Gold rush for canhii

Slippertalk Orchid Forum

Help Support Slippertalk Orchid Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

quietaustralian

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
669
Reaction score
1
Location
Thái Nguyên, Việt Nam
I thought the extract below may be of interest. The full report (22p) can be found on the Rufford website.

ASSESSMENT OF DISTRIBUTION AND NATURAL STATUS OF PAPHIOPEDILUM CANHII, VIETNAM

First information about existence of Paphiopedilum canhii come from northwestern Vietnam. In fact P. canhii was firstly observed in sale on local markets in Dien Bien and Son La cities. This fact with high probability indicates northwestern part of Vietnam in limits of Dien Bien and Son La provinces, as well as allied regions of Laos as most probable native area of the species.

Paphiopedilum canhii was described on the base of few plants that were brought from remote mountain area at the end of 2009 by H’Mong (Meo) people to office of “Civilian Governmental Service for Care of Natural Resources and Connections with Local Minorities” (Natural Resources Governance, CARE International in Vietnam). At the office, plants were received by Service Officer – Mr. Chu Xuan Canh, who kept plants for further study and description.

Regrettably all discovered and studied subpopulations to moment of our exploration were already tragically depleted by commercial collecting. In our studies during December 2010 was found no one intact colony. Absolute majority of colonies in all 5 subpopulations were extinguished completely and only occasionally in most inaccessible cliffs were observed poor remains in form of single commonly depressed or juvenile specimens (Fig. 37-50). Plants were exactly collected just recently, certainly few months before our studies and many cliffs still retained numerous sad traces of former majestic species abundance. Very rarely few remained mature plants were observed in places of former many numbered colonies. Proportion of such plants may reach 30% (Fig. 55). However this is alone observed example. In all other cases plants are eliminated from colonies on 99 to 100% (Fig. 51-54). Total extinction of plants during 2009-2010 year may be estimated as at least 99%. At the same time the number of surviving mature (flower-sized) specimens in all subpopulations hardly exceeds presently 0.01% of former species population. Such unique relicts are presented on Fig. 38-50. As commercial collecting still can not be stop immediately, these are, probably, last photos of P. canhii in nature.

Hard exploitation of Paphiopedilum canhii started immediately after its discovery in middle of 2009 year. Most probably species was at first found by H’Mong (Meo) local people and collected along with other orchids for their regular sale in local markets of Dien Bien and Son La cities. Very distinct unusual slipper orchid was highly valued by local orchid lovers and fanciers just immediately after its appearance in orchid market. In few weeks rumours on intriguing new species speeded widely reaching Ha Noi and other large cities of northern Vietnam. First flowers of mysterious plant were open at the beginning of 2010 in a number of private collections in Ha Noi, Dien Bien and Son La cities. At this moment become clear that orchid society met one more new exciting slipper orchid species. Next days internet was filled with images of new flower.

At this time price for flowering plants reached its maximum. Illustrated publication of new species in world-known American Orchid Society Magazine also activated market demands and supported fast cost rise. Additionally, participation in the trade of foreign dealers provided much highest influence to the market price dynamics. Numerous international dealers arrive in spring 2010 to Son La and Dien Bien cities for trading. Best plant clones at this time were traded by costs up to 100 USD for alone plant. Largest lots of plants were supposedly imported to Taiwan.

Strong rumours about high prices for plants provoked true orchid fever in the area of Paphiopedilum canhii. All people from neighboring villages layaway their each day home duties and come to the forest looking for a plants. In some days more than 20 people collected plants in dream to sell them for high price. Naturally high supply of plants on the market for sale, immediately exceeded demands. Very soon after plant flowering period price come down to 100 and then 50 USD per kg.

To the end of 2010 the cost was only 10-20 USD for 1 kg, but even for these costs trade was very weak and most not sold plants were simply trashed. Ironically the collecting of great majority of plants was fruitless. They bring no money to local people, no profit to local or international trade, no happiness to orchid lovers all over the world. These last specimens of unique critically endangered species that stands on verge of full extinction were simply wasted (Fig. 151). Low level of horticulture and lack of necessary experience in slipper orchid cultivation permit no long cultivation P. canhii in local collections and nurseries. So even large flowering size plants actually have no chance to survive in conditions of primitive agriculture (Fig. 151-154). To the end of 2010 trade of P. canhii actually completely exhausted due to 3 main reasons: - no more demands from foreign dealers (they already bought best clones necessary for propagation and breeding); - no more demands from domestic purchasers (due to hard difficulties in plant cultivation in primitive conditions); - very few plants in nature (that make their search and collecting unprofitable).

According to very approximate estimation 25-35 kg of P. canhii samples were collected during short history of its discovery, exploitation and extinction. Plants are fairly small when 1 kg contains about 300-350 mature (flowering-size) plants and commonly 200-300 offspring juvenile samples. Following to these calculations totally were collected at least 10.000-15.000 mature and juvenile specimens. Direct observation in nature indicates that about 99.5% of populations were extinguished in one year of exploitation. In our opinion species has no chance survive in nature. It is particularly true taking into consideration fast deforestation in its small native area.

The Rufford Small Grant Foundation
Leonid V. Averyanov

Regards. Mick
 
Still in an extreme hurry, but I cannot pass on that one:

- Maybe the minorities sold that one by kilogram to the local traders, but afterwards it was sold by growth, since about may 2010.

- The demand has not dropped, in fact Taiwan got only exceedingly few plants that they paid inbetween 300.000-800.000VND each last year, and they are screaming for the last year to try to get plants, they asked all the local sellers, but so far none has been able to supply. I got that info from four of the major Taiwanese paph importers, and if they did not get it, it means it was not available in sizable quantity. They try to get it, and the traders in Vietnam have backorders for them for at least a year. Of course, the plants must be alive to be sold, and that's a part of the story.

- There are no selected canhii in Taiwan, and only a handful in Japan, all from plants grown outside of their area. Even China got only very few plants ( and I have a lot of fun, because I see those plants in Hanoi at a trader place, and then they appear on www.ebay.com in China few days later...)

- No selected plants have been sold in 2010. Until june 2010, only few plants were collected. It blooms from january to april in the wild, so in 2010 it would have been impossible to trade selected plants in bloom...

- In 2010, only two or three plants bloomed over the whole Vietnam. 2011, yes, many more bloomed. But on internet, including Vietnamese website, we see clearly that they post photos, until today, of only 6 different plant blooms.

- No international trader went to Dien Bien for that species, otherwise I would have known it, believe me... It would not be even worthwhile financially. Even less to Son La, which is nearly out of reach except if you like to spend a couple days on the road. Any serious trader too wants to get fresh plants, and would not accept nursery stored plants, so they would not go, not knowing whether fresh stocks are available or not in advance...

- I tend to think most plants died between the minorities and the local traders actually. Now the local traders give a fancy story to explain their mass destruction of benches of valuable plants. That's the same story I hear every time in Ha Tay, 'where are your thousands of clumps of helenae from last week ?' ' We sold them to Japan, 10US a growth, good business'. In fact they just show off, and the plants are drop dead at the back of their nursery.

- Just weighted a canhii, the weight of the plants and the roots is 15 grams.
 
Last edited:

Indeed... The problem is that in North Vietnam there is nearly no one who knows about fungicides, insecticides, etc... Otherwise it is possible to grow all paph species in Hanoi, with the hot weather, without any trouble.

Most jungle paphs are lost to insects or mites in Vietnam. Nearly all the micranthum, all the canhii I have seen so far, most of the malipoense have insects in their crown and leaf base. The plants have to be treated right after being collected, even a week later is way too late and there are already damages to the newly growing leaves.

If you don't treat, the plants do not grow, or very slowly, and they rot after a while. The insects eat the plant from inside the crown. I use aldicarb so far, sometimes carbofuran, both as liquid heavy spray, and there is no problem. Imidacloprid, etc... are ineffective. It is apparently a type of thrips. The larvae stage of most thrips species do not fly, are very hard to see, and live in the ground or leaf axils.
 
How much is 300.000-800.000VND in USD?

The original article says...

" Plants are fairly small when 1 kg contains about 300-350 mature (flowering-size) plants and commonly 200-300 offspring juvenile samples." and maybe 15,000 plants were collected.

If the actual weight is 15 grams then that is only 66 plants per kg. and a total of 2310 plants collected in the 35 kg.

I doubt that a plant weighs only 2 grams as reported in the article.

It seems that the original article has distorted the facts to make a stronger "conservation" impact.
 
How much is 300.000-800.000VND in USD?

The original article says...

" Plants are fairly small when 1 kg contains about 300-350 mature (flowering-size) plants and commonly 200-300 offspring juvenile samples." and maybe 15,000 plants were collected.

If the actual weight is 15 grams then that is only 66 plants per kg. and a total of 2310 plants collected in the 35 kg.

I doubt that a plant weighs only 2 grams as reported in the article.

It seems that the original article has distorted the facts to make a stronger "conservation" impact.

Yes and no. It's true that they collect everything they can. Now, I have to think of any paph species that is really extinct through overcollection yet. It will happen, that's clear, but not yet. Even Paph. thaianum, they found a new colony, and there are thousands of wild plants for sale nowadays. And the western world will not be responsible for any plant extinction, they do it locally all over Asia.

It's true too that only few plants survived long enough to be traded, as most died between the collectors and the local resellers. Now the huge amounts sent to Taiwan, blabla... it's a legend. I remember at the kovachii time people said that there were 'thousands' of wild plants in Europe. I knew and know what everyone does in Europe in the wild plant trade, and there were at a maximum two dozens wild kovachii, none for sale, at several nurseries, each having 1-2 plants. All the big importers told me it was not worth the risk, and they could earn more money with less 'hot' species.

If people were more careful, and growing the plants instead of trading plastic bags and boxes, the need for wild plant would be way lower... too many plants die during the trade process. Collecting them in bloom, so the quality is known and lower horticulture value ones are left in the wild, that would be the best.
 
It's true too that only few plants survived long enough to be traded, as most died between the collectors and the local resellers. Now the huge amounts sent to Taiwan, blabla... it's a legend. I remember at the kovachii time people said that there were 'thousands' of wild plants in Europe. I knew and know what everyone does in Europe in the wild plant trade, and there were at a maximum two dozens wild kovachii, none for sale, at several nurseries, each having 1-2 plants. All the big importers told me it was not worth the risk, and they could earn more money with less 'hot' species.

Yes and they said kovachii was extinct in the wild. And that was not true at all, there are several uncollected locations known, just not by the science groups. Recently I have news of a new population quite far from the known locations. Just because the known populations of newly discovered species are plundered and all plants removed is no reason to claim the species is extinct other than for environmental groups to capitalize on the propaganda.

To bad science is not more about facts and less about personal agendas.
 
Hi

A friend in Vietnam was offered 6 FS plants for US$80 last month.. Not sure if thats any help.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top