International studies have indicated that nearly 30,000 wild species have been traded within the United States, based on information gathered by the Law Enforcement Manage Information System, a US organization monitoring wildlife trade.
International studies, in collaboration with the University of Adelaide, have revealed that the United States trades nearly 30,000 wild species, according to findings from the US wildlife trade monitoring body, Law Enforcement Manage Information System.
Directed by the University of Hong Kong, the research analyzed 22 years’ worth of trade data, revealing that more than 2.85 billion individual animals were involved in the trade, with half of these sourced from the wild.
“The United States stands as one of the largest importers of wildlife globally and is distinct in its documentation of trade in species that lack international oversight,” explains Freyja Watters, a PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide’s Wildlife Crime Research Hub.
“Our findings exposed tens of thousands of wild species and billions of individual animals entering the market, many without any global regulations.”
Published in PNAS, the research also revealed that less than 0.01 percent of the wildlife trade is deemed illegal, emphasizing the urgent need for legal reforms to enhance protection for more species that are not governed by existing laws.
“Current international regulations only address a small segment of wildlife, often favoring eye-catching species. Although most of this trade is lawful, the majority of species do not undergo evaluations to ensure sustainable harvesting,” adds Watters.
“This indicates a significant shortfall in our capability to gauge the true effects of wildlife trade and stresses the requirement for improved global monitoring and management.”
While the US is among the leading nations in wildlife trading, it is a worldwide issue. The wildlife trade is one of the most serious threats facing numerous species, with an assessment from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services stating that 50,000 species are involved in trade globally.
“Although we are able to track the number of species and individuals entering the US, comparable statistics are lacking globally,” states Dr. Alice Catherine Hughes from the University of Hong Kong, who spearheaded the study.
“For many species in trade, we lack information on their removal or wild population status, making it impossible to evaluate the sustainability of that trade. However, where assessments were conducted, most populations subjected to harvest have shown declines.”
“This research has deepened our comprehension of trade, and the codes created will facilitate the standardization and analysis of further trade data.
“Moreover, we have pointed out the significant gaps in our knowledge regarding wildlife trade, indicating that the absence of systematic monitoring hampers our ability to comprehend or oversee trade, blocking any chance for sustainable management.”
Further research on global wildlife trade is expected to be released in the forthcoming months.
“We aspire that our ongoing research will motivate countries to review how they record and share their wildlife trade data, as without more comparable global information, we cannot evaluate the trade’s impact on most of the species involved,” remarks Professor Phill Cassey, Director of the Wildlife Crime Research Hub at the University of Adelaide.
