The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

The Chinese government has taken two actions to protect pangolins, which are the most trafficked non-human mammals on the planet.

Pangolins now enjoy the same safeguards as pandas with a Class 1 rank under China’s wildlife protection laws, which prohibits all domestic trade and use of the animal, reports National Geographic’s Dina Fine Maron. In addition, the government’s 2020 list of approved ingredients for traditional medicines does not include pangolin scales.

Pangolin scales—which are made of keratin, the same material as fingernails—have been included on the traditional medicine ingredients list for decades, and they have been touted as a method to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, treat lactation problems and treat arthritis. Per National Geographic, tens of thousands of pangolins are killed annually for their meat, which is considered a luxury in Vietnam and China, and for their scales. Conservation group WildAid reports that last year, authorities seized over 130 tons of pangolin products, representing up to 400,000 animals.

Director of the Pangolin Working Group at the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation Sophia Zhang tells CNN that while the recent changes are positive, she feels that they came “a bit late.” Pangolin populations in China are only ten percent of their size in 1960.

Zhang tells CNN, “Many years have passed. How many pangolins have already been hunted and killed?”

The new policies give new license to authorities to stem the illegal trade of wild pangolins. But it won’t happen overnight, and the new policies might instead push the trade further underground, WildAid’s Blake tells CNN.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/china-increases-protections-pangolins-180975073/

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

but, you know, tradition, can’t go removing these things from the list, you’d be denying revising deleting erasing making history

SCIENCE said:

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

but, you know, tradition, can’t go removing these things from the list, you’d be denying revising deleting erasing making history

If only you were more relevant.

well sorry, we’ll go back to the SCIENCE forum wait

SCIENCE said:

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

but, you know, tradition, can’t go removing these things from the list, you’d be denying revising deleting erasing making history

Hopefully this also means the rhinos become irrelevant to them too.

SCIENCE said:

well sorry, we’ll go back to the SCIENCE forum wait

If only you knew what it meant, we might all benefit.

PermeateFree said:

SCIENCE said:

well sorry, we’ll go back to the SCIENCE forum wait

If only you knew what it meant, we might all benefit.

pronoun
pronoun: it

1. used to refer to a thing previously mentioned or easily identified. “a room with two beds in it” referring to an animal or child of unspecified sex. “she was holding the baby, cradling it and smiling into its face” referring to a fact or situation previously mentioned, known, or happening. “stop it, you’re hurting me” 2. used to identify a person. “it’s me” 3. used in the normal subject position in statements about time, distance, or weather. “it’s half past five” 4. used in the normal subject or object position when a more specific subject or object is given later in the sentence. “it is impossible to assess the problem” 5. used to emphasize a following part of a sentence. “it is the child who is the victim” 6. the situation or circumstances; things in general. “no one can stay here—it’s too dangerous now” 7. exactly what is needed or desired. “they thought they were it” 8. informal sexual intercourse or sex appeal. “the only thing I knew nothing about was ‘it’” 9. informal denoting a person or thing that is exceptionally fashionable, popular, or successful at a particular time. “they were Hollywood’s It couple” 10. (in children’s games) the player who has to catch the others.

Arts said:

SCIENCE said:

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

but, you know, tradition, can’t go removing these things from the list, you’d be denying revising deleting erasing making history

Hopefully this also means the rhinos become irrelevant to them too.

Not enough to worry about.

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

The Chinese government has taken two actions to protect pangolins, which are the most trafficked non-human mammals on the planet.

Pangolins now enjoy the same safeguards as pandas with a Class 1 rank under China’s wildlife protection laws, which prohibits all domestic trade and use of the animal, reports National Geographic’s Dina Fine Maron. In addition, the government’s 2020 list of approved ingredients for traditional medicines does not include pangolin scales.

Pangolin scales—which are made of keratin, the same material as fingernails—have been included on the traditional medicine ingredients list for decades, and they have been touted as a method to improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, treat lactation problems and treat arthritis. Per National Geographic, tens of thousands of pangolins are killed annually for their meat, which is considered a luxury in Vietnam and China, and for their scales. Conservation group WildAid reports that last year, authorities seized over 130 tons of pangolin products, representing up to 400,000 animals.

Director of the Pangolin Working Group at the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation Sophia Zhang tells CNN that while the recent changes are positive, she feels that they came “a bit late.” Pangolin populations in China are only ten percent of their size in 1960.

Zhang tells CNN, “Many years have passed. How many pangolins have already been hunted and killed?”

The new policies give new license to authorities to stem the illegal trade of wild pangolins. But it won’t happen overnight, and the new policies might instead push the trade further underground, WildAid’s Blake tells CNN.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/china-increases-protections-pangolins-180975073/

> The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

Excellent. Really great news.

> pangolins, which are the most trafficked non-human mammals on the planet.

Correct, as i was astonished to learn about six months ago. Protection of wild Chinese pangolins has not been sufficient because it led to the increasing slaughter of pangolins from Africa and other parts of Asia.

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

Oh, fine, dandy, all the Chinese witch doctors will just stop using this nonsense ingredient in their bullshit recipes just because some not-enforced window-dressing ‘law’ says so.

captain_spalding said:

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

Oh, fine, dandy, all the Chinese witch doctors will just stop using this nonsense ingredient in their bullshit recipes just because some not-enforced window-dressing ‘law’ says so.

No, it says it will take some time, but from now on it will be illegal to trade the animal, which will hopefully have some effect down the line.

PermeateFree said:

captain_spalding said:

PermeateFree said:

The mammal’s keratin scales have been removed from the traditional medicine ingredient list.

Oh, fine, dandy, all the Chinese witch doctors will just stop using this nonsense ingredient in their bullshit recipes just because some not-enforced window-dressing ‘law’ says so.

No, it says it will take some time, but from now on it will be illegal to trade the animal, which will hopefully have some effect down the line.

Drive up the price, if nothing else.

captain_spalding said:

Drive up the price, if nothing else.

Much much more than that. Trafficking in pangolin scales has been banned for some time now. Quantities approaching tons have been seized by customs.

This is the worst illegal animal products business on the whole planet. By making possession a crime as well as trafficking the Chinese have taken away the market.

It’s the best news since sliced bread.

mollwollfumble said:

captain_spalding said:

Drive up the price, if nothing else.

Much much more than that. Trafficking in pangolin scales has been banned for some time now. Quantities approaching tons have been seized by customs.

This is the worst illegal animal products business on the whole planet. By making possession a crime as well as trafficking the Chinese have taken away the market.

It’s the best news since sliced bread.

Don’t think that was the case in China.

PermeateFree said:

mollwollfumble said:

captain_spalding said:

Drive up the price, if nothing else.

Much much more than that. Trafficking in pangolin scales has been banned for some time now. Quantities approaching tons have been seized by customs.

This is the worst illegal animal products business on the whole planet. By making possession a crime as well as trafficking the Chinese have taken away the market.

It’s the best news since sliced bread.

Don’t think that was the case in China.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/environment-and-energy/pangolin-smuggling-continues-in-china-despite-trade-ban-corrected

https://phys.org/news/2018-03-hong-kong-defy-pangolin-scales.html

https://phys.org/news/2019-02-hong-kong-seizes-tonnes-pangolin.html