Wildlife At Stake

ONE ASPECT OF THE ILLEGAL TRADE IN the products derived from endangered animals that you failed to cover in your story ((Environment, Nov. 14)) is that many of these products have genuine medicinal purposes. Because of this, half the task of saving these animals lies in understanding how these products are effective. China, for example, has recently successfully synthesized deer musk, an ingredient in fully 11% of that country's herbal pharmacology. This timely discovery, which will eliminate the need for the animal's musk gland, has probably gone as far to save endangered musk deer as an army of environmentalists. It is not difficult to see how international cooperation in developing substitutes for products from endangered wildlife and subsidizing their use could become a highly effective tactic. Unfortunately, the focus is almost entirely on the supply side of the problem, which, as in the drug trade, is only half of the story.

David Wolf

Camarillo, California

AOL: ChinaHand

YOUR REPORT ON ENDANGERED WILDLIFE trade mentioned the illegal selling of whale meat in Japan. The DNA testing used on samples of products sold in Japanese fish markets has technical problems. I have rebutted the DNA findings of the scientist who did the tests and asked him to send us his DNA samples and other relevant information for further investigation of illegalities, but so far he has not sent the samples or any other information. I was disappointed that you publicized the DNA testing as much as you did. It is not the only crusade against illegal trade in whale products in this country. As you note, the police and the Japanese government have acted successfully to deter smuggling of whale products and punish the smugglers.

Nobuyuki Yagi

Far Seas Fisheries Division

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Government of Japan

Tokyo