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bioRxiv2022

Multi-lingual multi-platform investigations of online trade in jaguar parts

We conducted research to understand online trade in jaguar parts and develop tools of utility for jaguars and other species. Our research took place to identify potential trade across 31 online platforms in Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, French, Chinese, and Vietnamese. We identified 230 posts from between 2009 and 2019. We screened the images of animal parts shown in search results to verify if from jaguar; 71 posts on 12 different platforms in four languages were accompanied by images identified as definitely jaguar, including a total of 125 jaguar parts (50.7% posts in Spanish, 25.4% Portuguese, 22.5% Chinese and 1.4% French). Search effort varied among languages due to staff availability. Standardizing for effort across languages by dividing number of posts advertising jaguars by search time and number individual searches completed via term/platform combinations, the adjusted rankings of posts were: Portuguese #1, Chinese 2 (time) & 3 (searches), Spanish 3 & 4; French 5 & 4; English 5 & 2, and Dutch 6. Teeth were most common; 156 posts offered at least 367 apparent teeth. From these, 95 teeth were assessed as definitely jaguar; 71 jaguar teeth could be linked to a location, with the majority of the 71 offered for sale from Mexico, China, Bolivia, and Brazil (26.8, 25.4, 16.9, and 12.7% respectively). Ranking of number of teeth was Mexico (19), China (18), Bolivia (12), Brazil (9), Peru/Ecuador (most accurate probable location) (8), Venezuela (3), Guadeloupe (1), and Uruguay (1). The second most traded item, skins and derivative items were only identified from Latin America: Brazil (7), was followed by Peru (6), Bolivia (3), Mexico (2 and 1 skin piece), and Nicaragua and Venezuela (1 each). Whether by number of posts or pieces, the ranking of parts was teeth, skins/pieces of skins, heads, and bodies. Our research presents a snapshot of online jaguar trade and methods that may have utility for many species now traded online. Our research took place within a longer-term project to assist law enforcement in host countries to better identify potential illegal trade online, with research findings informing hubs in Latin America for building such capacity.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2021

Effect of the shrimp farming wastes as co-feed on growth performance and digestibility of juvenile grey mullet, Mugil cephalus

A feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the utilization of residual nutrients from a shrimp farming wastes as co-feed in different proportions in juvenile grey mullets. Four treatments were designed offering shrimp farming wastes at 0, 33, 66, and 100%. The 4 % of feed respecting the total biomass of each experimental tank was offered daily. The total feed ratio was completed with commercial feed for marine fish in the treatments where it was needed. At the end of the feeding trial, final weight, weight gain, relative weight gain, and thermal growth coefficient were reduced in the fish when increasing the amount of SFW as feed. However, the fish showed a digestive capacity to use residual nutrients up to 66 %, increasing their initial weight by up to 25 %. The increase of shrimp farming waste as feed negatively affected the whole-body proximal composition. The digestibility results showed that the fish could digest up to 41 % of the shrimp farming waste protein. Results suggest that juvenile grey mullets are capable of utilizing residual nutrients from shrimp farming waste. However, it is necessary to use an alternative feed source to induce an optimal growth performance for the juvenile grey mullets. It is also recommended that mullets be fed with formulated feed to meet their nutritional requirements to maintain the protein and lipid content of the whole-body under culture conditions.

physiology↗