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Endangered species: Why bother Part 1

© Kate Staron

Many people don't understand why they should care about an endangered species, especially if they have to shell out money for it, whether it's a part of their taxes or a charitable donation. It surprises me that so many people that want to help endangered species have no solid understanding of it either, other than they know it helps. So for all those who have asked, or have been asked ‘Why Bother?' about endangered species, here are a few of the many possible answers. In part one we will cover two popular reasons, economic and medical reasons to help sway people that want to know what's in it for them.

Economic Reasons:

Many of the species that are threatened are or may potentially be important to the bottom dollar. When certain plants and animals become rare, the price goes up. Some species are directly important to the economy, and others are important in an indirect way.

Ginseng, a popular herb used for enhancing everything from clarity to sex drive, is often poached from forests. The wrinkled root of wild Ginseng goes for a much higher price that the smooth root of the cultivated plant of the same species. The wild plant in America, the Panax quinquefolium, is protected by the Endangered Species Act and the convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna (CITIES), a wildlife conservation act of 1977 signed by over 100 countries. Wild harvesting is not generally allowed, instead it must be cultivated. If wild ginseng had the space and conditions to grow at a higher rate, the herb may be able to be harvested in the wild, at a lower rate than the black market prices. More Ginseng of both wild and cultured variations, could mean a drop in price overall for the herb.

Tiger parts are used in traditional Chinese medicine for arthritis, toothaches, epilepsy and even pimples! Killing individuals in the already decimated tiger population for these medicines which have yet been proven to work by scientists, may force tigers into extinction. If the tigers all die, there will be none to take medicine from. But, given a bit of help, these species could grow strong again to the point where it would be acceptable to use them again without wiping the species out. Finding alternatives for tiger bone medicine can be cheaper for the afflicted, and much safer for the tigers.

Some endangered species, like coral reefs, are food sources for the commercial species we consume in the $3.5 billion dollar U.S. fishing industry (1999 industry data). If there is more food for the tuna, marlins, cod, and other commercial fish, then there will be more commercial fish, which helps not only the commercial and recreational fisherman, but the consumer. If a fisherman can catch more fish, he can sell each one for less and still make more money, so the prices at the fish counter will drop, and the fisherman can still make a living.

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