Conservationists push for tighter controls as exotic pet trade surges online
Conservationists are advocating for enhanced regulations to protect reptiles, birds, and other wildlife increasingly appearing in online marketplaces and social media as part of the exotic pet trade.
Conservationists are advocating for enhanced regulations to protect reptiles, birds, and other wildlife increasingly appearing in online marketplaces and social media as part of the exotic pet trade.
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
The two-week Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora is underway and will conclude on Fri, Oct 27, 2023, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Multiple proposals concerning the pet trade are scheduled for consideration on Tue, Oct 24, 2023.
Participants have suggested stricter regulations or outright bans on the trade of several species. These include iguanas from the Galapagos Islands, over a dozen species of Latin American tarantulas, and a distinctive turtle species from Africa.
Multiple proposals concerning the pet trade are scheduled for consideration on Tue, Oct 24, 2023.
Historically, the trade focused on animal parts, such as elephant ivory and tiger bones. However, the International Fund for Animal Welfare reports that live animals intended for the pet trade are increasingly appearing online.
Several species up for increased protection at the CITES conference are located in Latin America. An IFAW report from the previous year indicated a rise in illegal trade across 18 Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. More than 100,000 animals were seized or poached from 2017 to 2022, with an annual increase in seizures.
The live pet trade constitutes a significant portion, with reptiles comprising about 60% of the traded animals. Nearly 30% are birds, while more than 10% are amphibians. Although many animals are traded locally or regionally, there is evidence of shipments to collectors in Europe, Asia, and the United States.
Based on reporting by Africanews.