Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China
IntroductionIllegal wildlife trade is among the most profitable illegal businesses worldwide. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), which has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, has long been a prominent target of illegal wildlife trading worldwide, thus posing a subs...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1498647/full |
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| author | Xinyu Ji Xinyu Ji Zhao Wang Ting Zhang Ting Zhang Dehui Chen Wenxiang Yang Meimei Li Meimei Li Haitao Shi Haitao Shi Liu Lin Liu Lin |
| author_facet | Xinyu Ji Xinyu Ji Zhao Wang Ting Zhang Ting Zhang Dehui Chen Wenxiang Yang Meimei Li Meimei Li Haitao Shi Haitao Shi Liu Lin Liu Lin |
| author_sort | Xinyu Ji |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionIllegal wildlife trade is among the most profitable illegal businesses worldwide. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), which has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, has long been a prominent target of illegal wildlife trading worldwide, thus posing a substantial threat to its continued survival. In China, although Hainan Island is the largest trading area and the most important transit point for the illegal trade of hawksbill turtles, very few investigations of this trade have been conducted here.MethodsIn this study, from 2019 to 2020, we conducted field investigations to assess the extent of the illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in nine cities on Hainan Island.ResultsAmong the 878 shops surveyed in 2019, 157 shops (17.9%) sold hawksbill turtle products, totaling 6,208 pieces. In 2020, 122 shops (13.6%) of 895 surveyed shops sold such products, totaling 1,821 pieces. Thus, these findings indicate that the number of shops selling hawksbill turtle products and the total number of products sold declined in 2020. Among the surveyed cities, the highest levels of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products were recorded in Haikou and Sanya, the capital city of Hainan and a renowned tourist city, respectively. Jewelry and craft shops were found to produce the most products, accounting for 98.0% of the shops surveyed. Accessories such as bracelets and necklaces accounted for the highest proportions of hawksbill turtle products, representing 72.5% and 92.9% of the total in 2019 and 2020, respectively.DiscussionThe observed decline in illegal trade in 2020 can be attributed to a combination of factors, including a strengthening of government law enforcement and supervision after the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in illegal trade from offline to online activities, and a reduction in tourists. Law enforcement agencies should continue strict enforcement and supervision to effectively combat illegal trade, particularly in the key trading areas of Haikou and Sanya. Additionally, authorities should emphasize public education to increase awareness of wildlife conservation and relevant legislation. The findings of this study will serve as a vital reference for relevant law enforcement agencies, contributing to the effective combatting and prevention of the illegal hawksbill turtle trade in China. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-6b25bb4a034f431b8965e695abb12ca2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-6b25bb4a034f431b8965e695abb12ca22025-08-20T02:34:53ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452024-12-011110.3389/fmars.2024.14986471498647Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, ChinaXinyu Ji0Xinyu Ji1Zhao Wang2Ting Zhang3Ting Zhang4Dehui Chen5Wenxiang Yang6Meimei Li7Meimei Li8Haitao Shi9Haitao Shi10Liu Lin11Liu Lin12Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaHainan Sansha Provincial Observation and Research Station of Sea Turtle Ecology, Sansha, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaHainan Sansha Provincial Observation and Research Station of Sea Turtle Ecology, Sansha, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaHainan Sansha Provincial Observation and Research Station of Sea Turtle Ecology, Sansha, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaHainan Sansha Provincial Observation and Research Station of Sea Turtle Ecology, Sansha, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaHainan Sansha Provincial Observation and Research Station of Sea Turtle Ecology, Sansha, ChinaIntroductionIllegal wildlife trade is among the most profitable illegal businesses worldwide. The hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), which has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, has long been a prominent target of illegal wildlife trading worldwide, thus posing a substantial threat to its continued survival. In China, although Hainan Island is the largest trading area and the most important transit point for the illegal trade of hawksbill turtles, very few investigations of this trade have been conducted here.MethodsIn this study, from 2019 to 2020, we conducted field investigations to assess the extent of the illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in nine cities on Hainan Island.ResultsAmong the 878 shops surveyed in 2019, 157 shops (17.9%) sold hawksbill turtle products, totaling 6,208 pieces. In 2020, 122 shops (13.6%) of 895 surveyed shops sold such products, totaling 1,821 pieces. Thus, these findings indicate that the number of shops selling hawksbill turtle products and the total number of products sold declined in 2020. Among the surveyed cities, the highest levels of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products were recorded in Haikou and Sanya, the capital city of Hainan and a renowned tourist city, respectively. Jewelry and craft shops were found to produce the most products, accounting for 98.0% of the shops surveyed. Accessories such as bracelets and necklaces accounted for the highest proportions of hawksbill turtle products, representing 72.5% and 92.9% of the total in 2019 and 2020, respectively.DiscussionThe observed decline in illegal trade in 2020 can be attributed to a combination of factors, including a strengthening of government law enforcement and supervision after the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift in illegal trade from offline to online activities, and a reduction in tourists. Law enforcement agencies should continue strict enforcement and supervision to effectively combat illegal trade, particularly in the key trading areas of Haikou and Sanya. Additionally, authorities should emphasize public education to increase awareness of wildlife conservation and relevant legislation. The findings of this study will serve as a vital reference for relevant law enforcement agencies, contributing to the effective combatting and prevention of the illegal hawksbill turtle trade in China.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1498647/fullhawksbill turtleillegal tradelaw enforcementHainan IslandChina |
| spellingShingle | Xinyu Ji Xinyu Ji Zhao Wang Ting Zhang Ting Zhang Dehui Chen Wenxiang Yang Meimei Li Meimei Li Haitao Shi Haitao Shi Liu Lin Liu Lin Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China Frontiers in Marine Science hawksbill turtle illegal trade law enforcement Hainan Island China |
| title | Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China |
| title_full | Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China |
| title_fullStr | Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China |
| title_short | Current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in Hainan Island, China |
| title_sort | current status and trends of illegal trade in hawksbill turtle products in hainan island china |
| topic | hawksbill turtle illegal trade law enforcement Hainan Island China |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1498647/full |
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