Heym SR20
Well-Known Member
There is a lot of discussion, quite rightly, on the breeding of animals for body parts for use in Chinese medicine. And also for “canned” hunting where animals and birds are bred, released and the hunted.
Chinese medicine has been practiced for centuries, 1/4 of the worlds population believe in it and it’s not going away. Whilst it does not have the scientific rigour of western medicine, a vast number of western medicines are also based on animal and plant derived compounds. ( and western science is only a 150 year construct).
As regards say Rhinos, I am not sure I understand the issue with building popylulations of Rhino and from time to time darting them and trimming the horn and putting this into the medicinal market. It would develop a healthy reserve population, keep many area in wildish habitat, and collapse the poaching market.
As for big cats - articles today on breeding lions for medicinal use - again if this builds reserve population and takes pressure off wild populations is it really any different to say deer or even cattle farming.
Here in the west we have a narrow view on land management and wildlife developed over centuries. It’s all about management and neatness and should look like England’s green and pleasant land.
Perhaps as a society we need to widen our views and recognise that wild areas are hugely important and can provide a whole host of high value sustainable product - timber, plant and animal products - but not necessarily all from pigs, sheep, cattle and chickens - for all of these we have cleared vast acreages of land and turned them over to producing grass and grains for these animals. Most fish are still wild caught. Many fisheries have collapsed because of over fishing, but that’s a question of management, but fish farming doesn’t seem to be the answer - although in other parts of world carp, tilapia and catfish farming goes alongside rice and other irrigated Agriculture.
Discuss
Chinese medicine has been practiced for centuries, 1/4 of the worlds population believe in it and it’s not going away. Whilst it does not have the scientific rigour of western medicine, a vast number of western medicines are also based on animal and plant derived compounds. ( and western science is only a 150 year construct).
As regards say Rhinos, I am not sure I understand the issue with building popylulations of Rhino and from time to time darting them and trimming the horn and putting this into the medicinal market. It would develop a healthy reserve population, keep many area in wildish habitat, and collapse the poaching market.
As for big cats - articles today on breeding lions for medicinal use - again if this builds reserve population and takes pressure off wild populations is it really any different to say deer or even cattle farming.
Here in the west we have a narrow view on land management and wildlife developed over centuries. It’s all about management and neatness and should look like England’s green and pleasant land.
Perhaps as a society we need to widen our views and recognise that wild areas are hugely important and can provide a whole host of high value sustainable product - timber, plant and animal products - but not necessarily all from pigs, sheep, cattle and chickens - for all of these we have cleared vast acreages of land and turned them over to producing grass and grains for these animals. Most fish are still wild caught. Many fisheries have collapsed because of over fishing, but that’s a question of management, but fish farming doesn’t seem to be the answer - although in other parts of world carp, tilapia and catfish farming goes alongside rice and other irrigated Agriculture.
Discuss
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