Yifu Wang

With a market demanding around 0.2 million pangolin annually in China, it is clear why legislations alone is not effective at reducing trading and poaching of pangolin in Asia. In order to reduce the pangolin market, it is necessary to much better understand why the demand exists. Therefore my study will focus on understanding the demand for pangolin, in order to figure out how to reduce the demand. I will conduct my research on Hainan Island, the second biggest island in China. Hainan used to host a high population of Chinese pangolins, and is thought to be a province that supplies considerable volumes of pangolin parts and products to markets. Based on previous research, learning the motivations for hunting, trading and consuming pangolin could be achieved through surveys across various parts of Hainan Island. Information from social surveys can reveal the motivation behind the demand market from producer to consumer. Based on this information, I would propose strategies that are eventually effective in reducing the demand for pangolin across China and other parts of Southeast Asia.