A. Species
Scientific name: Astrochelys yniphora
Common name(s): Ploughshare tortoise
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Critically Endangered
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Madagascar
Country/Region: Madagascar / Baly Bay National Park
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Sub-national / Sub-region / Sub-State
Name/Details of location: Baly Bay National Park / Ambatomainty, Betainalika, Beheta and Cap Sada.
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2006
End Year: 2015
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Hunting and/or Trapping of live terrestrial and aerial animals
Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Keeping/companionship/display
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Illegal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people and National external
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: To estimate population trends during 2006-2015, the study used distance sampling surveys along line transects, and recorded national and international confiscations of trafficked tortoises for 2002-2016.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Study results suggest the ploughshare tortoise population declined ?50% during the period, 2005-2016 to just c.500 adults and subadults remaining in the wild in 2014-2015. Prior to 2006 very few tortoises were seized either in Madagascar or internationally but confiscations increased sharply from 2010. Since 2015 poaching has intensified, with field reports suggesting that two of the four subpopulations are now extinct, leaving an unknown but almost certainly perilously low number of adult tortoises in the wild.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The study refers to the anthropogenic alee effect, where the rarer the species the more valuable it becomes; there was a 300-fold increase in the price paid for these tortoises after protection was introduced in 2009, up to around USD 50,000. Nevertheless, evidence from this study suggests that continued exploitation at current rates will drive the endemic ploughshare tortoise to global extinction in the wild. Concurrent data on escalating confiscations in Madagascar and South-east Asia, together with anecdotal evidence of high and increasing levels of poaching activity in Baly Bay, identify the illegal international pet trade as the driver of this rapid and severe decline.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Income and livelihoods derived from trade in this species cannot be sustained and are now illegal.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: This study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
The study concludes that the extinction of the ploughshare tortoise in the wild is imminent unless poaching for the illegal pet trade is halted. Even if poaching ceases, the authors propose that, given the extent of the demographic collapse of this species, its recovery is unlikely to happen without intensive management such as large-scale reintroductions, and that even with such actions recovery is likely to take decades. Immediate action is needed to safeguard the remaining wild, released and captive populations. Anti-poaching actions in Baly Bay must be scaled up and improved, including better detection of poachers (e.g. using patrol dogs), tortoise protection (e.g. fences), and rapid response enforcement techniques that have been developed elsewhere to combat poaching. Demand reduction initiatives for other species, particularly in South-east and East Asia, have had limited success, with little evidence of effectiveness. The consumers driving the trade in this species and other rare reptiles are a relatively small number of dealers and hobbyists, predominantly in eastern Asia, who seek out the rarest animals and for whom the illegality of owning the species appears not to be a deterrent. More research is required to understand the psychology of collectors and to identify the messaging to which this group would be responsive to. Captive populations are being established outside Madagascar as assurance colonies, using internationally confiscated animals, and new breeding centres are also required in Madagascar, with high-security measures to prevent animals being stolen. Strategies to reduce the demand for wild animals should also be considered to secure the long-term future of the species
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2020-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-12-09