MYANMAR
CONSUMERS OF ILLEGAL WILDLIFE PARTS AND PRODUCTS IN MYANMAR FINDINGS FROM A SURVEY CONDUCTED IN 2019
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The report was produced by Kantar, published by WWF.
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| WWF 2 Myanmar | Consumers Consumers of illegal of wildlife illegalparts wildlife andparts products and products in Myanmar in Myanmar
INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY Myanmar is one of the most biodiverse countries in the Greater Mekong region and boasts vast areas of primary forest. The country is home to many unique species and ecosystems, including more than 233 globally threatened species. Unfortunately, weak environmental safeguards coupled with rapid economic development are having negative impacts on the preservation of Myanmar’s habitats and wildlife, driving many species to the brink of extinction. The Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) is a key threat to biodiversity in Myanmar. Located between China, Thailand and Laos, the country Myanmar is a known source site and a transit location in the global illegal wildlife trade, but the scale of domestic consumer demand for wildlife products is relatively unknown. Previous studies have documented wildlife markets catering to local and foreign consumers in various locations across Myanmar. However, there is no systematic documentation of consumer profile, perceptions and motivations for purchasing and consuming wildlife products. WWF and other conservation organisations are working in Myanmar to strengthen legislative frameworks, law enforcement and prosecution, and engaging with the public and local communities to raise awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation. However, there is a growing need to better understand the motivations that drive domestic consumption of wildlife products in order to lead targeted actions to
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address consumers. This study attempts to highlight the national context and consumer behaviour that is leading to a growing IWT threat and identify robust strategies to fight this illicit trade. Between May and August 2019, a total of 423 Myanmar nationals were interviewed in Yangon, Mandalay, Keng Tung, Tachileik and Golden Rock, all of which have been previously documented as hosting wildlife markets. Respondents were selected at market locations through a systematic intercept sampling approach (meaning every other individual encountered was interviewed) and quotas were set for gender and age. When the sample was too small (e.g. elephant product buyers), booster samples were used to increase sample size and thus increase the power of statistical significance tests. As a second stage of the consumer survey, 10 in-depth interviews (IDI) with illegal wildlife product sellers and 24 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with Myanmar ivory and wild meat buyers were held. During this stage, consumer motivations were further explored to better understand buyers purchasing behaviours. For the purpose of this survey, ‘wild meat’ is defined as the meat of species of mammals, reptiles and birds sourced from the wild. Note: In the survey, respondents reported to have often consumed ‘mountain goat’, this is a local name for serow and goral - respondents did not clarify which species they referred to.
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE PURCHASES IN ALL FIVE LOCATIONS Among the Myanmar nationals interviewed, half of them (50%) claimed to have bought illegal wildlife parts or products in the past-2-years (P2Y).
Type of protected wildlife species most often purchased as a wildlife product in the P2Y
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2
Sambar 70% Serow and other goatlike ungulate species 19%
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3
3
Elephant 7%
4 5 6 1
4
Pangolin 2%
5
Bear 1%
6
Tiger 1%
Total Myanmar respondents P2Y IWT buyers (n=211), %
During IDIs, illegal wildlife product sellers reported a decrease in wildlife sales in the last couple of years. In Mandalay and Tachileik, sellers noted that the busiest months for sales were from May to December. A Yangon seller said Lunar New Year was the busiest sales season. At the Golden Rock, serow and other goat-like ungulate species were reported to be the most popular product, with December being the best month for sales.
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“ The best selling product is mountain goat ointment. In the past, we sold elephant tail hair rings and leopard teeth but not now, these products are prohibited.” – Seller, Golden Rock
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
ELEPHANT PRODUCT PURCHASES Level of agreement on beliefs associated with elephant products
51%
Status and wealth
47%
Healing properties Good fortune
41%
Luxury goods
37%
Among P2Y IWT buyers (n=211), %
FGDs with ivory buyers revealed: • Among men, status considerations tended to weigh heavily in ivory purchases – ivory is perceived as being impressive to others and gave the men who purchase it confidence. Owning multiple ivory items boosted status perceptions. • Ivory’s rarity, natural beauty, artistic value, and associations with the kings of Myanmar underpinned its value as a status item.
“ Owning these items makes me feel more confident. It makes me feel good to show them off in public.” – Male, Mandalay
• Health and religious associations were usually stronger among older generations. Elders had significant influence over young people’s ivory purchase, and would often purchase ivory as gifts to bring the younger generation good fortune.
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• I vory was thought to bring overall protection and good luck in marriage and business. • I vory tended to be a once-in-a-lifetime purchase, especially for women who mainly acquired ivory for good fortune.
“ I bought it to protect me from danger and to promote good business.” – Female, Mandalay
•P otential buyers were not specifically looking for ivory, but would buy it when travelling to regions that are famous for the ivory trade. Many of the purchases are done in secret, since ivory is not openly displayed in markets. A few respondents said that tour guides played a key role in ivory purchases, directing them to stalls where ivory was sold. Following interviews with IWT sellers in Yangon, Tachileik and Golden Rock, it was found that the most popular elephant products were: • I vory necklaces • I vory bracelets •E lephant tail rings.
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
WILD MEAT PURCHASES The most common type of wild meat purchased by the respondent in the P2Y
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Sambar 81%
2
Serow and other goat-like ungulate species 22%
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3
4
4 1
1
Wild boar 15% Muntjac 6%
5 6
1110
9
8
5
Elephant 5%
6
Pangolin 3%
7
Tiger
2%
8
Bear 2%
9
Shark 2%
10
Snake 1%
11
Turtle 1%
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Buyers of wild meat in the P2Y (n=119), %
FGDs with wild meat buyers revealed: • Respondents often selected sambar and muntjac as the tastiest wild meat. • They believed wild meat to be more delicious than regular meat. • Its rarity was another key appeal for wild meat. • Wild meat was also considered to be ‘fresher’, ‘healthier’ and more ‘natural’ than farmed meat.
“ It is good for your health because [wild herbivorous animals] only eat vegetation and fruit. They look for food in a natural environment; it’s not people feeding them.”
•T he countryside surrounding Mandalay was also a popular destination for people from the city to buy wild meat.
“ My mum’s sister lives in the mountains. They set the trap and then in the morning they catch these animals. It’s not very expensive, so we go and have a picnic!” – Male, Mandalay
•O verall, respondents preferred to buy wild meat from the countryside as it was thought to be fresher and more authentic.
– Male, Mandalay 6
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
TIGER AND PANGOLIN PURCHASES Level of agreement on beliefs associated with pangolin products
41%
Healing properties Exciting meat
31%
Among all Myanmar respondents (n=423) and P2Y IWT buyers (n=211), %
Level of agreement on beliefs associated with tiger products
40%
Status and wealth Healing properties
56%
Among P2Y IWT buyers (n=211),
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE DETERRENTS Around a quarter of P2Y Myanmar IWT buyers (18%, n=423) interviewed in this survey believed it was acceptable to purchase these items.
According to FGDs with ivory and wild meat buyers: • Respondents generally didn’t feel guilty about their IWT purchases. They felt like the items they own are very small, and therefore have little impact on the overall volume of the trade. • Respondents were unable to see how demand from people like them drives supply – if the animal is already dead, they might as well keep the products derived from it.
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• Some respondents also seemed to believe that ivory came from elephants that had died naturally, not from poached elephants. • They reported feeling far away from the animals.
“ This is happening worldwide, not just in Myanmar, so even if I feel sorry, we cannot really help it, we can’t do anything about it.” – Female, Yangon
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
ATTITUDES TOWARDS ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE DETERRENTS continued Level of support among Myanmar respondents towards stricter law enforcement restrictions
Total sample Strongly support
18%
3%
4%
3%
4%
75%
Support
Have no opinion
P2Y sample
20%
Don’t support
73%
Total respondents n=423
According to FGD participants: • Some respondents expressed that the potential extinction of elephants and the ban on sales are increasing ivory’s rarity, and therefore its value, making elephant parts and products even more desirable.
“ The more endangered it is, the more people will collect. People are like that.” – Male, Yangon
• FGD respondents were not concerned that anything could happen to them as buyers of IWT.
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•S ome respondents were also convinced that the laws only applied to illegal wildlife product sellers and not buyers. Warnings against the illegal purchase of wildlife did not make them reconsider their attitudes and behaviours towards illegally buying wildlife.
“ It is not legal, so we feel a sense of pride owning this very valuable item.” – Male, Yangon
• I f legislation on trade in wildlife were to be properly enforced, respondents believe that this could have a significant deterrent effect on their behaviour.
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar
CONCLUSIONS Our survey found that half of the Myanmar nationals respondents had purchased wildlife products in the past two years. Drivers behind elephant ivory purchases were in line with other countries in the region. For many, owning ivory is perceived to bring good fortune, status and wealth, partly because elephants are traditionally considered to be holy animals. Uniquely, women in the urban centers of Yangon and Mandalay said they use ivory for medicinal purposes. Elephant ivory was also found to be associated with healing properties, especially among women who participated in the FGDs. Generally, people seemed to be aware of the illegality of ivory purchases but were not deterred by the threat of law enforcement. Therefore, we suggest that future strategies on ivory demand reduction should promote the use of alternative products like natural vegetable ivory (tagua nut) as well as improved enforcement for ivory buyers. Among those who self-reported purchasing wild meat, specifically sambar meat (81%), the most common reason was found to be for its natural provenance and freshness. As seen in other countries, including Laos and Cambodia, bushmeat is often purchased in the countryside to be eaten in the cities or on the spot as a luxury good or for health, not for subsistence. Myanmar nationals who had purchased wildlife in the past 2 years, did not feel individually responsible for the detrimental impact of the trade on wildlife. However, they were still supportive for strong government action to curb the trade.
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As such, we recommend strong behaviour change interventions that not only deter wildlife buyers and sellers, but also specifically target restaurants in urban centers, drawing the connections between wild meat consumption and possible negative impacts on human health, as evidenced by the spread of COVID-19. Public education of local communities in key biodiversity and trade hubs should be prioritized, with the development of materials that highlight the negative impacts of the wildlife trade and bushmeat consumption on biodiversity, public health, and national security. Furthermore, there is the need for the government to strengthen relevant laws and policies by closing existing loopholes, and for coordination to be initiated between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Trade, as well as between the member agencies of the wildlife enforcement task force. The capacity of law enforcement must be strengthened, not only to enforce the Conservation of Biodiversity and Protected Areas law, but also to use other ancillary laws to bring wildlife criminals to justice. Closure of illegal wildlife markets will not only help protect species from extinction, it will protect the public from potential infectious diseases and create a future in which nature and humans can live in harmony.
| Consumers of illegal wildlife parts and products in Myanmar