Covid-19 and the Protection of Endangered Species
Abstract
On may ask, Has Covid-19 done any good against the fight illegal endangered species? The answer to this question is relative, and it all depends on how you look at it. The class analogy would suffice, whether it half empty or half full. In the wake of the covid-19 pandemic, many people attributed the mere fact that the origin of the virus being in China meant that our practices and ways of living were the leading causes of the virus and why many of our people started dying. Thus, we decided to “share the problem” with the rest of the world in the spirit of sharing is caring, which was not the case.
But the truth of the matter lies in the fact that the exact origin of the etiologic agent of COVID‐19, also known as SARS‐CoV‐2, is currently a mystery yet to be solved. The evidence substantially suggests that the source of transmission of the virus occurred within the Wuhan market. What is the connection between the market and the origin of a fatal virus? In these markets, wild animals and creatures such as bats and even pangolins are sold and stored closely. The truth of the matter is, even with the wake of Covid-19, some of the delicacies enjoyed by the people consisted of the wild endangered species like bats, which to most people around the world, they are cursed creatures of the night. Still, it is part of a cultural delicacy that they can do away to the people of China. But have people heeded the warning by the government, and will the surge in the spread of COVID-19 discourage the sale and trade in endangered wildlife species?
In this paper, we shall look at how Covid-19 has affected the sale of wildlife trophies as well as endangered species and also for how long can we put up with the fight against the same or people will go back to their old ways once the effects of the virus have subsided and things are back to normalcy.
Introduction
Under the Black’s law dictionary, an endangered species is “any recognized, documented living organism that is at or below a baseline number of existing specimens projected to be the minimal number necessary for normal breeding and continuation of that specie. This condition threatens the organism with extinction. The reason(s) for potential extinction become meaningful only for mitigation.”
These species are usually a source of livelihood for many people, and they are hunted down for many reasons. A good example closer home is the hunted Pangolin due to the significant monetary value of its skins and sold for its meat in the Asian market.
The trade-in endangered species does not only take place within the confines of China, but the same occurs all across the globe since almost every country has one animal which is of great value depending on its nature, e.g., In Africa, we have the elephants hunted down for their tusks and rhinos for their horns as well and further across China we have the Pangolins whose skins value is worth a fortune. With people knowing this, the trade in endangered species has become like smuggling of drugs in the late 20th century, which was done in tunnels and collaboration with every significant player in the country’s chain of command. There has been established “a network of international trade relationships that brings goods, services, and people across borders every day in defiance of the laws of at least one state (BALAAM AND DILLMAN, 2008)
China and the Pandemic
(Broad, 2020, p. 3). There is sufficient evidence to suggest that live animal markets, also known as wet markets in Wuhan, China are the parent source of transmission of the virus. A significant indication is that some of the first patients to test positive for COVID‐19 had connections to the wet markets in Wuhan. Transmission of the virus may have occurred at the wildlife market or en route to the wildlife market where illicitly traded wildlife may be sold. It is currently unknown how the virus was transmitted from animals to humans, but the threat of bats spreading disease has been a long‐held concern for public health officials and biological researchers. Viruses transmitted from animals to humans are hazardous to human life due to the absence of herd immunity among the human population. This global health crisis originating from zoonotic transmission is not novel. Over the last 20 years, several deadly diseases have originated from live animal or wet markets. Wet markets are where fresh meats, produce, and animals are often stored to be sold in open‐air environments, nearby, with little to no health safety precautions or sanitation measures. These wet markets exist across the world and in China; they often contain foreign, rare, and sometimes endangered species sold, among other goods, by travel suppliers. Wet markets facilitate and heavily contribute to the practice of the illicit wildlife trade. In turn, this practice has led to the spread of zoonotic diseases among the animals and customers at markets. Transportation and storage of animals for wildlife trade at these markets enable spread of diseases from animals to other animals.
The main reason why people from China and Asia at large prefer these live markets and endangered species is because they believe that then animals possess an extraordinary healing power or even to conform you your cultural beliefs. It is not bad, it is good to follow our culture, but at the same time, we should put our health into consideration and also try to consider what risk will be realized once we embark on hunting endangered trophies like the Pangolin and other endangered species and in the event of this trend continuing, the species will get extinct.
Covid-19 and the Fight against Endangered Species: (Focus on China)
In China and some other Asian countries, these markets are prevalent because consumers believe that wet markets are fresher, cheap. They offer rare types of creatures that double up as delicacies that serve as status symbols or are believed to possess unique healing elements (Daszak, Olival, & Li, 2020, p. 7). Yet, the spread of disease from live and exotic animals represents the most significant threat. In the wake of everything that was happening, the legislative committee in China has passed a comprehensive ban on trade and wildlife consumption in response to growing indications that the COVID-19 outbreak stemmed from a coronavirus found in wildlife sold for consumption.
It was high time that the Chinese government realized that the ban had to be effected to protect its citizens, but the government could not afford to impose a complete ban on wildlife products. The government imposed a temporary ban on trade in wildlife announced in January and continued until the epidemic was brought under control. However, with the spread of the disease caused by the virus, known as COVID-19, showing no signs of abating, a more comprehensive ban was passed on Feb. 24 by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), which exercises legislative power in the country.
Some see it as a step toward a permanent ban that would have to be enshrined in the country’s wildlife laws. If passed, it would be a big boost in the global fight against illegal trade since China is a major destination for trafficked animals. “If China is able to shut down the illegal animal trade, it will make the world a bit safer from viruses like “SARS-CoV” and have a huge impact on wildlife conservation efforts,” Benjamin Neuman, a virologist at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, told Mongabay (A local news source in China ) in an email. “It’s a thing that needs to happen, and if COVID-19 is the reason, so be it.” It was high time, and people, even lawmakers themselves, wanted the ban of endangered species to be effected permanently.
Under the CITES, trade-in wildlife is forbidden. However, the still Chinese government was adamant about imposing the ban and complying with the CITES; China’s wildlife laws promulgated in 1989 regulate this trade, but it does not impose a total ban on meat consumption from wild animals and allows captive breeding for commercial purposes. With the uprise in Covid-19 cases and the death of their citizens, the government was being persuaded to make the ban permanent, just like it was done in Beijing when it imposed an embargo on the sale of wildlife meat and other wildlife trophies.
The African Connection
With the virus affecting China first, the borders of the chin were closed. One would argue that perhaps this was a significant step in ensuring that China and its trade on wildlife trophies were curtailed, but this does not cut it. China is known to be the world’s largest recipient of endangered species from all across the world. From Africa, wildlife is hunted down and killed for export into the Asian countries, majorly china that has a good market for the endangered species. If that is not enough, the Cartel in China can fund the criminals engaging in game hunting back in Africa.
The main issue of concern among Governments in Africa is how to stop game hunting during all the cash flow from the western world and most of all from Asia. They facilitate the killing and shipping of the items from Africa through the seas and into the countries they want them.
In my view, Covid-19 was a blessing in disguise for the people, especially the Chinese cartels, who now had the opportunity to explore external sources for their products after the government banned the sale of exotic meat and closure of all wet markets. This meant that they could now dig deep into their pockets to ensure that they get the endangered species from other countries, and in that, Africa was the number one source of the same.
In my view, covid-19 crippled the African economy. Many countries could not afford to fund the operation on protecting wildlife, which exposed their wildlife to the predators who seek to fund game hunting for export. This has been going on under the government’s watch. Everybody is a player in this game hunting cycle that involves a lot of money and, after all, who doesn’t want money and is willing to go through all lengths to acquire it.
Conclusion
Covid-19 is a blessing in disguise except for us who like visiting the wet market for some delicacies to the persons engaging in game hunting. Still, the pandemic has brought more pressure to try and preserve their wildlife and their endangered species for the rest of the world because, after all, the species are only endangered for so long until they become extinct.
.
References
Aguirre, A. A., Catherina, R., Frye, H., & Shelley, L. (2020). Illicit wildlife trade, wet markets, and COVID‐19: preventing future pandemics. World Medical & Health Policy, 12(3), 256-265.
Broad, S. (2020). Wildlife Trade, COVID‐19, and Zoonotic Diseases Risks. Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC. Briefing Paper.[Google Scholar].
Daszak, P., Olival, K. J., & Li, H. (2020). A strategy to prevent future epidemics similar to the 2019-nCoV outbreak.