Restoration and conservation for declined carnivore populations by economic exploitation in China

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The increasing economic exploitation of wildlife, in tandem with illegal poaching, has led to recent population declines amongst many carnivore species in China, creating a challenge for conservation and sustainability. The use of wild-caught carnivores for Chinese traditional medicine, and as a source of bushmeat is, however, an established part of traditional east-Asian culture. To investigate how best to resolve this paradox, between 2006 and 2011, we conducted field surveys and interviewed owners at farms, markets and bushmeat restaurants, in the Guanzhou region of southern China, focusing. We established which carnivore species were being traded, in what numbers, and for what specific purpose. Our further investigation in 2012-13 exposed the difficulties of enforcing species connected to very limited and out-dated ecological information (distribution, habitat use), and that illegal trade in animals was still taking place, contrary to an international ban.