Shall the EU follow the example of the US in wildlife trade?

📆 Save the Date: Mar 20, 2024 01:30 PM CET (12:30 GMT)
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About the Webinar

Join our Webinar on “Shall the EU follow the example of the US in wildlife trade?”

Wildlife overexploitation remains one of the greatest threats to species survival. While illegal trade garners much attention, the often underestimated threat of legal trade cannot be ignored. Join us as we dissect the complexities of this issue and explore how legal trade is often conflated with sustainability, despite evidence suggesting otherwise.

We will analyze 22 years of data (2000-2022) from the Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States, collated through the Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS). With over 21,000 species traded, and even more when considering CITES listings, the scale of wildlife trade is staggering.

Understanding the origins of traded wildlife is crucial. Shockingly, a significant portion comes from the wild, with over 2.85 billion individuals traded over the studied period. This not only poses risks to species survival but also facilitates the spread of pests and pathogens, including species classified as “injurious invasive.”

Our discussion will shed light on the implications of this trade and emphasize the urgent need for better data collection and standardization. With many nations failing to adequately monitor and release data on wildlife trade, our ability to regulate and ensure sustainability is severely undermined. We’ll underscore the importance of improved data collection, especially in major import regions like the European Union, to mitigate the risks posed by wildlife trade to species survival.