From dirty to delicacy? Changing exploitation in China threatens the world's largest amphibians

Determining the dynamics and sustainability of human interactions with threatened species is essential to inform evidence-based conservation, but data can be challenging collect across large areas multiple user groups. Chinese giant salamanders Andrias spp. are critically depleted China. Wild populations were exploited during 20th century, more recently support a large-scale farming industry. However, robust remain largely unavailable on timing population declines in relation changing pressures, primary drivers exploitation, or effectiveness conservation legislation. We conducted series interview surveys range China, targeting potential rural urban groups, stakeholders involved salamander exploitation policy management (comprising 2,932 households, 66 farms, 115 county government officials 835 consumers). Giant probably declining from at least 1980s due for food, negative cultural values associated these animals have not prevented consumption. There has been major escalation following establishment industry 2000s. Our results demonstrate wide-scale unregulated illegal hunting stock farms country-wide scale order demand by consumers high-prestige rare meat. estimate there 42,000 wild-caught breeding adult 164,000 subadults China time our survey. Salamander poses unsustainable pressure populations. Existing legislation clearly proved ineffective preventing stocking animals, findings highlight an important gap China's protection some its highest-priority species. Tackling this problem will likely require coordinated approaches, including enforcement legislation, increased penalties removing wild, permanent identification captive-bred salamanders, consumer-focused interventions reduce demand. A free Plain Language Summary found within Supporting Information article.