Assessment Of Status Of Exploitation And Use Of Tam Dao Salamander Paramesotriton Deloustali Bourret 1934 In Tay Thien Tam Dao National Park

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MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

VIETNAM FORESTRY UNIVERSITY

STUDENT THESIS

Title

ASSESSMENT OF STATUS OF EXPLOITATION AND TRADE OF TAM DAO

SALAMANDER (Paramesotriton deloustali Bourret, 1934 ) IN TAY THIEN, TAM DAO

NATIONAL PARK

Major: Natural Resources Management

Code: D850101

Faculty: Forest Resources and Environmental Management

Student: Nguyen Thi Ha Student ID:115 309 1138

Class: K56 Natural Resources Management Course: 2011 - 2015

Advanced Education Program

Developed in collaboration with Colorado State University, USA

Supervisor: Dr. Dong Thanh Hai

Ha Noi, 10/2015

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Abstract

Tam Dao salamander (Paramesotriton deloustali), also known as Tam Dao newt, an endemic

amphibian to the mountains of Vietnam. It is listed as vulnerable (IUCN, 2015), in group IIB

of species that is restricted to exploitation and trade under commercial purposes in Decree

No. 32/2006/ND-CP of Vietnam government. The status of exploitation and trade on this

species is increasing as a profound matter due to the fast growth of eco-tourism in Tay Thien

area in recent years. Besides that high profit from illegal trade, lack of knowledge, ineffective

policy implementation and enforcement are additional drivers of this trend. The aims of this

study are 1) investigate the status of P.deloustali population and its main threats, 2)

investigate how this species are being exploitation and trade, and 3) determine factors that

drive the participation of locals in trade and harvest this animal in recent years. Results show

that the status of Tam Dao newt population declined significantly in the period of 10 years up

to now. The top ranked threats that led to this trends were waste from tourism activities,

construction, and illegal harvest and trade. The status of harvest and trade of this endemic

species had taken place in this area for a long time ago with very sophisticated trading flow

and form of hiding to avoid the discoverable of authorities. The period after establishment of

Tam Dao national park (1996-2010) was reported as the hottest time of exploiting and

trading. The primary motivation for hunt this species was for sale instead of for subsistence

use as mentioned in some literatures. 10 sale points with totally 31 individual of Tam Dao

salamander was observed during the study, even in a short period of time and in low tourism

season. Thus, the study concludes that the status of exploitation and trade of P.deloustali is

popular in Tay Thien area. In addition, there are four factors are proven to influence in the

participation of people in hunting and trading of this species are: sex, educational level,

markets, and livelihoods. Among these factors sex and markets provide strongest effect in

process of making decision.

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Acknowledgements

This report is submitted for the Advanced Education Program Developed in collaboration

with Colorado State University, USA, faculty of Forest Resources and Environmental

Management, Vietnam Forestry University. This study would not have been possible without

the kindness help of many individuals and institutions. Most importantly, I am very grateful

to my supervisor Dr. Dong Thanh Hai for his guidance, instruction, and encouragement at

every step of my study and for sharing his knowledge and ideas with me. I specially thank to

Professor Lee MacDonald for his taking time in advising in writing and correcting my thesis

proposal. I would also like to acknowledge Mr. Tran Van Dung for his kindly assisting me in

mapping.

I would like to thank the Tam Dao National Park (NP), Dai Dinh Committee, and Dai Dinh

Ranger Station for their permission and support to undertake this study. In particularly, for

Head of Science, Technology and International Cooperation Department Mr. Le Thanh

Cuong, Mr. Vu Van Quyet, Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan for their provided documents and human

resources support. I would like to show my gratitude to the villagers who were patient and

kindly answered my questions during the field survey.

I express deep gratitude to my parents, my brothers, and my sisters who encouraged and

inspired throughout the study, without their support this report would have not been possible.

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Table of contents

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Abbreviations

List of Photos

List of Figures

List of Tables

CHAPTER 1 ..............................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................9

CHAPTER 2 ............................................................................................................................11

LISTERATURE REVIEW AND THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK......................................11

2.1. Listerature review .........................................................................................................11

2.1.1. Trade patterns.....................................................................................................11

2.1.2. Conservation Status ..............................................................................................12

2.2. Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................13

2.2.1. Key definitions and terminology used in this report..........................................13

2.2.2. What are the socio-economic drivers the exploitation and trade of wildlife? ...14

CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................19

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................19

3.1. Goals..........................................................................................................................19

3.2. Specific objectives.....................................................................................................19

3.3. Research questions....................................................................................................19

3.4. Research hypothesis..................................................................................................20

CHAPTER 4 METHODS........................................................................................................22

3.1. Selection of study site ...............................................................................................22

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3.2. Overview of study site...............................................................................................23

3.3. Methods.....................................................................................................................24

3.3.1. Secondary data ...................................................................................................24

3.3.2. Line transects.....................................................................................................25

3.3.3. Interview ............................................................................................................26

3.3.4. Map the hot spots of exploiting and trading of P. deloustali in Tay Thien........27

3.3.5. Data analysis......................................................................................................28

CHAPTER 5 RESULTS..........................................................................................................30

5.1. Population status of P.deloustali in Tay Thien.............................................................30

5.2. Status of exploitation and use of P.deloustali Tay Thien ............................................32

5.2.1. Evidences and traces of P.deloustali being harvested, and traded in Tay Thien

area 32

5.2.2. Seasonal presence and selling seasons...............................................................35

5.2.3. Hunting techniques ............................................................................................36

5.2.4. Responsible person for hunt...............................................................................36

5.2.5. Purposes of exploiting P.deloustali ...................................................................37

5.2.6. Form of hidding, and evading P.deloustali from paltrol and control of

authorities.........................................................................................................................38

5.3. The trade of Tam Dao salamander in Tay Thien ......................................................38

5.3.1. Market, price, and form of selling over each periods: .......................................38

5.3.2. Market and trading flow of P.deloustali............................................................40

5.3. Map hotspots of P.deloustali being sold in Tay Thien area......................................45

5.4. Drivers of the exploitation and trade of P.deloustali in Tay Thien...........................46

5.4.1. Factors that had determined the harvesting and selling of P.deloustali in Tay

Thien area in the past. ......................................................................................................46

5.4.2. Drivers of the participation of exploitation and trade of P.deloustali in present

time? 50

5.5. Key threats to P.deloustali populations in Tay Thien...............................................51

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CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION...................................................................................................55

6.1. Livelihoods ...................................................................................................................55

6.2. Markets and prices........................................................................................................56

6.3. Legislation and regulations...........................................................................................57

6.4. Conservation awareness................................................................................................58

6.5. Resource management practices...................................................................................58

6.6. Sex.................................................................................................................................58

6.7. Age................................................................................................................................59

6.8. Educational level...........................................................................................................59

6.9. Occupation ....................................................................................................................60

6.10. Average monthly income per capital ..........................................................................60

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................62

REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................66

APPENDICES .........................................................................................................................72

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Abbreviations

CITES The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

Wild Fauna and Flora

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

NP National Park

NTFPs Non-timber Forest Products

P.deloustali Paramesotriton deloustali

List of figures

Figure 2.1. Assumptions of factors that drive the participation in P.deloustali exploitation and

trade (TRAFFIC 2008, modified)............................................................................................18

Figure 4.1: Map of study site Dai Dinh commune, Tam Dao district, Vinh Phuc province ...23

Figure 5.1. shows the comparision of assessment of the interviewees on the status of Tam

Dao salamander population in 2005 and 2010 with the current time of the study (2015).......32

Figure 5.2. Distribution of P.deloustali in Tay Thien area.....................................................31

Table 5.1.Represent the results of 10 sale points where P.deloustali were sold in Tay Thien 33

Figure 5.3.Compare the percentage of participation of local people in harvesting and

exploiting P.deloustali in past and current time.......................................................................35

Figure 5.4. Compare the differences between seasonal appearance and trading season of

P.deloustali in Tay Thien area. ................................................................................................36

Figure 5.5. Show the motivation of hunting for P.deloustali through responses. ...................37

Figure5.6. Show the trading flow diagram of P.deloustali in Tay Thien area from 2000-2010 .

Figure5.7.Show the sale points of P.deloustali observed during study in Tay Thien area. .....45

List of Table

Table 4.1. Species composition of Tam Dao NP.....................................................................24

Table 4.2. Summary table of transects line at Tay Thien area, Tam Dao National Park.........25

Table 4.3.Distribution of interview object...............................................................................26

Table 4.6. Basis to define poor and near-poor household in rural areas in Vietnam in period

2011-2015 ................................................................................................................................26

Table 4.7. Basis to define moderate and rich households in Dai Dinh commune ...................27

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Table 4.8. Basis criteria to assess the degree of illegal exploitation and trade of wildlife ......27

Table 4.9. Description of assumption variables which influence the participation in exploiting

and using of P. deloustali.........................................................................................................28

Table 4.10. Criteria to assess the level of conservation awareness of respondents.................29

Table 5.2. Show the results of binary logistic regression model test on independents factors

that were assumed to have influence on the participation in exploitation and trade of local

people in study area .................................................................................................................48

Table 5.3.Summary results of assessment of threats to P.deloustali populations in Tay Thien

..................................................................................................................................................51

List of photos

Photo 5.1. Shows the P.deloustali was sold in plastic bottles in Tay Thien area. ...................34

Photo 5.2 Waste from tourism activities in Tay Thien ............................................................52

Photo 5.3. Local people collected NTFPs near Co temple ......................................................53