Understanding the environmental and social risks from the international trade in ornamental plants

BioScience, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 17, 2025

The multibillion dollar ornamental plant trade benefits economies worldwide, but shifting and rapidly expanding globalized supply chains have exacerbated complex environmental, sustainability, biosecurity risks. We review the environmental social risks of this international trade, complementing it with analyses illegal seizures contaminant interception data from Netherlands United Kingdom. show global increases in expansions East Africa South America, highlight impacts including biodiversity loss, aquifer depletion, pollution, undermined access benefit sharing, food security. Despite risk mitigation efforts, showed considerable volumes contaminants shipments, taxonomic identification was not always possible, highlighting uncertainties assessing With high-volume fast-moving transit plants around world, is essential that production standards are improved on specific collected shared to allow for mitigation.

Language: Английский

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Biodiversity

Published: March 21, 2025

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Trafficking of Galápagos iguanas as an example of a global problem: CITES permits, laundering and the role of transit countries in Europe and Africa

Biological Conservation, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 305, P. 111104 - 111104

Published: March 25, 2025

Language: Английский

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A more-than-human political ecology of Indonesian songbird trade

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory), Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: April 19, 2025

Abstract Since its conception as a discipline, conservation has considered the ‘problem’ of wildlife trade. In focusing on outcomes, we almost wholly omit discussions welfare animals and plants, harms they endure. Here, develop political ecology approach that incorporates interconnectedness people with natural habitats (“more-than-human”) to study Indonesian bird trade, which is deeply culturally embedded, monetised speciose. Bringing together marketplace observations, 1-1 interviews experts, focus groups law enforcement, map out trade across three levels (actor, inter-actor market level) explore flows birds, interactions, power dynamics within this economy. We use method considers both human perspectives recognize birds active participants their own experiences Specifically, acknowledge previously obscured experienced by like feather plucking, dismemberment, sinus infection, overcrowding, suffocation death. Different forms harm occur in different parts supply chain depend actors whom are interacting. Loss freedom occurs at harvest physical/physiological during transit point However, lower for highly sought-after species, though difficult source well cared affluent collectors, but higher when demand high, supply-side factors lead broad harvesting consideration welfare. Our findings also indicate men classes engage various reasons, such socialisation, investment connecting Javan traditions. interdisciplinary highlight experience relating Five Domains model. Critical understanding endured issues surrounding class, gender culture Indonesia, other IWT contexts.

Language: Английский

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Implementation biases in wildlife trade regulation foster unscientific and inequitable intervention strategies

Frontiers in Conservation Science, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 6

Published: Feb. 21, 2025

International conservation initiatives such as international wildlife trade regulation are important for species efforts, but many current implementation models lend themselves to an environment that promotes biased values and inequitable distribution of benefits responsibilities. This Perspective article aims highlight prevailing sentiments observed among the community contribute asymmetrical discourse, policy development, enforcement. These biases can limit positive biodiversity impacts interventions, preventing them from accomplishing or landscape goals. They also mistrust between stakeholders, therefore adversely affecting relationships crucial maintaining ecosystem services. Additionally, interventions policies be shaped more by subjective judgments value than science. The foreign bushmeat in United States discourse surrounding it demonstrates presence policy. It how these appear supplant evidence-based development promote a resource use where some usages permitted others considered unacceptable. ramifications inequities seen protected area management strategies globally particularly prevalent African Asian regions, militarization shoot-to-kill place. We argue fostering sustainable is enormously complex requires scientific, approach develop implement both fair effective. arguments supported through select quotations notable public authorities.

Language: Английский

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Conserving avian evolutionary history can effectively safeguard future benefits for people

Science Advances, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 9(38)

Published: Sept. 20, 2023

Phylogenetic diversity (PD)—the evolutionary history of a set species—is conceptually linked to the maintenance yet-to-be-discovered benefits from biodiversity or “option value.” We used global phylogenetic and utilization data for birds test PD option value link, under assumption that performance sets PD-maximizing species at capturing known is analogous selecting same point in human before these were realized. performed better than random utilized bird across 60% tests, with dispersion prevalence each category. Prioritizing threatened conservation by they encapsulate performs comparably prioritizing their functional distinctiveness. However, selected metric show low overlap, indicating we should conserve both components effectively variety uses. Our findings provide empirical support link between future generations.

Language: Английский

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Developing Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assays for rapid, presumptive DNA detection of an invasive reptile (Boa constrictor)

Wildlife Research, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 51(1)

Published: Oct. 26, 2023

Context Wildlife trade is a prominent pathway for invasive species introductions into novel environments. Deliberate or accidental release of exotic pets can result in the establishment alien populations, with damaging impacts native and environmental assets. This process well documented reptiles globally considerable biosecurity concern Australia. Boa constrictor one at high risk Australia, has insufficient detection post-border control capacity. Aims We aimed to develop rapid DNA-based presumptive testing capacity detecting B. constrictor, appropriate sensitivity specificity operate trace DNA context. Methods Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) an emerging tool that provides highly specific, sensitive, low-resource methods absence physical evidence. developed colourimetric fluorescent LAMP assays targeting mitochondrial region constrictor. tested validated these against synthetic fragments, as extracted from: (1) vouchered museum tissue; (2) shed skin samples; (3) range non-target test specificity; (4) recovered from glass tanks post presence. Key results successfully detected target down 1 fg genomic tissue skins <10 pg under 30 minutes our fluorescence-based assay. Additionally, we were able detect following 24 h presence utilising traditional laboratory-based extraction method (approximately 180 min) lysis step 8 min). Conclusions Both show promise specific contexts, including enforcement compliance checks domestic illicit wildlife trade. Implications Our findings greatly strengthen ongoing development tools commonly traded trafficked (i.e. reptiles) advancing both preparedness surveillance.

Language: Английский

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An assessment of potential interventions to reduce the totoaba illegal trade market

Conservation Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 38(5)

Published: Sept. 9, 2024

The illegal trade in totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) is causing adverse social, ecological, and economic impacts. This activity accelerating the overexploitation of pushing critically endangered vaquita (Phocoena sinus) closer to extinction. Despite extensive efforts recover populations, scant attention has been given as an independent issue. As a result, data on are limited, which hampers robust analyses development effective interventions reduce harvesting. We used previously developed framework specifically designed examine dynamics markets guide measures mitigate use totoaba. separates into 3 analytical levels: characterization participating actors (e.g., fishers, intermediaries); examination how interact within market organization supply chains); assessment overall that result from these interactions factors determining price quantity). reviewed existing literature (108 initial articles) interviewed key actors, academics, nongovernmental experts (14) obtain for this framework. Our findings offer overview operation, highlighting intervention points customs agents) areas where additional information required decrease gaps US local market). describe structure complexity market, emphasizing influential role organized crime shaping its controlling prices paid fishers stockpiling). By providing systematic in-depth understanding we aimed establish benchmark future research at reducing uncertainties. results provide crucial step toward addressing critical issue can help facilitate strategies combat promote biodiversity conservation more broadly.

Language: Английский

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Rethinking extinction “crises”: The case of Asian songbird trade

Cambridge Prisms Extinction, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 2

Published: Jan. 1, 2024

Different stakeholders and actors frequently describe environmental challenges as 'crises'. These crises are often wicked problems that difficult to resolve due the complex contradictory nature of evidence knowledge systems surrounding them. Here, we examine a crisis narrative IUCN-declared Asian Songbird Crisis (ASC), with its epicentre in Indonesia, where an extensive birdkeeping culture persists. We investigate how bird extinction is perceived by different actors, particularly conservation law enforcement practitioners working this space. unravel local perspectives on relationship between trade through one-to-one interviews focus groups. Our examination reveals diversity attitudes ASC, many not recognising label. Market mechanisms result shifts harvesting pressure onto one or more closely related similar species. The findings challenge prevailing notion species significantly affects wildlife trades, emphasising plastic coming going fashions. By revealing divergent views highlight need for shared language, implications 'crisis' label, around extinction.

Language: Английский

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Creating a more inclusive approach to wildlife trade management

Conservation Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 38(5)

Published: Sept. 9, 2024

Global wildlife trade involves a diverse array of species. Although sustainable underpins livelihoods for communities worldwide, unsustainable trade, whether legal or illegal, threatens thousands species and can lead to extinctions. From plants fungi fish, amphibians, mammals, invertebrates, reptiles, across taxa are affected by trade. Attention has increased in recent years, but its focus largely remained on narrow range high-profile species, with deemed less charismatic frequently overlooked, despite some having significant volumes levels threat wild populations. These biases hamper effective policy interventions, reduce awareness wider threats from prevent conservation efforts focusing the most pressing issues. It is important broaden scope research discussions create more inclusive approach management. The diversity approaches be improved expanding monitoring variety taxa; collecting fundamental ecological data underpin assessments sustainability; improving codesigning interventions key stakeholders actors; developing appropriate strategies managing supply, demand products ensure protected.

Language: Английский

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