili ya afya ya kitaifa, na mara nyingi ni njia pekee ya huduma za afya kwa jamii za vijijini, ""alisema Dekila Chungyalpa, meneja wa Programu ya Mekong Ecoregion katika WWF-US." "Kuelewa ni aina gani za wanyama na mimea na bidhaa zinazotumiwa na kuuzwa, na utaratibu wao wa biashara, inaweza kutoa chombo muhimu cha kutathmini uendelevu wa biashara kama hiyo, na kutoa'tahadhari ya mapema'kwa spishi ambazo ziko hatarini. """ Namba hii ya ukurasa: