All chapters:

Introduction

Climate

Waters and water management

Ecosystems and ecoregions

Species diversity and use of biological resources

Nature conservation: econet and protected areas

Countries & cultures

Economy

Land use

International policy

Hunting and collecting exerts severe pressure on flora and fauna populations and on species numbers.  The pressure intensifies with growth in human population density, development of trade, and advances in technology.  In the Amur-Heilong River basin, hunting and collecting is clearly unsustainable and is largely conducted illegally in all three basin countries.  The harvest has led to declines in many populations.

Plants and animals in the Amur-Heilong River basin are being overexploited due to:
-its rich and unique biodiversity;
-its close proximity to Asian markets with diverse and strong demand for such products;
-increasing demand in those markets supported by growing wealth;
-impoverished rural communities, unemployment, -deterioration of welfare systems of the socialist era;
-inefficient legal systems and inadequate management capacity both in customs and wildlife enforcement agencies, especially in light of growing liberalization of international trade.

Both Mongolia and Russia supply wildlife products to international markets.  Liberalization of the border regime and trade incentives for poaching have enabled a many-fold increase in demand from Asian countries.  At least 80-95 percent of trade in flora and fauna products is conducted through illegal channels and evades control and accurate statistics in most countries of the world.  This is especially evident along the Russia-China border.

Remainders of Amur tigress snared by poacher on the Russia-China border in Primorsky Province (Photo by WWF)