Webinar on Illicit Wildlife Trade

Tuesday, April 18, 2023, 14:00 – 15:00 CET

Dr Raluca-Ioana Mocanu moderated the GLITSS COST Action webinar from the University of Bucharest, and the following two topics were discussed:

1) „Global wildlife trade – patterns, consequences and solutions", by Dr Pedro Cardoso, University of Helsinki

Illegal or unsustainable wildlife trade (IUWT) is currently one of the most high-profile conservation challenges, threatening the traded species and coexisting biota, promoting the spread of invasive species, loss of ecosystem services, changing disease dynamics and affecting the global economy. Despite the attention given to few species such as elephants, rhinos and pangolins, the IUWT covers all forms of life, from fungi to plants and insects. The many options to fight its consequences include bans, quotas, protected areas, certification, captive-breeding, and raising awareness, however their implementation is often lacking. This presentation intends to overview current challenges and shed some light on what must be done immediately to minimize the current trends.

2) "Networks of global bird invasion altered by regional trade ban" by Dr Luis Reino, University of Porto

Wildlife trade is a major pathway for introduction of invasive species at the global level. However, how exactly wildlife trade influences invasion risk, beyond the transportation of individuals to novel areas, remains unknown. In this study we evaluate how the international commerce of wild birds may potentially increase the invasion risk and how the European Union ban on imports of wild-caught birds, declared in 2005, impacted the global trade of wild birds.