It’s tough to be a wild orchid: Interview with conservation biologist Reshu Bashyal

Orchids (members of the family Orchidaceae) are diverse flowering plants with colorful and fragrant blooms and are often described as neglected plants in Nepal, where an estimated 500 or so of the roughly 30,000 species known to science are found. Most orchid plants require tree limbs for support and don’t need soil to grow — hence the garland-like appearance.

Also referred to as the “tigers of the plant world,” orchids have been found to be at the receiving end of unsustainable harvesting and international trade for use in Ayurvedic as well as traditional Chinese medicine.

One of the orchid species found in Nepal, Paphiopedilum venustum, has been listed as endangered by IUCN and listed under Appendix 1 of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), permitting trade only in exceptional circumstances. Almost all others are listed under Appendix 2, meaning their trade must be controlled in order to ensure utilization is compatible with their survival.

Reshu Bashyal, a conservation biologist with a focus on wildlife trade research and policy implications associated with the NGO Greenhood Nepal, has been working on orchids for the last few years. Her work takes her to different parts of the country where she works with various communities and government agencies to understand the trade in the species and its implications for conservation. Mongabay’s Abhaya Raj Joshi recently met Bashyal at her office to talk about the challenges and the way forward for orchid conservation and research in Nepal. The following interview has been translated from Nepali and edited for clarity.

Mongabay: In 2023, you and your team published a study on how CITES-related domestic laws in Nepal are impacting the orchid trade in Nepal. How did the study come about?

Reshu Bashyal: We were actually working on a baseline study for orchid trade in Nepal and were reviewing various national, regional and local legislation related to trade in endangered species in Nepal. That’s when we decided to work on this study.

Mongabay: What are the conclusions of that study?

Reshu Bashyal: We saw that there was a gap in implementation of the laws, as they didn’t come about from a bottom approach. Despite the changes in the law, people continue to practice their culture and way of life, which sometimes involves poaching of different types of plants and flowers such as orchids.

The other issue is that policymakers list certain species under Appendix I [trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances] and certain species under Appendix II [species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival]. They then say they believe that the species concerned are now protected. However, the listing itself may not be backed by field-level research.

There is also a misconception that a species listed in CITES can’t be traded. However, that’s not the case. It allows the trade of Appendix II species provided that the government prepares a species management plan. However, such plans are rarely prepared in Nepal, and Appendix I and Appendix II species are treated in the same way.

Mongabay: Nepal, which had long been a unitary state, is not a federal country with some sovereign powers devolved to provincial and local governments. How has this added to or addressed challenges related to orchid conservation?

Reshu Bashyal: At the central level, we have the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the Department of Plant Resources. At the local level, we have community forest user groups that look after and manage forests. The user groups, with the help of the provincial forest offices, come up with five- and 10-year operational and management plans that often refer to various legal instruments such as CITES. Although questions can be raised about the process employed to prepare the plans, whether all stakeholders are consulted or not, the plans are there.

Mongabay: In the case of community forest user groups, we have seen that their primary focus is on extracting timber from the forest, and they are relatively unaware of even wild animals, let alone plants.

Reshu Bashyal: That may not always be the case. Local people are also knowledgeable about orchids, which they call sunakhari in Nepali. But at times, they hide and prosper in plain sight, as people allow plants to thrive on their own without intervening.

Recently, we came across a clump of critically endangered orchids at an easily accessible forest near Kathmandu. We were faced with a dilemma: whether to tell the local people about it or not. Not telling them about it would be akin to hiding information; telling them what it was would risk people coming to see and even pluck them. But in the end, we told a group of selected people about it but with a note that it needs further research.

Mongabay: What about the situation inside protected areas such as national parks?

Reshu Bashyal: We have a heavy presence of law enforcement such as troops of soldiers inside the national parks. But in the case of plants such as orchids, it’s very difficult to regulate poaching, as poachers can easily hide the plants.

The other main challenge for protected areas is that they are designed to meet the needs and requirements of charismatic megafauna such as tigers (Panthera tigris) and rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis). Plant resources and precious flowers such as orchids are not on the radar.

Mongabay: Where is the market for orchids? Is it in Nepal or somewhere else?

Reshu Bashyal: We haven’t seen people use orchids to prepare medicine in Nepal. But it’s used in traditional Tibetan medicine as well as Ayurveda. We assume that it’s also used in traditional medicine of different Indigenous groups.

Mongabay: What are some of the challenges in conservation, in addition to the illegal trade and its regulation?

Reshu Bashyal: The construction of roads in different parts of the country is a major challenge for orchid conservation. When roads are built, trees are cut and heavy machinery is used to level the land. Often, we have seen builders bulldoze past orchid clumps without understanding the value of these flowers.

Mongabay: As you go around different parts of the country, don’t you get requests from friends and family to bring them orchids to plant at home?

Reshu Bashyal: Yes, I used to get that a lot. However, we don’t bring wildflowers back to our home. Most wildflowers, including orchids, don’t survive in domestic conditions. I tell people who want to grow wildflowers at home that they are called so for a reason and their beauty needs to be appreciated in the wild.

Mongabay: How challenging is it to deal with traders and harvesters?

Reshu Bashyal: The first thing we do is tell them that we are not undercover agents and we won’t report them to the police, nor do we name and shame them. So, they open up to us and tell us how they go about their trade.

In the beginning, they think we also want to be a part of their trade. For example, when we visited a village recently asking about orchids, they told us they would get us as many plants as we wanted but we’d have to pay for them.

As researchers, we need to understand that future researchers carry our baggage and our actions will affect the way people look at other researchers. So, we need to be very careful about adhering to research ethics.

Mongabay: What about the temptation to take photos and post them on social media?

Reshu Bashyal: Until a few years ago, I hadn’t realized how photos of orchids revealing their location would create problems for conservation. Later, I realized that potential poachers can retrace my steps to get hold of the plants.

So, these days, I don’t take photos of orchids, however tempted I may be to see them in full bloom.

Mongabay: What should be the way forward?

Reshu Bashyal: The first step is to raise awareness that wild plants are equally as important as wild animals, as most of our conservation work is focused on charismatic megafauna such as tigers and rhinos. Then, there’s the challenge of identifying and preparing an updated inventory of orchid species in Nepal and making law enforcement aware about what’s legal and what’s not.

Also, we need to prepare management plans for species listed under Appendix II. So, a lot needs to be done.

Banner image: Dendrobium longicornu orchid flower from Nepal. Image by Kumar Paudel.

Citation:

Bashyal, R., Paudel, K., Hinsley, A., & Phelps, J. (2023). Making sense of domestic wildlife and cites legislation: The example of Nepal’s Orchids. Biological Conservation, 280, 109951. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2023.109951