Global Wildlife Trade Fueled by Income Inequality and other Social Injustice

According to a recent survey, over 420 million wild animals have been traded in 226 countries over the last two decades.

Social Injustice

According to the researchers, income inequality pushes trade, and high-income countries should pay lower-income countries to protect biodiversity.

Global Wildlife Trade

One of the most serious threats to endangered species is the commercial trade in animals and plants.

According to the report, wild animals are often transported from low-income countries to wealthy developing countries.

Wild frogs, for example, are sold between Madagascar and the United States, and wild fish from Thailand is exported to Hong Kong.

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Lack of Socioeconomic Opportunities

According to the researchers, the existing multi-national agreements' lack of socioeconomic benefits can hinder the ability to combat harmful trade.

The study's lead author, Jia Huan Liew of the University of Hong Kong, suggested that countries that supply the most wildlife goods be given financial incentives to limit trade for a fixed period of time.

"If the goal is reached at the end of this time, the exporting nation will earn a pre-agreed amount," he told BBC News.

"Ideally, funding will come from developed countries, considering their contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their disproportionately large share of the global biodiversity market."

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Wildlife Trade Bans

Due to a variety of reasons, including bans on wildlife consumption in China, the researchers conclude the pandemic would result in a reduction in international wildlife trade. They argue that this should be seen as a starting point for reform.

"To stop going back to business as usual," Dr. Liew said, "We should use public understanding of the potential effects of eating wildlife goods to limit demand and make the Chinese ban on wildlife consumption lasting."

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Wealth Disparity

Between 1998 and 2018, the global trading network was more extensive among pairs of countries with greater wealth disparities, according to a report published in Science Advances.

Indonesia, Jamaica, and Honduras were the top exporters of wildlife goods, while the United States was the top importer, followed by France and Italy.

Reducing Demands for Vulnerable Species

Cites (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) regulates cross-border trade in wild plants and animals, with the aim of reducing demand for vulnerable biodiversity and encouraging populations to recover.

International Collaboration

Member nations are required to impose trade controls in their own countries under the convention, but opponents contend that Cites has little authority to comply with ineffective domestic legislation.

According to one survey by the non-governmental organization Traffic, between 2006 and 2015, 1.3 million living animals and vegetables, 1.5 million hides, and 2,000 tonnes of beef were legally shipped from Africa to Asia alone.

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