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Morton O, Nijman V, Edwards DP. International wildlife trade quotas are characterized by high compliance and coverage but insufficient adaptive management. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02531-4. [PMID: 39251819 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02531-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
Effective management of international wildlife trade is crucial to ensure sustainability. Quotas are a common trade management tool and specify an annual number of individuals to be exported, yet at present there is no global assessment of quota coverage and compliance. Using over 7,000 country-year specific reptile quotas established under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) covering 343 species, we quantify quota coverage, compliance, trade trends pre-quota and post-quota setting and whether quotas likely represent adaptive management. Quotas predominantly concerned live wild-sourced reptiles, with only 6.6% of live non-zero quotas exceeded and 4.5% of zero quotas subverted. For 62.3% of species, quotas were established higher than pre-quota trade, with traded volumes post-quota mainly unchanged or higher than pre-quota establishment, thus potentially facilitating sustainable trade. Over 38% of quota series of species remained at the same level each year, with the longest-running quotas proportionately updated the least, indicating that many quotas do not change adaptively in response to changing threats to species through time. Greater specificity in exactly what quotas cover, justification for unchanged quotas and transparency over quota determination are needed to ensure that high compliance equates to sustainable use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Morton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Vincent Nijman
- Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - David P Edwards
- Department of Plant Sciences and Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Macdonald DW. Mitigating Human Impacts on Wild Animal Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2906. [PMID: 37760306 PMCID: PMC10525650 DOI: 10.3390/ani13182906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human activities negatively impact the welfare of wild vertebrates in many different contexts globally, and countless individual animals are affected. Growing concern for wild animal welfare, especially in relation to conservation, is evident. While research on wild animal welfare lags behind that focused on captive animals, minimising human-induced harm to wild animals is a key principle. This study examines examples of negative anthropogenic impacts on wild animal welfare, how these may be mitigated and what further research is required, including examples from wildlife management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife tourism and wildlife trade. Further, it discusses the relationship between animal welfare and biodiversity conservation, and synergies that may be achieved between these. Ultimately, it is discussed how the welfare of wild animals may be balanced with other priorities to ensure that welfare is afforded due consideration in interactions between people and wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Macdonald
- The Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK
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Toudonou C, Elwin A, Penner J, Coulthard E, Norrey J, Megson D, Rödel MO, Sinsin B, Harrington LA, Auliya M, D’Cruze N. Seeking serpents: Ball python trade in Benin, West Africa. NATURE CONSERVATION 2022. [DOI: 10.3897/natureconservation.50.86352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Ball pythons are traded as bushmeat, leather and belief-based medicine in West Africa, and specimens are exported in large numbers for the exotic pet trade. Here, we focused on understanding the purpose and socio-economic context of this trade in Benin through interviews with 44 actors involved in the trade of this species. We provided a snapshot of trade dynamics during a period when hunters are not predominantly actively involved in supplying eggs, neonates and gravid females for ranching and export as exotic pets. Our findings revealed that hunters and traders were largely focused on supplying the bushmeat and medicine markets in West Africa during this time. We estimated that the 21 collectors engaged in hunting in our study collectively hunt between 576 and 5,083 ball pythons from the wild each year. Collection rates reported by some suggests that they could earn more than 15,000 USD from ball python sales in bushmeat markets annually. Ball pythons hunted in Benin were mainly sold to local customers as “bushmeat” (53%) or for belief-based uses (39%) (including “fetish”, “medicinal products” and “voodoo”). However, cross-border trade with neighboring countries of Togo, Nigeria, and Ghana (or even further) also occurred. Although profitable for some, the scale of this practice, together with the widely reported decline in ball python populations in Benin, raises concern about the sustainability and long-term economic viability of this type of large-scale commercial wildlife trade in West Africa, especially as it occurs alongside extensive ranching practices to support the exotic pet trade.
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Kwon J, Kim SW, Kim SG, Kim HJ, Lee SB, Kang JW, Jung WJ, Giri SS, Lee K, Park SC. A Case of Submandibular Leiomyosarcoma, Mimicking an Abscess, in a Ball Python ( Python regius). Vet Sci 2021; 8:vetsci8100224. [PMID: 34679054 PMCID: PMC8539710 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8100224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A two-year-old ball python with a submandibular mass was evaluated. Fine needle aspiration resulted in debris containing purulent materials and bacterial cells on cytology. Radiography demonstrated multi-focal radiopaque lesions in the mass, which were suspected to be mineralization; there was an absence of mandibular invasion or lung involvement. Gross examination of the surgically excised mass revealed a multi-nodular, well-circumscribed lesion with purulent material. The postoperative recovery was uneventful. The histopathological examination followed by immunohistochemistry analysis gave a diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma. As tumors containing purulent materials can be confused with an abscess, diagnostic confirmation with various diagnostical tools should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Kwon
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Sang Wha Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Sang Guen Kim
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Hyoun Joong Kim
- Department of Marine Life Science, Jeju National University, Jeju 63243, Korea;
| | - Sung Bin Lee
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Jeong Woo Kang
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Won Joon Jung
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Sib Sankar Giri
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
| | - Kyunglee Lee
- Cetacean Research Institute (CRI), National Institute of Fisheries Science (NIFS), Ulsan 44780, Korea;
| | - Se Chang Park
- Laboratory of Aquatic Biomedicine, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea; (J.K.); (S.W.K.); (S.G.K.); (S.B.L.); (J.W.K.); (W.J.J.); (S.S.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-880-1282
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Harrington LA, Auliya M, Eckman H, Harrington AP, Macdonald DW, D'Cruze N. Live wild animal exports to supply the exotic pet trade: A case study from Togo using publicly available social media data. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Harrington
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Mark Auliya
- Department of Conservation Biology Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH – UFZ Leipzig Germany
- Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | | | - Alix P. Harrington
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
| | - Neil D'Cruze
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology University of Oxford, Recanati‐Kaplan Centre Abingdon UK
- World Animal Protection London UK
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D’Cruze N, Green J, Elwin A, Schmidt-Burbach J. Trading Tactics: Time to Rethink the Global Trade in Wildlife. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E2456. [PMID: 33371486 PMCID: PMC7767496 DOI: 10.3390/ani10122456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Covid-19 outbreak has brought about fresh and intensified scrutiny of the wildlife trade, which substantively involves commerce in exotic pets. In response, major policy decisions involving trade bans have ensued, with calls for similar such action to be applied across the trade chain. Yet, these measures have been criticised, largely based on concerns that they risk exacerbating poverty, undermining human rights, damaging conservation incentives, and otherwise harming sustainable development and conservation efforts. Instead, many critics propose improved regulation of the status quo, with the intention of nurturing a legal, sustainable, safe, humane, and equitable wildlife trade. Herein, we provide a countering view that outlines how the risks presented by the wildlife trade are becoming increasingly recognised as being both manifold and severe; and raise concerns that the goal of a well-regulated wildlife trade is becoming increasingly exposed as a mirage. We conclude that while pursuing the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (with their focus on poverty alleviation, food security, public health, and conservation) is enduringly vital, a flourishing wildlife trade is not. Given that the exploitation of wildlife, including for the pet trade, has been identified as one of the dominant drivers of biodiversity loss, emergence of zoonotic infectious disease, animal suffering, and financial instability, perpetuating the concept of utilising a regulated wildlife trade as the default approach to protect people and planet is in urgent need of re-evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil D’Cruze
- World Animal Protection, 222 Gray’s Inn Rd., London WC1X 8HB, UK; (J.G.); (A.E.); (J.S.-B.)
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Segniagbeto GH, Assou D, Agbessi EKG, Atsri HK, D'Cruze N, Auliya M, Fa JE, Luiselli L. Insights into the status and distribution of pangolins in Togo (West Africa). Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Hoinsoudé Segniagbeto
- Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LaEE) Faculty of Sciences University of Lomé Lomé Togo
- Togolese Society for Nature Conservation (AGBO‐ZEGUE NGO) Lomé Togo
| | - Délagnon Assou
- Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LaEE) Faculty of Sciences University of Lomé Lomé Togo
- Togolese Society for Nature Conservation (AGBO‐ZEGUE NGO) Lomé Togo
| | - Eric Koffi G. Agbessi
- Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LaEE) Faculty of Sciences University of Lomé Lomé Togo
- Togolese Society for Nature Conservation (AGBO‐ZEGUE NGO) Lomé Togo
| | - Honam Komina Atsri
- Laboratory of Botany and Plant Ecology Faculty of Sciences University of Lomé Lomé Togo
| | - Neil D'Cruze
- World Animal Protection London UK
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit Department of Zoology University of OxfordRecanati‐Kaplan Centre Tubney, Abingdon UK
| | - Mark Auliya
- Department Herpetology Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Julia E. Fa
- The Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester UK
- Center for International Forestry Research Bogor Indonesia
| | - Luca Luiselli
- Laboratory of Ecology and Ecotoxicology (LaEE) Faculty of Sciences University of Lomé Lomé Togo
- Institute for Development, Ecology, Conservation and Cooperation Rome Italy
- Department of Applied and Environmental Biology Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt Nigeria
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