A. Species
Scientific name: Panax quinquefolius
Common name(s): American ginseng
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Canada
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Canada
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 1989
End Year: 2007
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: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene
Motivation of use: Largescale commercial exploitation for trade
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law and Illegal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: National / local private sector
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: This CITES NDF Case study.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: In Canada, abundance is low and only 49 of 418 recorded populations are considered viable (i.e., >172 plants); at least 369 of the 418 known populations are either extirpated, unviable, or in decline. Historically, in Canada, ginseng populations were lost and/or reduced as a result of trade and habitat loss; decline in this species continues today. It has been determined that illegal harvest has contributed to the decline and/or extirpation of wild ginseng populations in Canada.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: This CITES NDF Case study.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Legal harvest of ginseng in Canada exists primarily of artificially propagated field-grown specimens and is a lucrative industry with the export market value estimated at approximately $65 million annually. Approximately 2.5 million kilograms of dried roots are exported from Canada annually, primarily to the Asian market. Although harvest and trade of wild specimens is prohibited in Canada, the potential for illegal trade is high. Wild roots are considered to be significantly more valuable than those that are field-cultivated. It has been determined that illegal harvest has contributed to the decline and/or extirpation of wild ginseng populations in Canada.
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 CITES NDF Case study.
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Ginseng is harvested exclusively for medicinal and/or therapeutic uses. Ginseng has been used in Asian medicine for as long as 5000 years and is said to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of disorders.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
No
Record source
Information about the record source: grey_lit
Date of publication/issue/production: 2008-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
By Adrianne Sinclair
Canadian Wildlife Service Environment Canada.
NDF WORKSHOP CASE STUDIES
WG 2 – Perennials
CASE STUDY 5
Panax quinquefolius
Country – CANADA
Date of record entry: 2023-09-26