{"id":15852,"date":"2022-05-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-03T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=15852"},"modified":"2022-05-11T13:54:37","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T11:54:37","slug":"meet-the-scientist-vu-hoai-nam-dang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/2022\/05\/04\/meet-the-scientist-vu-hoai-nam-dang\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet the scientist: Vu Hoai Nam Dang"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
MEET THE SCIENTIST<\/span><\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Vu Hoai Nam Dang<\/h2>\n\n

Investigating the illegal wildlife trade by talking to rhino horn consumers in Vietnam<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Vu Hoai Nam Dang (left) and his research assistant conducted interviews in Vietnam<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

VU HOAI NAM DANG, PHD FELLOW FROM THE University of Copenhagen, has spent nearly 10 years investigating the illegal wildlife trade. Funded by the People\u2019s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the EU, his latest study focuses on how legalising the rhino horn trade would affect consumer behaviour.<\/span> \u201cConsumers prefer horns from wild or semi-wild rhinos to those from captive-bred rhinos,\u201d he says. His research reveals that consumers would buy wild horns from illegal vendors if legal supplies were not enough.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cThe illegal and <\/strong>unsustainable wildlife trade poses a major threat to biodiversity conservation and drives many species to extinction,\u201d says Nam. He explains that many studies have been conducted on the consumption of \u201cregular wildlife products\u201d (accessible to lower-income groups) but very few focus on high-value ones.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cI reached out <\/strong>to different stakeholders in the illegal wildlife-trade chain, including poachers, farm owners, traders, retailers, consumers and those working to tackle the wildlife trade, to discover motivations,\u201d he says. By establishing good relationships, Nam was able to talk to consumers in Vietnam, most of whom are older and very wealthy individuals, about purchasing these products.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
Wildlife reserves in South Africa de-horn many of their rhinos to prevent illegal poaching<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

\u201cBeliefs in the medicinal <\/strong>benefits of rhino horns are deeply rooted in local culture, and a legal trade is not enough to stop poaching,\u201d he states. \u201cDemand reduction campaigns should continue, alongside strengthened law enforcement.\u201d To date, no consumers have been prosecuted for buying or using rhino horns.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cSome important questions <\/strong>remain unanswered to evaluate the overall effects of legalising the international rhino horn trade, especially demand in China,\u201d says Nam. He recently finished another study interviewing about 80 traders of various illegal wildlife products. \u201cThe tiger traders told me they can make a lot of money because the trade is banned. If it is legalised, everyone can join, and the price will go down.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

Jo <\/strong>Price <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Photo: VU HOAI NAM DANG: DANG VU HOAI NAM; RHINOS: MAGDA EHLERS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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