Search

Public policy addressing biodiversity loss is most likely to be effective when it is informed by appropriate evidence and considers potential unintended consequences. We evaluate key evidence relating to the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill that was discussed in the UK Parliament between 2022 and 2024. We characterize the UK's role in international hunting trophy trade by analyzing CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) trade data for 2000–2021 and 2015–2021. For CITES‐listed species imported to/exported from the UK as hunting trophies in these periods we use data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species to determine whether hunting designated as "trophy hunting" is (i) likely a major threat contributing to species being of elevated conservation concern, (ii) likely or possibly causing localized declines, or (iii) not a threat. We then use the Red List to determine whether such hunting provides, or potentially provides, benefits for species and/or people. Finally, we evaluate the UK Government's impact assessment of the bill. In 2000–2021 an estimated 3494 hunting trophies from 73 CITES‐listed species and subspecies were exported to the UK involving an estimated 2549 whole organism equivalents (WOEs), that is, individual animals. Imports involved 158.86 ± 66.53 (mean ± SD) trophies/year (115.83 ± 32.27 WOEs/year). In 2015–2021, 79% of imports were from countries where populations of the hunted species are stable, increasing, or abundant. Legal hunting for trophies is not a major threat to any of the species or subspecies imported to the UK, but likely or possibly represents a local threat to some populations of eight species. This hunting does, or could potentially, benefit 20 species and subspecies, and people. Among other concerns, the impact assessment failed to adequately consider the costs and benefits to local communities in countries where such hunting occurs. Informed by these analyses we discuss alternative regulatory options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsustainable wildlife trade is a major contributor to biodiversity loss; however, trade regulations have failed to prevent the decline of high‐profile species. Where wildlife is traded legally, opportunities exist to launder protected species through legal channels. The legal commercialization of olive ridley sea turtle eggs from Ostional, Costa Rica, has been criticized with some suggesting that the legal trade stimulates illegal extraction and sale of eggs. We aimed to identify whether the traceability rules, under which the Ostional project operates, were suitably robust. We surveyed markets across Costa Rica, by purchasing openly available sea turtle eggs and recording qualitative and quantitative data at the point of sale. We found that 378 (80%) of turtle eggs openly sold in the market were from olive ridley sea turtles. Green (n = 5) and leatherback (n = 6) turtle eggs were only on offer on three occasions, but no vendor referred to Ostional. Vendors frequently breached trade regulations, which appeared to be due to these regulations misaligning with consumer demand. Although the Ostional traceability rules are regularly flouted, we found no evidence that Ostional is being used as a cover to sell eggs from other turtle species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the policy direction for pangolin conservation in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The current prohibitionist approach may not be optimal for conserving the species, as it fails to consider diverse and adaptive management approaches. The article suggests that restricting policy options for pangolins in CITES may hinder optimal national policies and proposes that formal domestic use and/or trade of pangolins could contribute to their conservation under appropriate governance conditions. The authors recommend recognizing the need for context-specific solutions and not removing potential tools for pangolin conservation. [Extracted from the article]

The Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) is the primary mechanism for controlling international wildlife trade and preventing overexploitation, but measuring its efficacy is difficult, which complicates management efforts. We examined the effects of CITES listings on the trade of freshwater turtles from the US and compared spatiotemporal trends and dynamics of trade across 16 genera using 20 years of export data, triangulated with mixed qualitative data. For each CITES‐listed genus, we analyzed the average changes, immediate changes, and changes in trends of export volumes and spatial diversity of trade. Boom‐and‐bust trends of exports for different taxa were driven by several factors, including CITES listings, but CITES had mixed effects on export volumes for both Appendix II and III species while the diversity of spatial trade networks consistently declined for CITES and non‐CITES listed genera. These results point to differences in demand and species' availability from captive breeders, farms, or wild harvest which are important to consider in future listing decisions. However, a lack of reliable data on the source of turtles limited our ability to understand these drivers as well as the efficacy of CITES listings in preventing overexploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires effective actions to bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030. Wildlife trade, a direct drive of biodiversity decline, calls for more effective regulations to both protect wildlife populations in the wild and facilitate sustainable use of wildlife resources to meet human needs. This call has become particularly urgent in light of the COVID‐19 pandemic. In 2021, China's List of State Key Protected Wild Animals, a list of fauna under the strictest protection by national legislation, has been updated in the year 2021, 32 years after its first release, increasing its coverage (from the original 13%) an 11% of species across taxa. Combined with the updated List of State Protected Terrestrial Wild Animals which covers species with lower protection priority, these two national lists already cover 77% terrestrial vertebrate species of China. Such a blacklist approach, placing threatened species under a list of legal protection, is a common practice globally in species conservation. We discussed pros and cons of this dominant strategy and further explored the potential integration with a whitelist approach, listing all wildlife and only permitting regulated uses of certain species. We propose a mixed approach combining black and whitelists at different administration levels which could perhaps be first adopted in China. This is mainly due to the fact that in addition to illegal harvesting from the wild, traded wildlife in China are mostly from captive breeding and related laundering of wild‐caught animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overexploitation of fisheries is a challenge to both marine conservation and human welfare. The trade of sea cucumbers is a multi‐billion‐dollar market, spanning over 70 countries. Global concern over unsustainable sea cucumber trade led to the inclusion of three species in CITES Appendix II, two of which are found in Madagascar (Holothuria fuscogilva and Holothuria nobilis). We used 792 structured interviews (2015–2020) to study the intensity of wild sea cucumber collection and exportation in rural northeastern Madagascar, where 30% of all (terrestrial and aquatic) native species are threatened with extinction. Wild sea cucumber collection was common and increased tenfold during the study; one in five coastal households caught and sold wild sea cucumbers. Furthermore, trade relied on threatened species; half of collected sea cucumbers are threatened, including CITES II‐restricted H. nobilis (Endangered) and H. fuscogilva (Vulnerable). While such collection threatens conservation, it improved the welfare of rural collectors. Sea cucumber collectors were significantly wealthier and more food secure than other community members. Given both the high collection of threatened and regulated species and high regional food insecurity (58% of households), the current regulation of threatened species alone is not reducing levels of unsustainable catch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathogen transmission through wildlife trade has become a significant One Health issue, but businesses involved in trade can take actions to minimize pathogen spread within and beyond trade networks. Such actions could include an industry‐led clean‐trade certification program whereby retailer costs for enhanced biosecurity and disease‐free product certification are offset by increased prices to consumers. However, we currently know little about the demand for, and value of such a program to consumers. With the case of pet amphibian owners in the United States, we assessed what characteristics make people more likely to demand certified wild animals and how much more in price premium they are willing to pay for such animals. Findings suggested that the demand for pathogen‐free amphibians was driven by the perceived risk of pathogen spillover to wild populations, behavioral control in preventing transmission, and other characteristics related to pet ownership and demographics. On average, respondents were willing to pay $38.65 per animal more for certified pathogen‐free amphibians than non‐certified amphibians. Findings lend support for the viability of an industry‐led clean‐trade program aimed at enhancing animal well‐being, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing the risk of pathogen transmission within and beyond the pet trade network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unsustainable wildlife trade is a major threat to many species, but quantifying trade remains challenging, as seizure data provides an incomplete understanding. For this reason, integrating multiple types of information, including interviews with actors involved in trade, is crucial if we are to understand the problem better. Hence, in this study, we digitized Bangladesh Forest Department tiger seizure records to identify trade routes and interviewed 163 individuals involved in trafficking tigers through Bangladesh's air, sea and land ports, including poachers, smugglers, and traders. We identified six ports used to import tigers, 14 ports used for tiger export and three ports showing bi‐directional trade. Elite Bangladeshis were the most important consumer group, and tigers were sourced from populations in NE India, Myanmar and Bangladesh Sundarbans to supply domestic demand. Tiger products were exported to 14 countries, including seven G20 nations, with Bangladeshi expatriates as the consumer group in three countries (United Kingdom, Germany and Qatar). Rising economic development in Bangladesh over the last decade, combined with deep‐rooted cultural ties to tiger consumption, has led to a rise in domestic demand. Additionally, rapid growth in international transport links has increased smuggling and connected local traders with global markets, increasing the complexity of global trade. These findings suggest Bangladesh is poised to play a pivotal role in tiger conservation over the next decade, requiring strong national strategies to reduce trade opportunities, disrupt networks and weaken demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife trade is a multibillion‐dollar industry and concerns not only the exploitation of animals for their body parts but is also largely fueled by the demand for exotic pets. We document, in Japan, a recent phenomenon closely related to the pet trade and rapidly spreading in Asia: the display of exotic animals in a café/bar context. We surveyed 142 exotic animal cafés (EACs) by visiting their website and/or social media accounts. We recorded every available exotic animal species, their status based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species and Appendix according to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). We compared the CITES Appendix‐listed species imported in Japan during 1975–2019 to the species present in EACs. Most EACs opened in major cities between 2015 and 2017 under the label "owl café." We recorded 3793 individuals belonging to 419 different species in 137 EACs active in 2019. The most numerous exotic animals were birds (62% – owls 40%) but reptiles (21%), mammals (15%) and to a lesser extent, amphibians (2%) were also found. A total of 403 individuals belonged to 52 threatened species. The majority (60%) of the species identified were CITES‐listed (Appendix I: 53 individuals, 9 species; Appendix II:2482 individuals, 235 species and Appendix III:16 individuals, 6 species). While most species present in EACs are mainly imported as "captive bred" in Japan, we found 30 species that were mainly imported as "wild‐caught," "ranched" or "farmed." The increase of importations of owl species is concomitant with the openings of EACs, reflecting the demand for owls in Japan. We argue that these EACs promoted through social media: (1) might have consequences for biodiversity as they encourage the purchase of exotic animals and represent a pool of potentially invasive species with their pathogens; (2) present a risk of pathogen transmission due to frequent close interactions with consumers; and (3) raise serious concerns about animal welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildlife trade threatens global taxa. While interest in consumer behavior is increasing, such studies are scarce, particularly for plants and fungi, around questions of consumer characteristics, preferences, and perceptions. Moreover, these factors are not often marshaled to support conservation measures effectively. To address these questions, we examined the case of Chinese caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis [Berk.] G.H. Sung, J.M. Sung, Hywel‐Jones, & Spatafora) consumers. This product is particularly interesting due to its extremely high value, economic importance to harvesters, and increasing conservation concerns. Data were generated through an online structured survey (n = 1861 consumers) and semi‐structured qualitative interviews (n = 65) across six provinces that comprise the primary market in China. We found significant regional and demographic differences in consumer characteristics, preferences for the geographical origin of the product, and limited understanding of harvester and sustainability issues. Interestingly, consumers in higher income provinces bought less frequently but spent more money with the aim of self‐consumption, compared with consumers in lower income provinces who buy more frequently, spending less, and with the intention to use purchased products as presents for family or friends. Consumer responses indicated that conservation measures can be enhanced through public information dissemination about product characteristics and linking consumers to the consequences of their consumption choices, with a particular focus on geographically differentiated information campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hummingbirds (family Trochilidae) are among the most recognizable groups of birds, due to their tiny size, supremely maneuverable flight, and iridescent plumage. They are essential pollinators in ecosystems throughout the New World, and are welcome visitors to gardens and nectar feeders in every corner of the United States. Despite this familiarity, few people are aware that hummingbirds are the objects of active illegal international trade. The practice of incorporating the bodies of hummingbirds in love charms, known as chuparrosa charms, is a centuries‐old tradition in Mexico. The practice has now spread to the United States. This report summarizes investigations of the hummingbird trade by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 2013 to 2021. A total of 905 hummingbird carcasses were recovered in these investigations, representing 22 different species, 18 of which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. While it appears that all hummingbirds were killed and packaged in Mexico, many originated from migratory U.S. populations. The species most frequently identified in chuparrosas was Ruby‐throated Hummingbird, which nests entirely in the United States and occurs in Mexico only in the non‐breeding season. Much remains to be learned about the dimensions of the chuparrosa trade, and its possible impacts on hummingbird populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poaching and illegal trade are primary threats to tigers (Panthera tigris). Trade in tiger parts has been well documented in Asia. However, little is known about tiger parts entering the United States (US). We analyzed seizures of tiger parts trafficked through US ports of entry from 2003 to 2012 along with shipments that had been issued legal Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species import permits. We found 292 seizure incidents and 283 permitted imports over that 10‐year period. The amount of tiger parts trafficked into the US illegally was larger than what has been previously reported. Most tiger parts entered the US legally and illegally for personal purposes; 81.8% of seized items were medicinal products. San Francisco, Dallas, and Atlanta were entry hotspots for illegal tiger imports which mainly entered the United States from China and Vietnam. Of the 65.8% of seized parts with a known origin, 99.5% originated from wild tigers. Since country of origin and source of many legally and illegally traded tiger parts was unknown, we recommend the use of forensic DNA analysis to address these knowledge gaps to focus conservation and enforcement efforts. Research should continue in the United States to adequately capture the global supply, demand, and trade of tiger parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several species of wild cats are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, persecution or retaliatory killing by humans as a result of real or perceived livestock depredation, and illegal trade. The trade of individuals or their parts has been a recurring threat over the years, especially prior to the establishment of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) in 1975. We assessed the extent of trade of wild cats in Peru (eight species) using export records available from 1946 to 1973, before the establishment of CITES and after the implementation of CITES using confiscation data available for 2001–2020. The ocelot and the jaguar were the most exploited species for their skins in the pre‐CITES period, with 228,376 and 17,301 individuals, respectively; as well as post‐CITES, although at significantly lower levels, with 67 individuals and 107 body parts, and 27 individuals and 99 body parts, respectively. Post‐CITES trade, however, shows an increasing trend for the jaguar and all wild cat species. Currently in Peru, the illegal wildlife trade is considered opportunistic, but its impact on wild populations has not been properly documented. We recommend improving knowledge regarding population status of wild cats to inform conservation status, and to increase efforts to reduce illegal trade at both national and regional level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demand for cage birds is highly prevalent and increasing across Indonesia, as wild bird populations across Asia decline. To find ways to reduce demand, it is important to understand the motivations and psychographic drivers to keep (or not keep) birds, and how demographic characteristics and public attitudes influence such decisions. Based on surveys with over 3,000 people, we found few people citing health, sanitary, or welfare concerns as reasons for not keeping birds, whereas most people started keeping birds to enjoy their beauty or song, or to keep up with peers. Pet‐keepers ("Hobbyists") commonly started doing so opportunistically; song contest participants ("Contestants") and breeders and trainers ("Breeders") did so for financial gain. Bird‐keepers and non‐bird‐keepers disagreed on birds' environmental importance, longevity in captivity, and endangerment by trade. Older respondents were less concerned that keeping birds endangers them and few felt birds to be an important part of the environment. Hobbyists were least likely to consider wild bird population health a major concern. Efforts to dissuade potential bird‐keepers should focus on public concern for the environment and the threat bird‐keeping poses to wild populations. The importance of peer pressure among bird‐keepers presents an opportunity to promote sustainable bird‐keeping activities among key groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing methodology of noncontinuous wildlife market surveys contributes little to our understanding of the spatiotemporal variations of markets and their supply. Here, we investigate trends in bird trade in a large regional domestic market. Near‐continuous monthly surveys at a pet market in Guangzhou, China discovered over 95,000 individuals of 147 species between 2011 and 2013. We analyzed optimal survey frequency, finding that autumn is the best season to detect maximal species diversity. In a mixed‐effects model, we found that species‐specific purposes for trade controls the occurrence of species across shops in a market. A buffer analysis showed that 13 of the 15 most abundant species are distributed within 200 km of the market. However, hotspots of range overlap for wild‐caught, native species were found at great distances from the market within China and along China's borders. Identifying the location of theoretical trapping bottlenecks (areas where trapping levels are high) from this market data can help identify regions (e.g., southwest China) that are affected by trade, where local bird populations may be experiencing residual impacts from harvesting. Our results provide insights to improve methodologies for monitoring wildlife markets and identify priority regions for population surveys of in‐demand wild bird species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding wildlife markets is central to effective conservation: it can help managers and policy‐makers to predict how interventions might influence supply and demand of wildlife products, and economic welfare of wildlife users; and thus, design interventions which have better outcomes for wildlife and people. Here we apply a revealed preference method of economic valuation—hedonic price analysis (HPA)—to understand shark markets and explore the economic costs of shark conservation for small‐scale fishers. We focus on a targeted semi‐commercial shark fishery in Indonesia—which poses a threat to some shark species, but provides important economic and subsistence value for a coastal community in an impoverished region of Indonesia—and use HPA to estimate market prices and welfare measures for threatened and CITES‐listed sharks. This represents a pertinent case study with practical implications because Indonesia is the world's largest shark fishing nation, where management interventions to reduce shark fishing mortality are needed. However, such interventions will create short‐term socio‐economic trade‐offs for fishing communities, which may hamper cooperation and compliance, and raise concerns regarding the fairness and equity of conservation. Our results give significant marginal price estimates for five species of conservation and commercial importance. Dusky sharks (Carcharhinus obscurus) and bottlenose wedgefish (Rhynchobatus australiae) have the highest implicit marginal prices, at US$ 157 and US$ 144, respectively. Our estimates suggest that conservation measures, such as catch limits for endangered and CITES‐listed species, could have significant economic opportunity costs (i.e., 3.4–17.6% revenue foregone) for low‐income fishers. Innovative policy instruments are required to transform shark markets and fisheries—to effectively reduce threats to endangered species and implement CITES, whilst doing no harm to vulnerable coastal communities. Methods from econometrics can help conservation scientists to better understand wildlife markets, and make management decisions which create better outcomes for wildlife and people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exotic pet supply is a key, predominantly legal, component of global wildlife trade, but few studies have quantified its diversity or global reach. Here, using information extracted from the public (open) Facebook accounts of two wildlife exporters in Togo, West Africa, we identified at least 200 species, predominantly reptiles, but also mammals, birds, amphibians and invertebrates, advertised as available for sale and export, between the years 2016 and 2020. Of the animals identified, several hundred, possibly several thousand, individuals were shipped, at least monthly, to North America, Europe, Asia, and elsewhere in Africa, via a number of major airlines. Among the vertebrates observed, approximately one‐third had not yet been evaluated on the IUCN Red list, and three quarters were not CITES‐listed (i.e., their trade was not regulated under this international treaty). The apparent lack of adequate monitoring of population status, disease, biological invasion, and animal welfare risks associated with this trade, as well as neglected taxa (e.g., invertebrates), has potential implications for environmental, public, and animal health. The findings of this case study suggest that a systematic review of social media activity could efficiently reveal significant insights into the otherwise undocumented global supply of exotic pets, directing legislators to aspects and areas where regulation is insufficient, and informing international and national policy change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three of the four newly distinguished giraffe species are in significant decline. Concern over the species' threat status prompted a proposal to list the giraffe, which is still recognized as a single species by the IUCN, in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). However, there is a distinct lack of quantitative data and research on the scale, extent and purpose of both illegal and legal hunting, and the use and/or trading of giraffe and their parts. As a first step towards addressing these knowledge gaps, we conducted a literature review as well as a specialist survey regarding the use and trade of giraffe. We found that the dynamics of legal and illegal trade and the use of giraffe parts vary throughout Africa, ranging from local consumption to cross border and international trade, and from ornamental adornment to medicinal and consumption use. While the CITES listing of giraffe provides a mechanism through which international trade can be monitored, our findings suggest that the majority of illegal hunting currently occurs domestically and only within certain giraffe populations. This article is the first step towards understanding the drivers and managing the associated impacts of unsustainable and illegal giraffe use and trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The medicinal use of rhino horn in Asia is a major driver of poaching and illegal trade. Research into the different actors involved in this trade is needed to inform policymaking and improve conservation outcomes. While researchers have investigated rhino horn consumers in Vietnam, studies have yet to focus on China. Here, we conducted a large‐scale online survey to investigate medicinal rhino horn consumption in China's Guangdong province. One in seven respondents reported having used rhino horn in the past year. These individuals tended to be older, male, wealthier and better educated; several healthcare usage variables were also associated with rhino horn consumption. These findings can help guide the development of tailored demand reduction interventions. Our results question the effectiveness of the global community's current approach to rhino conservation. We conclude by highlighting the need for conservationists to work more closely with key stakeholders to find lasting and sustainable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite having protected status, poaching for the illegal trade and traditional use remains a primary threat to leopards (Panthera pardus) across southern Africa. Addressing this threat is challenging, not only because it is difficult to uncover and monitor illicit behavior, but because law enforcement and alternative intervention strategies need to account for cultural and political sensitivities to prove effective and sustainable. With up to 4 million followers in southern Africa, the recently‐established Nazareth Baptist "Shembe" Church represents the principal culturo‐religious use of illegal leopard skins in the world. This longitudinal study used in‐person questionnaires (n = 8,600) and telephone follow‐ups (n = 2,300) with Shembe followers to explore socio‐economic and experiential factors related to the desirability and possession of illegal leopard skins before and after receiving a faux alternative through the Furs for Life (FFL) intervention program. Proportional possession of authentic skins was relatively low among followers who received faux skins (21%), with declines of 7 and 13% in subsequent authentic skin acquisition and desirability, respectively. Logistic regression models revealed that authentic skin possession, both before and after receiving a faux skin, was primarily related to employment status. Desire for authentic skins increased with recipient age, but decreased with improved knowledge of leopard population status since receiving the faux skin. Followers who were dissatisfied with faux skins were likely to express a continued desire for authentic skins. Most followers (95%) were, however, satisfied with the faux alternative, having retained and worn it at gatherings, with little noticeable damage or perceived societal judgment. These results support the FFL intervention as a means of protecting leopards: Although authentic skins were still acquired, demand decreased significantly over 3 years with shifts in perception favoring faux leopard skin alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changing human behavior is essential for biodiversity conservation, but robust approaches for large scale change are needed. Concepts like repeat message exposure and social reinforcement, as well as mechanisms like online news coverage and targeted advertisements, are currently used by private and public sectors, and could prove powerful for conservation. Thus, to explore their potential in influencing wildlife consumption, we used online advertisements through Facebook, Google, and Outbrain, to promote news articles discussing the use of a Critically Endangered antelope (the Saiga tatarica) as a traditional Chinese medicine in Singapore. Our message, tailored to middle‐aged Chinese Singaporean women, framed saiga horn products as being no longer socially endorsed. Through advert performance and in‐depth analyses of Facebook user engagement, we assessed audience response. Our message pervaded Singapore's online media (e.g., our adverts were shown almost five million times; and the story ran on seven news outlets), and resulted in widespread desirable audience responses (e.g., 63% of Facebook users' engagements included identifiably positive features like calls for public action to reduce saiga horn consumption, anger at having unknowingly used a Critically Endangered species, and self‐pledges to no longer use it; only 13% of engagements included identifiably negative features). This work shows that targeted dissemination of online news articles can have promising results, and may have wide applicability to conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illicit wildlife trade may have devastating consequences for Nepal's wildlife populations given its increasing national and global connectivity and proximity with large Indian and Chinese markets. Despite its potential impacts, our understanding about trends, patterns and networks of illicit wildlife trade in Nepal is very limited. Here, we provide a thorough and comprehensive national assessment of such trade in Nepal using 5 years (2011 through 2015) of data on wildlife seizures and arrests (n = 830) collected from 73 districts. Nearly 87% of arrests included seizures, and globally threatened species were confiscated from 56% of total arrests. There were increasing trends of arrest cases over the time period for all species (p = 0.03), leopards (p = 0.02) and red pandas (p = 0.002), and a decreasing trend for rhinoceros (p = 0.04). Seizures of multiple species—especially tigers, leopards, and pangolin—in arrest cases were suggestive of international organized criminal linkages, whereas individual small‐scale seizures were likely for local, species‐specific markets. The trade networks suggested connections between species core habitats (poaching sites), cities (collection sites), and transit routes between India and China (international markets). Our results show that wildlife trade, except for rhinoceros, is increasing and trade nodes along districts bordering China and India are suggestive of large, international networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The illegal wildlife trade threatens the future of many species, and undermines economies and livelihoods. Conservationists have largely responded with supply‐side interventions, such as antipoaching patrols, but these often fail to stem the tide of wildlife trafficking. There is now increasing interest in demand‐side interventions, which seek to lower poaching pressure on sought‐after species by reducing consumer's desire for, and purchase of, specific wildlife products. Individual behavior change approaches, from environmental education to social marketing, have been widely advocated by academics, practitioners, and policy makers. However, this is an emerging field and we lack the breadth of evidence needed to understand and predict the potential outcomes of demand reduction interventions. To help us gain broader insights, we examine the literature from public health and international development on the effectiveness of behavior change interventions, and critique the current conceptualization of strategies for reducing consumer demand in the illegal wildlife trade. We show that behavior change is difficult to achieve and interventions may have unintended and undesirable consequences because of unaddressed systemic, cultural and environmental drivers, and limited resourcing. We conclude that some sections of the conservation community are advocating a shift from one reductionist approach based on limiting supply, to another based on limiting demand, and argue that conservationists should learn from the public health and international development projects that have integrated systems thinking. By accounting for the multiple interactions and synergies between different factors in the wildlife trade, we can develop more strategic approaches to protecting endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsustainable wildmeat trade has been long recognized as a threat to wildlife. Yet, its impact on marine species has been underresearched. Sea turtles have been historically threatened by unsustainable trade, but there are few studies of consumer profile, motivations, and preferences. We conducted a survey in São Tomé Island, Gulf of Guinea, West Africa, including eight rural communities (n = 1,160) and the capital city of São Tomé (n = 628). We estimated prevalence of consumption, preference and availability of sea turtle meat and eggs. About 25% of rural and 32% of urban respondents had consumed meat in the past year. Around 25% of rural respondents were egg consumers, whereas little consumption was found in urban areas. Social norms were a predictor of consumption of sea turtle meat and eggs in rural communities but not in São Tomé city. Regarding influencers, teachers and religious leaders were the most trusted sources in rural communities, while teachers and NGOs were most trusted in São Tomé city. Radio and television were the most trusted channels in rural communities, while urban dwellers trusted radio the most. This research showcases how a structured approach to audience research can obtain behavioral insights that can guide behavior change efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sale of wild animals, including protected species, may relate to regional differences in socio‐politics, culture, and economic development. A better understanding of how these factors affect the illegal wildlife trade is therefore necessary to optimize the deployment of conservation resources and policing. To evaluate these factors in relation to the trade‐in protected animals as pets, we surveyed China's popular consumer‐to‐consumer website, Taobao.com (analogous to eBay), and found that over 70,000 individual live parrots and turtles (totaling 46 and 49 protected species, respectively) were sold in just 150 days. Using analyses that attempted to account for species richness estimation and autocorrelation effects, we identified that regional economics promoted the occurrence and extent of pet sales. The provenance of these traded animals was ambiguous, but their vast numbers raise two concerns: if any proportion was sourced illegally from the wild, it is of conservation concern; whereas any bred illegally in captivity raise animal welfare concerns, because this would be unregulated. In the context of rapid economic development in China, it is thus important to reform the legislation that currently allows these commonly traded pet species to slip through the net intended to police animal welfare and illegal animal trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are long‐standing debates about the effectiveness and social impacts of enforcement‐based conservation, particularly as investments into enforcement increase in response to growing alarm about Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT). However, there is little data on the people subject to this enforcement, including prison sentences, species targeted, what motivates and deters them, and the social impacts of enforcement. This study identified 384 individuals across Nepal who were in prison for IWT offences in late 2016, and involved interviews (n = 116) focused on respondents' trade practices, economic circumstances and motivations. IWT prisoners represented 10–20% of the total prison populations in two regions and often received stiff sanctions, with a range of downstream impacts on respondents' families. Most respondents were arrested for their involvement in the rhinoceros trade (61%). Most were poor (56%) and from indigenous communities (75%), highlighting potentially inequitable impacts of enforcement. Despite common assumptions about the links between IWT, poverty and organized crime, most respondents were motivated by the desire to earn extra income and by the ease of IWT compared to other employment. IWT was neither a primary livelihood strategy, nor had the attributes for formal organized crime. Respondents, particularly poor respondents, seemed to underestimate the risks of detection and incompletely understood the scale of sanctions. Improved public awareness about the scale and social impacts of sanctions could help increase deterrence effects while reducing unintended social harms of enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conservation plans aiming to reduce the threat of illegal wildlife trade increasingly recognize the need for multifaceted approaches that include both enhanced enforcement and demand reduction initiatives. Both are complex issues that involve understanding consumer motives. Pangolins represent some of the most heavily trafficked species, largely due to high consumer demand for their scales for use in traditional medicines. Recent media reports also suggest that demand is related to the purported presence of the analgesic tramadol in scales. We examined chemotypes of scales from 104 individual pangolins representing all extant species. None of the specimens demonstrated the presence of tramadol. Given that demand for pangolins and their parts is decimating wild populations, it is imperative that such false claims be rectified. These results could be incorporated into demand reduction campaigns in areas where this misinformation is perpetuated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal wildlife trade is a lucrative business, which is driving many species towards extinction. Pangolins (Manis spp.) and arapaimas (Arapaima spp.) are two CITES listed genera coveted in the leather fashion industry for their unique skin pattern. The US has contributed to the decline of pangolin species and was historically a large market for pangolin leather products. While the US trade in pangolin products has declined since 2000, we suspect that pangolin leather may now be substituted by arapaima products. Arapaima leather trade has increased significantly since the year 2011. We found a strong positive correlation between the US states trading in both arapaima and pangolin leather products. The US states that were most involved in this trade had a lower population density and were comparatively wealthier than others. Leather items of both arapaima and pangolin were found for sale on eBay, with 75% of incidents in breach of eBay policy, and potentially illegal. Pangolin leather products were also falsely advertised as arapaima products. We conclude that arapaima leather is increasingly used to satisfy the persisting demand for exotic leather, and further research is urgently needed to determine the effect of the trade on wild arapaima populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the critically endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla) was listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, due to declines in abundance across its range and significant international demand. Illegal trade in live European eel and its products is still occurring to satisfy the high demand around the world. Law enforcement officers face the challenge of identifying both live and processed European eel in a timely fashion to detain shipments and prosecute smugglers. Here, we describe the development of a reliable, field‐based, fast, and cost‐effective real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay to detect European eels in trade. This novel assay was applied in a real law enforcement scenario, where positive results provided enough evidence to detain the shipment for more robust forensic analysis, leading to the first prosecution of eel smuggling in Hong Kong. Our approach could serve as a model for the development of other rapid and cost‐effective tools to detect illegal wildlife trade where visual identification fails to provide enough evidence for prosecution. It could also enhance monitoring and enforcement of laws intended to protect highly traded and threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]