国际媒体关注中国保护穿山甲，将其从最新药典除名

为了保护濒危的穿山甲同时避免未知病毒的传播，中国近期将穿山甲列为了一级保护动物，并从最新版药典除名。国际媒体进行了相关报道，认为此举有助保护穿山甲资源，但不确定穿山甲种群是否还能恢复。大家怎么看待对珍惜物种入药的限制呢？ （因为涉及疫情，部分内容有删减）

China removes pangolin scales from traditional medicine list, helping protect world's most trafficked mammal

中国将穿山甲从传统药物清单中删除，有助于保护这种世界上被非法交易最多的哺乳动物

By Ben Westcott, CNN

Updated 10:39 PM ET, Wed June 10, 2020

The Chinese government has removed pangolin scales from its 2020 list of approved ingredients used in traditional Chinese medicine, a move campaigners describe as a "critical step" towards saving the world's most trafficked mammal.

中国已将穿山甲从2020版传统中药核准原材料清单中删除，此举被赞同者称之为向保护这种全世界非法交易数量最多的哺乳动物“迈出了关键的一步”。

Pangolins are scale-covered insectivores, about the size of a house cat, that are highly valued in Asia for their meat and scales. Last year alone, authorities seized more than 130 tons of pangolin related products, a figure estimated to represent up to 400,000 animals, according to conservation group WildAid.

穿山甲以昆虫为食，是一种体型与家猫类似、全身覆盖甲片的动物，在亚洲因其肉与甲片具有很高的经济价值。据野生动物保护组织数据，仅去年一年官方机构就查获到了130吨穿山甲制品，相当于40万只穿山甲。

There are eight species of pangolin found in Asia and Africa. To date, three species are listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature --- the Chinese pangolin, Philippine pangolin and Sunda pangolin, which is found across southeast Asia. The remaining five species, including the Indian pangolin, are listed as either vulnerable or endangered.

在亚洲及非洲共发现了8个种类的穿山甲，但目前有3中被国家自然保护联盟列为极危，包括中华穿山甲、菲律宾穿山甲和分部在东南亚各国的巽他穿山甲。其它5个种类，包括印度穿山甲，也都被列为易危或濒危物种。

Although pangolin scales are made of keratin -- the same material found in human fingernails and rhino horn -- traditional Chinese medicine promotes the belief that they improve blood circulation and reduce inflammation.

虽然穿山甲鳞片主要有角蛋白构成，和人的指甲或犀牛角相同，但传统的中医认为它们有助于促进血液流通及降火的作用。

According to Chinese state-run media Tuesday, the latest edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia -- an official government compendium of drugs covering traditional Chinese and Western medicines -- no longer includes pangolin scales on the list of approved ingredients, owing to "wild resources exhaustion."

根据中国官方媒体本周二的报道，因为野生资源的耗竭，由官方发布的涵盖中药及西药的最新版《中国药典》已经将穿山甲鳞片从批准药物清单中删除。

"These actions of China will have a real impact, these are steps that were critical, that needed to be taken if real conservation was going to happen for these animals," said David Olson, director of Conservation at WWF Hong Kong. "Most of the demand for pangolin is coming from traditional Chinese medicine and consumption. That's what is driving this large scale illegal trade."

“中方此举会产生实质性的影响，如果想切实保护这些动物，这些举措非常关键，也亟待落实。”世界自然基金会WWF香港地区总裁戴维评论道，“对穿山甲的需求主要来自于根据传统中医理论的药用及食用消费，这也是导致大规模非法交易的根源。”

The decision to remove the pangolin from the official list comes just days after China's State Forestry and Grassland Bureau announced that the Chinese pangolin would be upgraded to a "first-level protected wild animal," the highest possible protection status alongside pandas and tigers.

而在将穿山甲从官方药品清单中删除前几天，中国的国家林业及草原局刚刚宣布把中华穿山甲升级为“一级保护野生动物”，跟熊猫及老虎一样属于最高保护级别。

Sophia Zhang, director of the Pangolin Working Group at the China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation, said that while she was pleased by the result, she felt it came "a bit late."

"Many years have passed. How many pangolins have already been hunted and killed?" she said.

中国生物多样性保护和绿色发展基金会的穿山甲工作组组长张女士表示虽然感到高兴，但她觉得此举来得“稍微晚了一点”。

她说：“已经过去太多年了，在这期间有多少穿山甲被捕猎杀害？”

上图为2019年在新加坡某待检区一个被检查的麻布袋内装满的穿山甲鳞片

Devastating impact

毁灭性的冲击

The trade in pangolins has had a devastating impact on local populations in Asia. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, pangolin populations in China have dropped by more than 90% since 1960.

穿山甲贸易对亚洲当地穿山甲族群数量产生了毁灭性的打击。根据世界自然保护联盟的数据显示，中国境内的穿山甲数量自1960年以来已减少90%以上。

As pangolins in Asia were hunted to their limits, a booming trade began in scales from pangolin species native to Africa. Between 2013 and 2019, two African species of pangolin, the white-bellied pangolin and the giant pangolin, have seen their populations move from vulnerable to endangered.

随着亚洲地区的穿山甲被捕猎殆尽，来自非洲的穿山甲品种的贸易快速增长。这也导致了两种非洲产的穿山甲品种——白腹长尾穿山甲和巨地穿山甲（大穿山甲）在2013年还为易危物种，到2019年的时候以及成为濒危了。

Despite China banning the import of pangolin products in 2018, the trade continued, with large shipments regularly intercepted on their way to the country.

虽然中国2018年就禁止了穿山甲进口，但非法贸易链条还未被斩断，经常有截获大量非法进口（穿山甲）的案件。

But Steve Blake, chief representative of Wildaid in Beijing, said there had been a growing public movement inside China in recent years pushing for greater protection for pangolins.

不过野生动物保护组织北京首席代表Steve Blake认为近年来中国公众对加强保护穿山甲活动的参与度越来越高。

"The momentum has been building for years ... when this news was announced yesterday it was trending on (Chinese) social media with more than 150 million views," he said.

“这个消息公布后已经在中国社交媒体上吸引了1.5亿的阅读量，这也是多年来（推动动物保护）趋势成果的一个体现。”

'Don't wait'

不再等待

"They need better enforcement and greater public awareness to reduce the demand, make sure the public is aware of the risks of consuming these products and aware of the impact on the environment," Blake said. "It takes a bit of time."

“他们还需要加强政策的执行以及对公众的教育，方能减少对穿山甲的需求。同时要确保公众清楚食用这些野生动物制品的危险性以及对环境的破坏。”Blake补充道，“这些都还需要更多时间才行。”

Aron White, wildlife campaigner at the Environmental Investigation Agency, said that he was concerned pangolins scales could continue to be used for traditional medicine through a loophole previously used with controversial ingredients such as leopard bones and bear bile.

环境调研机构的野生动物保护者Aron White则表示其担心政策可能有漏洞，导致穿山甲鳞片会被继续用于传统 药物。此前豹骨及熊胆等一些有争议的原材料就被曝利用过政策漏洞。

"Pangolin (was) listed in two 'sections' of the pharmacopoeia, as an ingredient in the first section, and also within the second section which lists formulae for patent medicines," White said.

“穿山甲出现在药典的两个地方，其中一处是在药典第一部分直接作为原材料出现，另一处是在第二部分作为某些专利药物的配方成分之一出现。”White介绍说，

"I am concerned that pangolin scales may be maintained as an ingredient within these formulas despite having been removed from the first section."

“我担心的是穿山甲鳞片虽然被从药典第一部分删除了，但可能会被作为其他药物的配方成分而保留使用。”

White said it wouldn't be clear until the full 2020 Pharmacoepia was published whether the formulas had been changed.

White说除非完整版的2020版药典正式发布，现在还不好说那些涉及的配方成分是否做了相应调整。

Even if they are fully removed, Zhang from the Pangolin Working Group said she was worried that the damage to the pangolin populations in China may be irreversible.

不过即便它们被从药典里完全删除了，穿山甲工作组的张女士还是担心对中国本地穿山甲族群已经造成的伤害无法逆转。

"Not only do pangolins need to be removed from the list -- pangolins are already a tragedy and rarely can be seen now -- all endangered species should be removed from the medicine list," she said.

“不仅仅是穿山甲需要被从清单里删除——穿山甲的悲剧已经造成，目前难得一见——其它所有濒危物种都应从药物清单里移除。”她补充道，

"Don't wait until the animal will soon die out before taking it out from the list. There will be no turning back then."

“不要等到物种即将灭绝的时候才将他们从清单里移除，那个时候已经无力回天了。”