"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
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Comments
Here in South Africa, we have a similar problem with regard to rhinos, which are being poached to get hold of the horns, with powdered rhino horn being a cure-all in some Asian remedies. As usual, the government is making the problem worse by its blanket ban on trade in rhino products. Legalize the trade, and rhino farmers may well begin businesses all over the world, after which the animals will become about as endangered as cattle.
That's good idea.
What really surprises me though is the way that these ridiculous folk remedies using exotic animinal and plants species continue on in full force with some people even in this modern age. In Tanzania witch doctors were killing and multilating albino human beings for use in their magic potions. It's really hard to keep to my core principles of cultural and religious tolerence when it leads to this kind of abuse and destruction.
KenK: In many parts of Africa people still live in an essentially medieval world, with the attendant mindset. In some of the rural areas here in South Africa (and elsewhere in Africa) they still now and then burn witches too.
These folk remedies are indeed utterly absurd, and what really gets to me is how otherwise educated and informed people sometimes fall for it. But it is also an opportunity for business, so as far as I am concerned, we should just start farming the species involved. There is really no reason why species that have value to people should ever become extinct. One would think we'd know better than to slaughter the goose that lays the golden eggs!
The problem with many of these poached species is that thanks to government interference, they are now literally worth more dead than alive. Nobody can legally profit from them, which leaves only illegal profit.
I have seen some commentators rather naively suggesting more draconian punishment for poachers, but of course, that will simply drive up the price of the illegal product, which will create an even bigger incentive for even more ruthless people to get in on the business.