Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Chekunov, PhD Candidate, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide Sebastian Chekunov Trade in “exotic” pets from foreign countries is a global multibillion-dollar industry. Australian species are highly sought after. Australia banned the commercial export of all live native animals in 1982. But once wildlife is taken out of the country, these laws no longer apply. Many species can be legally traded without restrictions once they are beyond our borders. In our new research, we found 163 Australian reptile species and seven frogs traded as pets overseas. That’s more than one in six (16%) of all Australian reptile species – and around 3% of Australian frogs.
This is a critical issue because the illegal wildlife trade is a multi-billion dollar industry. It fuels the demand for exotic pets, which in turn drives the illegal capture and trade of endangered species. This demand is further fueled by the desire for exotic pets to be unique and rare, leading to a market for captive-bred animals that are often genetically inferior and susceptible to disease. The illegal wildlife trade is a complex issue with multiple contributing factors.
The summary provided describes a data collection and analysis process that involved using web scrapers, machine learning, and other data sources. **Detailed Text:**
The process of collecting and analyzing data for this project relied heavily on automation and sophisticated data processing techniques. Web scrapers, powerful tools for extracting data from websites, played a crucial role in gathering information from the vast online landscape.
**Snakes in the City: Wildlife Trafficking Threatens Sydney**
**Wildlife Trafficking:
This incident highlights the growing threat of wildlife trafficking, particularly in the pet trade, and the need for stronger enforcement and international cooperation. The lizards, primarily green tree pythons, were seized from a warehouse in Sydney. The seizure was part of a larger investigation into a network of smugglers who were allegedly involved in exporting endangered species.
CITES has been successful in regulating trade in many species, but it faces challenges in regulating the illegal trade of endangered species. The illegal trade of wildlife is a significant problem, with an estimated 25% of all wildlife trade being illegal. This trade is driven by factors such as high demand for exotic pets, traditional medicine, and luxury goods.
Just over half of the Australian species we identified in our study are now covered by the convention. ## Summary
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is a global agreement aimed at regulating international trade in endangered species. Australia has implemented a robust system for monitoring trade in endangered species, using Appendix III of the CITES treaty.
Our study explores the effectiveness of online surveillance methods for monitoring the illegal pet trade. The study highlights the limitations of traditional methods and the emergence of new, more effective methods. **Detailed Text:**
The illegal pet trade, a complex and often hidden industry, poses significant challenges for law enforcement agencies.
Our study provides the first comprehensive overview of trade in Australian reptiles and frogs worldwide. Ongoing monitoring is needed to ensure this trade poses no threat to survival of these species. We encourage the Australian government to list more species under the convention and deploy more sophisticated online surveillance methods. Now we know which species are traded overseas, we need to ensure the trade is sustainable. Phill Cassey receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. Sebastian Chekunov does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. We found one in six Australian reptile species traded as pets overseas, despite the export ban – https://theconversation.com/we-found-one-in-six-australian-reptile-species-traded-as-pets-overseas-despite-the-export-ban-229723
