Unregulated wild orchid trade in Manipur: an analysis of the Imphal Valley markets from the Indo-Burma hotspot

Unsustainable and illegal trade of wild orchids at local and international markets is a well-known conservation issue throughout the world. Local as well as international trade of wild orchids is under-reported and under-researched. The study assessed wild orchids traded in markets of the Imphal Valley, the northeastern Indian state of Manipur in 2022–23. Eighty-two wild orchid species from 33 genera were observed to be traded including the wild orchid species, viz., Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum, Renanthera imschootiana, and Vanda coerulea, protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 of India. The local wild orchid trade in Imphal is unregulated, unchecked and unmonitored, which is a serious concern for the conservation of wild orchid species in Manipur and within the Indo-Burma hotspot.