Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures
India has an extensive bird trade that provides income and livelihoods for many people but involves considerable unregulated and illegal activity, threatening both native and exotic species and posing potential health risks to people and wildlife. Action to curb illegal trade is vital, but there is...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Oryx |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001594/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797319248164421632 |
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| author | Sharda Kalra Alisa Davies Rowan O. Martin Asha Poonia |
| author_facet | Sharda Kalra Alisa Davies Rowan O. Martin Asha Poonia |
| author_sort | Sharda Kalra |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | India has an extensive bird trade that provides income and livelihoods for many people but involves considerable unregulated and illegal activity, threatening both native and exotic species and posing potential health risks to people and wildlife. Action to curb illegal trade is vital, but there is currently a lack of information on trade routes and the species involved to inform the development of strategies to address such trade. We therefore examined media reports of bird trade seizures published during 2010–2020 as a cost-effective approach to gaining insights into the composition and structure of the bird trade in India. We collected 182 media reports referring to 109 seizure events by searching for keywords on popular search engines and Indian newspaper websites. We found that 25,850 birds were seized, most frequently members of the family Psittacidae. Of the 58 species identified, 18 were native and 40 non-native to India. The greatest numbers of birds were seized in Uttar Pradesh. Analyses of trade networks indicate that Uttar Pradesh is an important trade hotspot particularly for native species and has strong transnational connections with neighbouring Nepal. We identified West Bengal as an important trade hotspot, particularly for non-native species, probably because of its extensive land borders with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh. Our study highlights priority areas for interventions as well as key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to facilitate the development of strategies to manage illegal, unsustainable and otherwise harmful trading of birds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:04:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-efbd0e16163b47129a0a45a3940b28bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0030-6053 1365-3008 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T04:04:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Oryx |
| spelling | doaj.art-efbd0e16163b47129a0a45a3940b28bb2024-02-09T08:42:20ZengCambridge University PressOryx0030-60531365-30082024-01-0158697710.1017/S0030605322001594Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizuresSharda Kalra0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8321-3305Alisa Davies1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6848-2753Rowan O. Martin2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0326-0161Asha Poonia3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1432-4060Faculty of Life Sciences, Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani, IndiaWorld Parrot Trust, Hayle, UKWorld Parrot Trust, Hayle, UKFaculty of Life Sciences, Chaudhary Bansi Lal University, Bhiwani, IndiaIndia has an extensive bird trade that provides income and livelihoods for many people but involves considerable unregulated and illegal activity, threatening both native and exotic species and posing potential health risks to people and wildlife. Action to curb illegal trade is vital, but there is currently a lack of information on trade routes and the species involved to inform the development of strategies to address such trade. We therefore examined media reports of bird trade seizures published during 2010–2020 as a cost-effective approach to gaining insights into the composition and structure of the bird trade in India. We collected 182 media reports referring to 109 seizure events by searching for keywords on popular search engines and Indian newspaper websites. We found that 25,850 birds were seized, most frequently members of the family Psittacidae. Of the 58 species identified, 18 were native and 40 non-native to India. The greatest numbers of birds were seized in Uttar Pradesh. Analyses of trade networks indicate that Uttar Pradesh is an important trade hotspot particularly for native species and has strong transnational connections with neighbouring Nepal. We identified West Bengal as an important trade hotspot, particularly for non-native species, probably because of its extensive land borders with neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh. Our study highlights priority areas for interventions as well as key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to facilitate the development of strategies to manage illegal, unsustainable and otherwise harmful trading of birds.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001594/type/journal_articleBirdscaged-bird tradeIndiamedia-reported seizuresSouth Asiawildlife confiscationswildlife tradewildlife trafficking |
| spellingShingle | Sharda Kalra Alisa Davies Rowan O. Martin Asha Poonia Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures Oryx Birds caged-bird trade India media-reported seizures South Asia wildlife confiscations wildlife trade wildlife trafficking |
| title | Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures |
| title_full | Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures |
| title_fullStr | Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures |
| title_short | Insights from the media into the bird trade in India: an analysis of reported seizures |
| title_sort | insights from the media into the bird trade in india an analysis of reported seizures |
| topic | Birds caged-bird trade India media-reported seizures South Asia wildlife confiscations wildlife trade wildlife trafficking |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0030605322001594/type/journal_article |
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