A. Species
Scientific name: Pyrocoelia rufa
Common name(s): Muju Firefly
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Korea, Republic of
Country/Region: South Korea
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Muju County, Jeolla Province
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2019
End Year: 2019
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Non-Extractive
Practice of use:
Lethal or non-lethal:
Does this use involve take/extraction of:
Purpose(s) of end use: Ceremony and ritual expression, Recreation and Conservation Management
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community), Recreational and Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: International 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?: No, sustainability not determined
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: commercial enterprise/ ecotourism generates substantial income
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: this study
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: well organised safe activity for whole family
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare 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: Light pollution is known to disrupt firefly courtship, so artificial lighting within firefly sanctuaries (including streetlights, car headlights, and lighting fixtures around buildings and restroom facilities) should be kept to a minimum while still maintaining visitor safety.
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
(1) Conserve the habitats required for all life stages to thrive, (2) involve local communities as key stakeholders, (3) provide training programs for guides and interpretive materials for visitors, (4) transform tourist behavior to minimize impact on firefly populations.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2021-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-12-26