Myanmar is home to Asiatic black bears and sun bears. We gained insight into illegal hunting and trade of these species in and out of Myanmar through conversations with 40 self-declared bear poachers. All respondents were males who typically killed or caught one to three bears a year, mostly by setting snares. There was a preference for Asiatic black bear. Perceptions were that bears were less abundant now than 5 years ago, but it was not more arduous to obtain one. Most poachers (75%) consumed less valuable parts and sold the remainder, whereas others trapped only to sell. Preferred tradable parts were gall bladder, meat, and paws. Chinese nationals or Burmese of Chinese descent were mentioned as playing key roles (ordering, buying, selling) in trade. Instead of focusing on poachers, we recommend that authorities focus on disrupting trade networks and markets. Cooperation with neighboring countries, especially China, is needed to stem the flow of bear parts.
Nijman, VincentOo, HtunSwe, Nay Myo
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences\Department of Social Sciences
Year of publication: 2017Date of RADAR deposit: 2017-06-23