The illegal wildlife trade, while threatening biodiversity, remains largely a mystery. However, there is something for everyone
Wildlife trade, both legal and illegal, is a multibillion-dollar industry that threatens biodiversity. Today, the development and utilization of wildlife through the sale of wildlife, their body parts or related products has become one of the most lucrative activities in the world. Although the wildlife trade has seeped into the tree of life, most analysis to date has focused on the trade of a small number of charismatic vertebrate species. Given that vertebrates account for only 3% of the species described, this is a serious bias that hinders the development of integrated conservation strategies.
A team of researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland highlighted the importance of all major taxa in the global wildlife trade and called for action to fill gaps in our knowledge. The agency also listed several actions that anyone can take to combat the illegal wildlife trade.
In addition to posing a significant threat to biodiversity, wildlife trade can be one reason for the hundreds of billions of dollars in global economic losses caused by global public health problems and disease outbreaks, as COVID-19 may be. Despite its ecological and socio-economic significance, a comprehensive analysis of the global pattern of wildlife trade has not yet been undertaken.
"The illegal wildlife trade is often linked to organized crime. Criminal groups involved in drug trafficking, fraud and other illegal businesses are also active in the wildlife trade along routes used for other types of illegal products and can combine this with different illegal activities, such as trafficking in animals and drugs," said Carolyn Fukushima, a researcher at the Finnish Museum of Natural History at the University of Helsinki. Based on these concerns, a team of researchers sought to describe the importance of all major biological groups in the global wildlife trade and called for more research on neglected populations. Their article " Global Wildlife Trade Infiltrates the Tree of Life " is now published in the journal Conservation Biology.
"For us, it is clear that the phenomenon of the global wildlife trade is much more complex and broader than previously recognized," said Stefano Mammola, a researcher at Italy's National Research Council and one of the study's authors.
"Although the wildlife trade permeates all branches of the Tree of Life — from fungi to plants, from small marine species to large mammals on land — more attention has been paid to the trade in small, charismatic species, preventing the development of comprehensive and effective conservation strategies," Marmagella continued.
[Even the tiniest and most important information will be traded]
The team found that wildlife trade is common in many different organisms, from mushrooms to large vertebrates. Sea cucumbers, anemones and corals, in particular, account for an enormous proportion of the global trade in endangered species.
In addition, when considering the legal wildlife trade on a global scale, the timber trade is most relevant in monetary value, while plants are the most traded group in terms of individual numbers.
[Requires a lot of data about transactions and their order]
As many wildlife trafficking is clearly illegal, unfortunately, it is difficult to obtain systematic and reliable data. For some species, such as invertebrates, species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species are just the tip of the iceberg. The number of transaction taxa in these databases is an overall underestimate of actual transactions, because – most species have never even been assessed for their relevance in trading operations.
"We are facing a biodiversity crisis. We need to fill our intellectual gaps quickly and effectively, especially in non-vertebrate species," says Pedro Cardoso of the Finnish Museum of Natural History: "In this way we can gain insight into the global trade patterns of the entire canopy of the Tree of Life, not just its most attractive branches." ”
For conservation biologists, the challenge ahead is to map the global trade of all living things, understand what drives that trade, and find ways to interact that could endanger wildlife species and human health. A major consequence of this extensive trade is disease outbreaks. These issues must be taken seriously, as their consequences go far beyond the habitat of wildlife species.
How can I help combat the illegal wildlife trade? 】
The study cites a number of recommendations, including but not limited to:
1. Do not share or like posts about wild animals that are treated as pets\ or personified, such as pictures of animals wearing clothes, performance animals, or wild animals used for tourism and viewing.
2. Do not buy live animals and plants, or souvenirs containing wildlife body parts when traveling.
3. Don't take photos with wildlife displayed in local markets, and don't support companies that are being unscrupulously exploited.
4. Do not use traditional medicine if the product contains ingredients derived from illegal or unsustainable sources from endangered species;
5. Support non-governmental organizations and groups and organizations that combat wildlife trafficking;
6. Before taking photos of local wildlife, close the geolocation app.
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Figure 1: The Blue land crab Cardisoma (scientific name guanhumi Latreille/1899) from India is listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List and traded as exotic pets. Image credit: Rick C. West
Fig. 2: The Cardisoma guanhmi Latreille (1828) is native to the Atlantic region and is not on the IUCN Red List but is threatened with overuse. Image credit: Marco Antonio de Freitas
Above: Boletus edulis Bull. Chinese unmine) is a large-scale edible wild mushroom collected from Europe and beyond that is listed as the least concerned species on the IUCN Red List. Image credit: Jouko Rikkinen