Nepal villagers step up efforts to save cancer-treating yew trees, but challenges remain
- Taxol in yew trees is used in cancer treatment, and has prompted ‘haphazard exploitation’ of the species by pharmaceutical firms
- Proper government guidelines are needed to prevent illegal harvesting of yew trees and the species’ long-term survival in the wild, conservationists say
About three decades ago, Jeevan Timilsina’s father planted a few yew trees in their backyard. His grandfather used the leaves to treat common ailments such as fever and stomach aches, and applied them on cuts. Years later, the family expanded the plantation after finding out from local researchers that the trees contained high-value cancer-treating properties.
Today, Timilsina’s 10 acres of land in Gotikhel, on the outskirts of Nepal’s capital of Kathmandu, has around 15,000 Maire’s yew trees. He said most of the 300 households in his village had planted their own trees and were now reaping the benefits of the species, which were once overexploited and on the verge of extinction in the country.
“It’s one of the main sources of income in our village,” Timilsina said. “Before, when we farmed crops, the produce and the money we made off them would only last for a few months. But the income from harvesting yew trees sustainably is more stable.”
Yew is the common name given to 13 species of coniferous trees and shrubs found in several countries across the Northern Hemisphere. Nepal is home to three species of yew, including Maire’s yew, which is classified as vulnerable globally by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and is critically endangered in Nepal.
Most yew species contain a compound called taxol, which is used to treat various types of cancer, including those that affect breasts and lungs. Research shows that the agent, extracted from the trees’ leaves, bark and trunks, can block the growth of cancer cells.
Conservationists in Nepal said this resulted in the “haphazard exploitation” of yew trees as pharmaceutical firms rushed to extract taxol from them, particularly from Maire’s yew due to their relatively high content. However, this was largely contained after the country enacted legislation to implement the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2017.
The government, however, has not yet announced a national plan on proper harvesting measures to ensure that yew trees are not overharvested or exploited.
