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INTRO:

Informative and set well the stage for what follows

MERITS:

The paper is really interesting and can contribute greatly to the understanding of illegal trades and use of animal body parts.

CRITIQUE:

The method and data section are not really discussed, it would be nice to have some information about the type of interviews conducted and some qualitative outcomes.

DISCUSSION:

Is ok, but does not really offer directions or specific reccomandations. The conclusion should be more tailored to this specific case study, not remain vague.

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INTRO:

Presentation covering important conservation issue and reporting on much needed socio-economic information about supply and demand of wildlife trade.

MERITS:

Abstract could include more specific information (e.g. in terms of number of participants/interviews, key findings).

CRITIQUE:

N/A

DISCUSSION:

Important conservation and management implications of findings to be presented. 

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INTRO:

Using the framework of the market reduction approach, this study presents new socio-economic data derived from interviewing trade participants to describe the supply and demand of pangolin products in China. Representatives of  participant groups were interviewed about their understanding and attitudes towards pangolins and pangolin products. Relevant demographic data were gathered and questions were designed according to the theory of planned behaviour and results reveal that in China the demand on pangolin products is huge, while enforcement to regulate the market and public awareness on pangolin conservation is limited.

MERITS:

The approach developed in this study is very useful to highlight important questions for pangolin conservation. The abstract is clear and well explained and the approach of investingating different stakeholders is very effective in looking for solutions in conservation projects.

A merit of this study is also the efforts not only to promote conservation of pangolin in general but to go deeper in analyzing dinamics of poaching 

Participative approachi is very helpful when you need to implement strategies and decisions in conservation because stakeholders feel to be more involved and are more available to be part of the process.

CRITIQUE:

The main important suggestion is to include in the abstract detailed information regarding sample size and sample methodology. It would also be important to underline the specific contribution of this study in the light of the sample size: this kind of studies is generally useful in local conservation projects and not in more general ones. It is difficult to have data of this type on a bigger scale. 

DISCUSSION:

The abstract concludes that raising public awareness, collaborating with the traditional medicine community, and strengthening law enforcement should be the focuses for pangolin conservation in China. So it would be important to interview also members of the traditional medicine community and to include them among the stakeholders.