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Biotech firm creates fake rhino horn to help save real rhinos

Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:00 pm
Posted by stout
Porte du Lafitte
Member since Sep 2006
179177 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:00 pm
Which side do you take?

quote:

Matthew Markus, CEO of Pembient says his company will sell rhino horns at one-eighth of the price of the original, undercutting the price poachers can get and forcing them out eventually.




quote:

Susie Ellis, Executive director of International Rhino Foundation says:

Selling synthetic horn does not reduce the demand for rhino horn [and] could lead to more poaching because it increases the demand for “the real thing.” In addition, production of synthetic horn encourages its purported medicinal value, even though science does not support any medical benefits.



I think ole Susie is correct but I also think why not give it a shot?



LINK
This post was edited on 6/20/15 at 5:30 pm
Posted by ksayetiger
Centenary Gents
Member since Jul 2007
70156 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:01 pm to
Synthetic diamonds dont reduce demand for real ones
Posted by BigPerm30
Member since Aug 2011
30881 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:03 pm to
Meh, let me know when they can create a larger dick for me.
Posted by CrimsonChin
the gutter.
Member since Feb 2010
5857 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:04 pm to
They should stop the poachers by force. Someone just wants to get rich off of synthetic horns. They don't really give a damn about poaching.
Posted by stout
Porte du Lafitte
Member since Sep 2006
179177 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:06 pm to
Why is it a bad thing if they do happen to make money while also stopping poaching?
Posted by Rebel
Graceland
Member since Jan 2005
141301 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:07 pm to
White or Black Rhino horns?
Posted by blackpug6
Member since May 2015
180 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:08 pm to
die hard eaters of Shark Testicles and octopi ears runs the Asian Mkt...
I like pork, but I'd not be able to Butcher My pig....
the living buddy of mine....
turn around and eat him? only in a Bad situation...
Now ya'll got me Freaking Out!!!
bless you, Pork Chop....you may oink the way!
Posted by FalseProphet
Mecca
Member since Dec 2011
11720 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:09 pm to
I ca honestly see both sides, but I think Susie is right. If you flood the market with fake horns, the demand for the real stuff will increase. It'll also lead to a lot of crime with people selling fake horns.
Posted by baytiger
Boston
Member since Dec 2007
46978 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:09 pm to
this would be great if the demand for rhino horn was driven by any kind of rational use.

but it's not. so all it will do is create an even more inflated market for the genuine article. I'm not sure if it's actively a bad thing, but it's not a good one either.
This post was edited on 6/20/15 at 5:19 pm
Posted by stout
Porte du Lafitte
Member since Sep 2006
179177 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:10 pm to
Are the black ones a little bigger?
Posted by airportwhiskey
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2014
694 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:11 pm to
quote:

Selling synthetic horn does not reduce the demand for rhino horn [and] could lead to more poaching because it increases the demand for “the real thing.” In addition, production of synthetic horn encourages its purported medicinal value, even though science does not support any medical benefits.



I think there's some truth to this. From what I've read a lot of the increase in demand in Asian countries is because there is a big group of people with new money who view it as a status symbol. I don't think introducing a synthetic option would curb the demand if that is the case. Same thing with that shark fin soup stuff.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465238 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:11 pm to
rhino horns are just really big fingernails


this should help some

encouraging the farming of rhinos is the best answer, though. wildlife protection regulations hurt their #s and make poaching much more difficult
Posted by ksayetiger
Centenary Gents
Member since Jul 2007
70156 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:11 pm to
I dont see how this will stop poaching. Unless they are sold as real.

The only way to stop poaching is to kill demand or kill all the rhinos so there is no supply. I prefer the first method, the poachers are doing the second.
Posted by Ellssu
Spying North of the Border
Member since Dec 2006
2478 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:12 pm to
quote:

Are the black ones a little bigger?


What you did i seent it
Posted by Scruffy
Kansas City
Member since Jul 2011
76485 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:17 pm to
quote:

Selling synthetic horn does not reduce the demand for rhino horn [and] could lead to more poaching because it increases the demand for “the real thing.” In addition, production of synthetic horn encourages its purported medicinal value, even though science does not support any medical benefits.
Scruffy agrees with this.
This post was edited on 6/20/15 at 5:17 pm
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465238 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:18 pm to
quote:

The only way to stop poaching is to kill demand or kill all the rhinos so there is no supply. I prefer the first method, the poachers are doing the second.

or you turn rhinos into what they are: commodities

farm the frick out of rhinos and allow legitimized operations to farm rhino horn and then allow the international sale of these horns

this will lower the price so much that poaching will not be economically feasible
Posted by ksayetiger
Centenary Gents
Member since Jul 2007
70156 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:19 pm to
Arent rhinos hard to farm though? Dont zoos struggle with it? I dunno- seems like i read that somewhere.
Posted by Scruffy
Kansas City
Member since Jul 2011
76485 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:19 pm to
Ding ding dingly mfing ding!
Posted by airportwhiskey
Baton Rouge
Member since Mar 2014
694 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:19 pm to
quote:

encouraging the farming of rhinos is the best answer, though. wildlife protection regulations hurt their #s and make poaching much more difficult


There was a plan to do this too and apparently the horns grow back after being cut so it could be viable, but I guess the argument still remains that it does nothing to curb demand. So if poaching is cheaper and harder to trace I would think a black market would still exist.
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
465238 posts
Posted on 6/20/15 at 5:20 pm to
i don't think it's easy, but i'll trust the free market to protect its commodities long before i trust local game workers with no skin in the game
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