Current trent “Thailand’s Dog Meat and Skin Trade”

Thailand’s dog meat and skin trade and connection with possible overhunting/captivity/animal cruelty

Introduction of current trend

• When did it start?
  • It was started 30 years ago and keep continue till nowadays.  
• Where?
  • Thailand; mainly in the northern provinces of Thailand.
  • The Rae, in Thailand’s Sakon Nakhon district, is where much of the country’s dog trade and killing started. 
• Why?
  • Most of the dogs are sent to Vietnam for dog meat, and China for dog skin. Dog meat is as a delicacy meat for Vietnamese, and they eat it a lot. China has one of the largest dog skins industries in the world. They used for house decorations such as floor rugs and sofa throws. And Chinese dog skin handbags are a modernity item at Chinese markets. Therefore, main reason why Thailand start trading dog meat and skin is because of ‘money’. They can sell it for a very good price and earn a lot of money. It’s estimated that the industry is worth 1 billion baht per years. 
• How?
  • An estimated 2,000 dogs are picked up each week in North Thailand where they are transported to be slaughtered; mainly across the Thai border to Vietnam and China, where sales are more profitable.
  • Any dog that wanders on the street is at risk, especially overnight.
  • There have been people seeing the dogs being strike with a bat or catch the dog with a wire around its neck where they are then shoved into small cages in a waiting truck. 
  • Sometime, the trucks go to small villages with a loudspeaker announcing that locals can exchange their dog for bottled water or a bucket.
  • People also have reported issues about their pets dogs being stolen.

Pictures (visual support)

    

How is it connecting/resulting in overhunting/captivity/cruelty? Details on how is it contributing to those issues?

• This is consider as animal captivity and cruelty. 160 dogs plus are squeezing together in a small pick-up trucks. And about 1,600 dogs plus in a larger truck. The results is that many dogs die from suffocation, broken bones, crushed eyes, and horrible pain along the way, since they are being squeeze together in a small cage.For dogs that are survive the journey are often tortured for hours before being skinned alive or are electrocuted with 220 volts to the mouth.The reason that people is because they believe that the pain inflicted on the dogs leads to the soften of the meat.
• In 2011, Thai authorities stated that 500,000 dogs per year fell victim to both the meat and skin trade. Although the industry is centred in Sakon Nakhon, it’s widespread in Northeast Thailand. 

Create a COMPASS analysis on this current trend. N.E.S.W (Nature. Economy. Society. Well-being)

• Nature – No. Dog is animal, and animal belong to nature. All kind of animals all have their own role in the ecosystem.
• Economy – Yes. The sellers can earn a lot of money.
• Society – No. Dogs are human’s best friend, and I believe that the majority of people want this to stop. 
• Well-being – No. Dog meat is actually very dangerous, it can cause diseases such as cholera and trichinellosis. 

Do you have any personal connections/experience towards this current trend?

• No, I don’t have any personal connections/experience to wars this current trend. I never eat dog meat and never use dog skin products.

Are there any local organizations/awareness campaign/etc supporting a more balanced option for this current trend? (examples please. Be specific)

• There are Thailand-based animal rescue organisations, Thai law enforcement agencies, Thai law against animal cruelty, However, dog traders and butchers still managed to smuggle the dogs.
• Soi Dog – providing shelters and food for the rescued dogs.
• Care for Dogs – advocated for strike and punishment for those caught in the dog trade.
• Say no to dog meat organisation 

How can we reach a more balanced and sustainable solution?

• Ban dog skin product and dog meat.
• Don’t just throw your dogs away when you don’t want them. Make sure to bring the dogs to places where there are people taking care of dogs that have no owner. 

Discussion Questions for class (at least 2)

• Do all species of dog taste the same?
• Do all species of dog have the same quality of skin (dog skin product)?

Nat.TraditionsOverhunting

https://docs.google.com/a/wells-school.com/document/d/1_3XFusrdFRLdDwC5nQBv3EH8D1qnnYiFnrjxJb_XlMw/edit

Reading Task: TCM and Species Protection

Traditional Chinese Medicine and Endangered Animals

• Nearly 80% of the world’s population depends for its primary health care needs on medicines derived from plants and animals.
• Because of the growing of population, increasing wealth, and the spreading popularity of natural remedies, the demand for these medicine is rising causing many plant and animal species at risk.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

• A health care system in which patients are treated with natural plant, animal, and mineral remedies.
• TCM is to restoring smooth movement of vital energy and the balance between yin and yang forces in its patients.
• TCM’s origins are lost in the mists of time.
• Shennong is credited with collecting a catalogue of 365 species of medicinal plants that became the basis of later herbological studies.
• Most medical literature is founded on the Neijing.
• TCM spread throughout China and then into Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia.
• TCM uses around 1,000 plant and 36 animal species (e.g. tiger, rhinoceros, black bear, musk deer, and sea horse)
• Tiger, rhinoceros, and sea horse are endangered.

Tiger (Panthera tigris)

• Bones – used in wines, plasters, and manufactured medicines to treat inflammation of a joint.
• Today, there are about 5,000 to 7,000 tigers in the wild.
• About 5,000 are being raised on farms in China.
• In 1993, the trade of tiger bones was banned in China.
• TCM stop use medicines that contain tiger parts.
• One of the most promising alternatives is the bone of a wild mole rat, other possibilities discussed were the bones of dogs, cows, goats, and other domestic animals.
• Chinese Medicine and Species Conservation stated in 2006, “the TCM community does not want to be blamed for the extinction of tigers – we support the development of TCM without the use of tiger bone and parts of other highly endangered species of wildlife.”
• In 2006, less than 3% of 633 medicine shops and dealers in 26 cities across China claimed to stock tiger bone.
• Back in 1996-07, 43% of medicine shops were still offering tiger bone products for sale, and it jumped to 50% when medicines flaming to contain rhinoceros or leopard products were included.
• In June 2007, China announced a plan to lift its trade ban on parts from farmed tigers. However, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Indonesia as well as by tiger conservation groups disagree with this plan.
• If China legalises trade in parts from farmed tigers, wild tiger could be endanger (hunt illegally).

Rhinoceros

• Decocted rhinoceros horn is used in TCM to treat fever, convulsions, and delirium.
• This reduce the rhinoceros population in Africa and Asia.
• Only about 3,100 black rhinos in Africa and 2,800 of all three Asian species (Sumatran, Javan, and Indian) in Asia still survive.
• Captive-breeding is now the only hope for some species until protection laws can be provided in the wild.

Black bear

• Bear bile is used in TCM to treat a wide variety of illnesses and injuries, including liver ailments and headaches.
• Because the reduction of wild Asiatic black blears, bear farming was introduced in China in 1984.
• These farms bears are put into the small cages where their bile is extracted through catheter (a painful and sometimes deadly ordeal).
• 7,000 bears are kept on 200 farms in China.
• Adam M.Roberts reports that bear farming has had no effect on the packing of wild bears. He calls on the US, to pass national legislation to protect bears in this country and to inhibit international trading in bear parts.

Musk deer (Moschus)

• Musk is the basis of some 300 TCM prescriptions, of various remedies in Western homeopathic medicine, and of some perfumes.
• It’s used to promote circulation and to treat skin infections and abdominal pain.
• China’s demand for must is around 500-1,000 kg per year, which requires at 100,000 deers.
• Worldwide there are only about 700,000 musk deer led in the wild.
• Farming and medicinal alternatives may help save the musk deer.
• The 3 main alternatives under consideration in China are the muskrat, two species of civet, and synthetic materials.
• However, using musk deers medicine purposes have not been fully explored.

Seahorse (Hippocampus kelloggi)

• Used as a treatment for kidney ailments, circulatory problems, and impotence.
• Today approximately 90 health and medicine products containing seahorse are sold in China and elsewhere.
• 32 countries and regions are involved in harvesting some 20,000,000 seahorses each year.
• Production reached 500 tons annually.
• China’s demand alone was 200-250 tons per year.
• According to the World Nature Foundation, the rising demand had resulted in the reduction of populations of the known 35 varieties of seahorses by more than half.
• Currently the seahorse is not listed as endangered and there are no international regulation on trade, the harvesting of wild seahorses goes on.
• China’s Hainan province provide ideal living conditions for the seahorse (seahorse farming).

Discussion Points: Shark Bait

Purpose of the documentary = ?

• The purpose of this documentary is to help people to be more aware of the overhunting of sharks. Every year, up to 17 millions sharks are killed for their fins. If this keep on going, eventually, sharks will become extinct. And this will affect the marine ecosystem because sharks are the main predator in the ocean and also play an important. Another purpose of this documentary is to tell people around the world to stop eating shark fin soup. 

 

Connections you see with the documentary?

• My dad use to eat a lot of shark fin soups, and told me that it taste very nice. But I never try it before and I am glad that I didn’t eat it.  However, my dad stop eating shark fin soup for years which is a good thing because I feel sorry for all kinds of animals that are being killed for human consumption. 

 

Feelings after watching the documentary?

• It’s really sad to know the fact that up to 17 millions of sharks are killed for their fins, and only 5% of their body is useful (fins). Although sharks are consider as dangerous creature, however, they are beautiful and moreover, they are the kings of the ocean. Therefore, I think the overhunting of sharks should be stop now. People should stop being selfish and only think about their own happiness. They should care and think more about the affect of this action.

 

What can we do as students?

• Raise awareness over the overhunting of sharks
• Tell parents, friends, teachers, or anyone we know to stop eating shark fin soup if we see them eating.

 

Questions (at least 3)

• What can other park of the shark body be use for, other than their fins?
• What’s so good about shark fins that make people can’t stop eating it? 
• Why don’t shark fin soup be banned?
• Which species of sharks are most often killed for their fins?

Reflection: Old Traditions Resulting in Overhunting

Reflect upon your research/sharing:

–> How did you decide to pick your choice of old tradition to share in the first place?

I decide to choose elephant as my choice of old tradition because elephant is a cultural and national symbol of Thailand. There is belief about elephant that people who have it will is consider as wealthy. Not only in Thailand, but some Europeans also believe in this as well. That’s why many elephants are being hunt for ivory to export to foreign countries. 

–> Were you aware of this old tradition before your research?

Yes, because there are many news about over hunting of elephants in Thailand. However, I didn’t know that the number of elephants rapidly decrease from 100,000 to 2,000. I found it in the internet.

 

–> What is one most memorable and surprising share you have heard from the table?

The most surprising share from my table is Giant Salamander from China, because I never heard this before, and I don’t even know what is Giant Salamander.

 

–> Do you see some connections and/or similar beliefs/traditions amongst your table? If yes, why do you think there is. If no, why not?

Pleng, New, and me have the same choice of old tradition which is the elephant ivory, While Angle’s choice of old tradition is giant salamander.

Old Traditions Resulting in Overhunting

Elephant is revered as an important spiritual, cultural and national symbol of Thailand. However, people still keep on hunting it because of the increase demand for ivory. At the beginning of the 20th century, there were around 100,000 elephants in Thailand. But due to the over hunting, today, the numbers have decreased to 2,000. And if this still keep going, elephants will soon become extinct. Besides, the study shows that overhunting of elephants could kills Tropical Forest as well. Using the dataset from the Thai Royal Forest Department that contained more than 15 years of data on trees, they compare trees that sprouted from the parent tree with the trees that grow from seeds transported and broadcasted by animals, the result show that trees that grow form seeds transported by animals are hardier and healthier.

Citation: 

Editor, Planet. “New Study: Thai Forest Health Linked to Elephants – Planet Experts.” Planet Experts. Thai Forest Health Linked to Elephants, 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://www.planetexperts.com/new-study-thai-forest-health-linked-elephants/&gt;.

Marino, Gigi. “As Elephants Go, so Go the Trees: Research Shows Hunting Can Have Catastrophic Effects on Tropical Forests.” News. As Elephants Go, so Go the Trees, 18 Nov. 2014. Web. 10 Feb. 2015. <http://news.ufl.edu/archive/2014/11/as-elephants-go-so-go-the-trees-research-shows-hunting-can-have-catastrophic-effects-on-tropical-forests.html&gt;

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“Thailand Iron Man” Mini Marathon 2014

Date: 8 November 2014

Location: Smiling Sun Ground, Lumphini Park

Main Goal: raise funds to support organisations for the underprivileged nationwide

This is my second time running marathon. I started to know how marathon was like, because the first time I run in Rama 9 Park, I still confuse and didn’t know what to do. This time I didn’t get really tired because it’s 5km marathon while last time it was 10km. There were trophies and cash award for the first 5 finishers, so many people come here for competition specially those who are professional runner. However, there were also people like my friends and me who come here just for exercise as well. I have a lot of fun and also get to see beautiful park because this is my first time been in Lumphini park.

“Under the Same Sky” 10km Marathon

Location: Rama 9 Part

Date: 12 October 2014

Main goal: Raise funds for The Education for Development Foundation

This is my first time joining marathon, and I am really excited. I never thought that running 10km would be so tired. To be honest I didn’t mange to run the whole time, because it was really tired. So I start walking instead. And eventually I came to the finish line. I thought I would be the last one, but I saw some people still didn’t finish yet. Although it was very tired, but it was also very fun as well. I get to see the beautiful nature and smell the fresh air in the morning which feel really good. It’s a very nice experience and I am looking forward to join the up-coming marathon.

TISAC Basketball Tournament (Action)

After many days of practice, the team and I were ready for this day, TISAC tournament. The game took place at Wells, which was good because we are more familiar with our basketball court. We have game almost the whole day which is very tired. However, none of us give up. No matter how tired we are, we still keep going and do our best. During our final match, one of our best player got injured and couldn’t continue to play. Everyone become nervous, but eventually we manage to get back to the game and continue our best. We came in 2nd place, which I think was not bad. Even though we didn’t get 1st place, but that doesn’t really matter because we already did our best and we will keep continue practice to be better. The important things that I had learned in here is the commitment, teamwork, and communication.

Basketball training (Action)

I have basketball training every tuesday and friday. In the practice, we learned all the aspect in basketball, such as lay-up, dribbling, breaking the defense, offence, etc. This is my first year joining the basketball team, and I am really enjoy playing it. There are many things that I still need to learn and practice more in order to become a better player. So far, I think doing good. I had learn many skill in basketball, however, I would still have to keep on practice and practice more. Another thing that I had learn in the basketball team is communication. It’s very important to talk with the team mates during the game and work as a team.