Cane toads: Australian wildife plague, economic advantage?

One of those times where you need to love and hate China and all their psychopathic psychology towards others (such as animals).

So as most people know, cane toads are a really big problem in Australia. As a starter its essentially because toads have poison and native fauna in Australia are not equiped to deal with such poisons. Often when toads are eaten the predator dies/gets ill. Its a real problem and exagerated on TV in a very dramatic way.

So a few years back I was contacted by a big TCM manufacturer in China, and a few since then wanting toad products. Shed skins, real skins and the actual toad poison (excrete). After turning them down on moral reasons (i dont sell dead animal products) but having done lots of research and networking a couple years later made contact with a meat producer. Long story short, australia is now exporting cane toads as not only a chinese medicine product (a byproduct) but as a meat source. Nothing to do with me, just find it fascinating having researched it. They are now importing them quite a lot for meat (think frog legs) and using the byproduct, mostly skin, poison and organs, as medicine. What a way to solve a problem. We used to joke about the best way to solve an invasive species problem is to let the Chinese profit from it. There we go.

Still a bit morally questionable but cane toads do need to be removed from Australia. So an interesting topic perhaps is how animals evolve to eat poisonous stuff. Such as crows and snakes in Australia becoming resistant to the toxins in cane toads. Even people deceloping tomato and potato is a similar yet very different story of evolution of animals overcoming poisonous food sources.

Back here in taiwan there are 2 frogs/toads which have invaded others regions. Cane toad and bullfrog. The real “so called” invasive frog species in taiwan are actually tree frogs and other smaller frogs like microhylla.

Bullfrogs are farmed in taiwan in large numbers. Perhaps the industry is comparable to african land snail farming. But taiwan has natural predators whereas the land snails dont really (due to size and shell hardness). Interestingly cane toads have also been introduced into taiwan. Although there have probably been minor control measures, they are largely never known about or seen. Most likely due to Taiwan having 2 native toad species (unlike australia) and thus there are many predators of toads. So these horrific invasive species, are not really an issue here. Its likely not due to hot pot and TCM but the native fauna.

So back to the beggining. I was asked to open up a large farm for cane toads. About 2 hectares of pens/greenhouses. This was all for shed skins to China. The process was worked out, it would alleviate the wild harvest of large toads in the mountains currently being taken (a horrific tragedy). But still not what im into doing though the process and logistics was relatively humane.

So. Perhaps just thinking out loud. But. What of introducing foreign species for profit? Debatable. But in this case i give both China and Australia credit for just getting rid of a problem and filling a need. Though i wonder, when the Chinese craving for harder dicks works through Australias invasive toad problem, what happens next? A troublesome question that has, is and will be a massive problem.

I forgot my point. But lots to discuss as this industry annoys the absolute shit out of me. But in the case of Australia I have to respect the irony. Interesting stuff.

3 Likes

after reading some of @urodacus’s posts, I think does human have the right to obstruct other species invading other regions?

Totally agree, we dont. Natural spread of creatures.

I suppose a comparison can be made and thought given to these examples: grizzly bears swimming across ocean to new islands. Parks/government officials killing and/or relocating said animals. That seems like humans playing god and limiting movement. I feel thats wrong.

Second example. Cane toads intentionaly brought into a new place (opposite side of the planet) to get rid of another introduced pest that happens to eat an introduced plant species (crop) that an introduced peat brought here to eat. In this case, it would likely be beneficial to the natural ecosystem all those foreign species not be there anymore :wink:

1 Like

what is natural spread? Other species including human introduce foreign species to other regions by some means is not natural?

1 Like

Yes, you are right. And humans are natural and by proxy so is everything even our phones.

Perhaps instead of thise parameters we use speed and impact of new introductions or perhaps realise spread via “hitch hiker” is different? Or if you bring a new something in that kills all native populations you can cull them? Or just say F it?

Its a really good question thats hard to answer. We all seem clear on the idea that introducing rata, cane toads or pigs to ann ecosystem is bad. But as you say, justify controlling it…

Hence my respect for china in above example. They are eating it and pumpinf their penis without causing something to go extinct, and actually aiding in a man made invasive species causing other species to decline to itself decline.

1 Like

I suspect that the Chinese buyers dont care either way as long as there is money to be made. It’s just a fortunate coincidence that it’s an invasive species.

1 Like

Most definately. Hence whatvi wrote above about farming and wild harvest of wild taiwanese toads. But at thousands per jin for shed skin, its a hot market.

We had a book series for young readers. Can’t remember the names. But the cane road protagonist would would keep the round flattened carcasses of all his relatives that got flattened by cars.
Looks like in the next installment he’s going to Macao

Eradicating an invasive species and farming that species to be sold for their skin don’t seem to have a lot of overlap in the Venn Diagram I’m imagining for this kind of thing.

Bullfrogs are a problem here in some areas. I used to volunteer at a park in Taipei. One volunteer would help collect bullfrogs who were eating the tree frogs (a protected species). Every time I saw her she had a big bag full of bullfrogs. Without her efforts the tree frogs had no chance of surviving.

So weird that this thread would come up because someone was just talking to me about this last night. What a nightmare these frogs must be.

Precisely. Thats why i turned down the farming idea. Or, one of the reasons. Going to places like Australia is so much more logical…

1 Like

Do you have more info on this? Id love to hear more. Most american bullfrog populations ive encountered are ina relatively close proximaty (-10km) to a farming operation. Many areas without suc farms seem pretty free of them. Unlike places such as western north america where they are near plague level troublesome. Here once they dont have constant replenished numbers via farming they tend to be gobbled up quite quickly.

1 Like

The park I mentioned with bull frogs was Fuyang Eco Park near Linguang MRT Station. Using Google are a few articles talking about the park. I see the Chinese language website we did is still running: fuyang.sow.tw/

The park is small but interesting. In Japanese occupation period the park site was an ammunition depot so was isolated from a lot of human activity despite being in the city. Over time locals basically turned parts of the park into their local recreation area with various exercise areas, trails, and lots of junk laying around. The Taiwan Wilderness Society got involved and made more controlled pathways, arranged annual nature research and classes, etc. The park was important as even though small and in the city the range of wildlife was broad. Well, I hope is still nice as not been there in a long time…