Global Reptile & Amphibian Pet Trade Is Fueling Wildlife Trafficking & Threatening Species With Extinction
A group of eight international experts is calling on governments to close legal loopholes that they warn are allowing the global trade in reptiles and amphibians to threaten wild populations, fuel wildlife trafficking, and increase risks from disease and invasive species.
In a new Comment published in Nature, the experts warn that current protections are often reactive, allowing species to be traded until serious harm has already occurred.
The global reptile trade is estimated to be worth $2.5 billion, with millions of reptiles and amphibians imported into North America and Europe each year. Of those animals, more than half of the reptiles and 40% of the amphibians are taken directly from the wild.
Madagascar’s ploughshare tortoise, one of the world’s most endangered tortoises, is among the species threatened largely by illegal capture from the wild for the pet trade.
“For decades, the growing unsustainable legal and illegal trade of reptiles and amphibians has shown that a gap for these animals in legislation anywhere is a gap in legislation everywhere,” said Susan Lieberman, Vice President for International Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society.
“A species protected in its country of origin should not become legal merchandise simply because it crosses a border. Global decision-makers must take this opportunity to close these loopholes, create a future that combats crime and over-exploitation, and ensure that this destructive trade does not cause immeasurable harm to wildlife and ecosystems.”
Reptiles and amphibians are especially vulnerable because small animals can be easily concealed, rare species can sell for thousands of dollars, and illegally sourced animals can be difficult to distinguish from those traded legally.
“Astonishing numbers of reptiles and amphibians are threatened with extinction around the world today—in large part because of the pet trade,” said Neil M. Vora, Executive Director of Preventing Pandemics at the Source.
“Legal gaps at national and international levels mean that reptiles and amphibians are routinely taken from natural habitats and sold abroad. This causes problems in countries from which they come, but also in the countries where they go, as these animals can become invasive and carry germs. The animals also often experience horrific conditions that defy common-sense welfare standards. But we have policy solutions to address this gap, and they must be urgently implemented.”
The trade can also spread disease and invasive species. The salamander chytrid fungus caused mass die-offs of native fire salamanders in western Europe after being introduced through the pet trade, while invasive Burmese pythons in the United States have been associated with declines in bobcats, raccoons, and opossums.
The authors are calling on countries to strengthen protections for native wildlife and stop the import and sale of animals obtained in violation of laws in their countries of origin, even when those species are not covered by CITES.
They are also urging stronger international cooperation on wildlife trafficking, including possible new measures being considered in October under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC).
Experts warn that closing these legal gaps is critical to preventing further exploitation and protecting reptiles and amphibians from being pushed closer to extinction.
