Harvesting_Green snowdrops_Georgia

Affiliation
IIED
Type of wild species covered by the record
Wild species used in its natural habitat
Wild species used in significantly modified habitat (e.g., oil palm plantations, rice paddies)
Stage of the value chain covered by the record
Primary Producer/harvester (e.g., NTFP collectors, egg collectors)
Record Source
“Grey” literature (e.g., NGO reports, case studies, non-detriment studies; project documents etc. (not necessarily peer-reviewed))

harvesting of green snowdrops bulbs from Georgia for use in horticulture.

Unknown/not recorded
Is the species endemic HIDE
No
Population Status
Common and wildly distributed
Formal international protection in place
International Level
National Level
Unknown/not recorded
Population Trend
Stable
Sub-national Level
Unknown/not recorded
Name
Emma Hemmerlé
Scientific Name
Galanthus woronowii
Common Name(s)
Green Snowdrop
Type of Use
Extractive (i.e., the entire organism or parts of the organism are removed from its environment)
If extractive, for the target species, is this use
Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of
Only parts or products of the organism (e.g., feathers, leaves, branches, eggs, nuts)
Details of parts/products taken

bulbs

Are specific characteristics/traits being targeted?
Unknown/not recorded
Purpose of Use
Income generation from trade at individual or household or community
What is the main end use for any living organisms, parts or products taken/extracted?
Amount
7000000.00
Units Of Measurement
Bulbs exported per year
What is the trend in the level of offtake within the period covered by this record?
Geographic Location
Country
Gerogia
Local people (e.g., individuals, communities, co-operatives)
Is the use part of a strategy to generate conservation incentives, to finance conservation, or to improve tolerance/stewardship?
Yes
Is there evidence that the use is affecting the conservation status of the species? HIDE
Yes – use is improving the status (e.g., population is increasing or stabilising, extraction effort OR catch per unit effort is decreasing or stable)
Is there evidence that the use is affecting natural selection?
Unknown/not recorded
Is there evidence that the use is affecting poaching of illegal wildlife trade?
Yes, positive (use is helping combat poaching or illegal wildlife trade)

Based on surveys carried out in 2009, 2014 and 2018, the population of G. woronowii in Georgia is thought to be approximately stable.
Generally, trade in this species (as carried out with government management and regulation) can be considered as beneficial for conservation of this species. Legal, regulated trade in wild harvested and cultivated bulbs has ended chaotic, unmanaged harvest, and ensured stabilization of the population.

Given that the region concerned is very small in both area and population, individuals involved in snowdrop trade know each other, and they make active efforts to ensure illegal harvest or harvest over sustainable levels does not take place.

Is there any evidence that this use of the species is having a knock-on effect on the status of non-target species
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out

Based on surveys carried out in 2009, 2014 and 2018, the population of G. woronowii in Georgia is thought to be approximately stable.
Generally, trade in this species (as carried out with government management and regulation) can be considered as beneficial for conservation of this species. Legal, regulated trade in wild harvested and cultivated bulbs has ended chaotic, unmanaged harvest, and ensured stabilization of the population. Exporters, especially long-term traders, have a sense of ownership of the resource and are therefore willing to combat illegal harvest. Given that the region concerned is very small in both area and population, individuals involved in snowdrop trade know each other, and they make active efforts to ensure illegal harvest or harvest over sustainable levels does not take place.

Has a valuation of financial flows from this use at the site/national/international level been recorded
No
Contribution to GDP
Unknown/not recorded
Medicine/healthcare
Training/Skills
Land/Resource Rights
Decision Making
Social Cohesion
Conflict- people
Conflict- wildlife
Climate Change
Has any assessment of socio-economic sustainability been recorded
No assessment recorded
Has the use of the species been recorded as resulting in changes to human health in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the species in use been noted as being of particular disease risk to humans?
Unknown/not recorded
Has the use of the species resulted in changes to animal welfare in this record?
Unknown/not recorded
Are there particular practices which have increased the risk to human or animal health or welfare in the use of this species?
Unknown/not recorded
Does the use of this species increase susceptibility to pathogen spread?
Unknown/not recorded
Unknown/not recorded
Strong community governance/institutions/rights for wildlife management
Absent
Supportive policy and legislative framework
Present
Adequate capacity to implement and enforce governance arrangements
Absent
Support from NGOs
Absent
Support from Government
Present
High financial returns from use
Absent
Abundant population of target species
Present
Biological characteristics of target species
Absent
Capacity building of community
Present
Establishment and implementation of species and/or area management plan
Absent
Effective private sector approach engagement through certification
Absent
Good benefit-sharing mechanism
Absent
Good Market Strategies
Absent
Source Reference(s)

CITES (2019) CITES & Livelihoods Case Study 2019: Harvesting of Green snowdrops in Georgia.

Georgia has set a quota of 15 million wild bulbs for export each year,

Who is involved in the use?
Is there any gender/age specificity in the various roles
Yes

around 50% of the people involved in operations related to G. woronowii are women. Women were seen conducting on-site heavy work during the 2018 field surveys.

How many of these local jobs accure to the following categories?
How many people outside the local area are employed
Is there any evidence of other economic benefits associated with this use beyond direct income and jobs
Unknown/Not recorded
Scale of Assessment
IUCN National Red List Category
IUCN Global Red List Category
Green Status Global Category
Yearly Financial Flows
Country reference