Arakan Thazin flower facing existential threat due to poor conservation: environmental group

28 Nov 2021

DMG Newsroom
28 November 2021, Sittwe 

The widely cherished Arakan Thazin flower will face extinction within the next decade if it is not better protected, according to the Rakhine Coastal Region Conservation Association (RCA). 

Dr. Maung Maung Kyi, chairman of the RCA, told DMG that the sale of Arakan Thazin flowers in foreign markets, along with deforestation and poor forest conservation practices, have led to a decline in the species year after year. 

“If this continues, the Arakan Thazin flowers, like wild tigers, will be in danger of extinction over the next decade,” he said. “Even now, one viss of Arakan Thazin flowers cannot be obtained even by searching the whole forest. Even if you were to pay K450,000 for one viss of Arakan Thazin flowers, you cannot find it.” 

“Previously, we obtained the Arakan Thazin flowers from Paletwa, Chin State. There were no more people looking for the Arakan Thazin flower species after the fighting,” said U Than Hlaing, an Arakan Thazin flower grower in Kyaukphyu Township, referring to the conflict between the military and Arakan Army (AA) from 2018-2020. “Arakan Thazin flowers are scarce due to lack of conservation in Arakan State.” 

Other Thazin flower species such as Dawei, Thayawady, Taninthayi and Hpa-an Thazin flowers are grown due to scarcity of Arakan Thazin flower species, he added. 

Thazin flowers bought from mainland Myanmar cost around K300,000 per viss last year, but this year buyers have to pay more than K340,000 per viss, according to growers. 

Arakan Thazin flowers should be cultivated in Arakan State as much as possible to prevent their extinction, said the owner of Pyae Pyae Flower Shop in Sittwe. 

“We have been growing Arakan Thazin flowers for about 10 years. Now that Arakan Thazin flowers are in short supply, we are cultivating and preserving as much as we can. I would like to ask other people to preserve the Arakan Thazin flower as much as possible,” she said. 

There were fewer traditional festivals last year and reduced Arakan Thazin flower sales due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but sales have picked up this year, according to flower sellers. 

The Thazin flower, Bulbophyllum auricomum, typically blooms in the “winter” months of December and January.