Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused immense social and economic costs worldwide. Most experts endorse the view that the virus has a zoonotic origin with the final spillover being associated with wildlife trade. Besides human consumption, wild animals are also extensively traded as pets. Information o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989422000695 |
| _version_ | 1818050919107919872 |
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| author | Joana Ribeiro Miguel B. Araújo Joana Santana Diederik Strubbe Ana Sofia Vaz Luís Reino |
| author_facet | Joana Ribeiro Miguel B. Araújo Joana Santana Diederik Strubbe Ana Sofia Vaz Luís Reino |
| author_sort | Joana Ribeiro |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused immense social and economic costs worldwide. Most experts endorse the view that the virus has a zoonotic origin with the final spillover being associated with wildlife trade. Besides human consumption, wild animals are also extensively traded as pets. Information on zoonotic diseases has been reported to reduce consumer demand for exotic pets. We conducted a global survey and collected 162 responses from international experts on exotic pet trade (traders, academics, NGOs, enforcement entities) to understand how the legal and illegal trade of exotic pets is expected to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Our results suggest that legal purchase of exotic pets is perceived as decreasing during the first pandemic wave due to: lower availability of animals for trade, suppliers’ inability to reach consumers and social distancing measures. The general perception is that in the future (i.e., next five years), both demand and supply of legally traded exotic pets are expected to either remain unchanged or decrease only temporarily. The consumer demand for illegal exotic pets is also expected to remain unchanged following the outbreak. The top two challenges reported by respondents, when considering the consequences of the pandemic for the exotic pet trade, are inadequate enforcement of national regulations and increased illegal trade. Our results suggest that the negative consequences of a zoonotic outbreak may not dissuade consumers of exotic pets. Worldwide, the transit/storing conditions and lack of health screenings of traded live animals are conducive to spreading diseases. Consumer demand is a key driver of trade, and enforcement of trade regulations will remain challenging, unless factors driving consumer demand are adequately incorporated in problem-solving frameworks. We emphasize the complexity of trade dynamics and the need to go beyond bans on wildlife trade. Stronger law enforcement, implemented along with initiatives dissuading consumption of wild exotic pets, are essential to sustainably satisfy the market demand. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:01:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f9286457c6314435bdfb9a50f134664f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:01:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-f9286457c6314435bdfb9a50f134664f2022-12-22T01:51:41ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942022-06-0135e02067Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approachJoana Ribeiro0Miguel B. Araújo1Joana Santana2Diederik Strubbe3Ana Sofia Vaz4Luís Reino5CIBIO/InBIO,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‑661 Vairão, Portugal; CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigaçã o em Biodiversidade e Recursos, Genéticos, Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Universidade de Lisboa, Tapada da Ajuda,1349‑017 Lisbon, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics,Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Corresponding author at: CIBIO/InBIO,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‑661 Vairão, Portugal.Department of Biogeography and Global Change, National Museum of Natural Sciences (CSIC), C/ Jose Gutierrez Abascal, 28006 Madrid, Spain; Rui Nabeiro Biodiversity Chair, MED Institute, Largo dos Colegiais, 7000 Évora, PortugalCIBIO/InBIO,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‑661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics,Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, PortugalTerrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Dept. of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000 Gent, BelgiumCIBIO/InBIO,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‑661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics,Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, PortugalCIBIO/InBIO,Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485‑661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics,Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, 4099-002 Porto, PortugalThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused immense social and economic costs worldwide. Most experts endorse the view that the virus has a zoonotic origin with the final spillover being associated with wildlife trade. Besides human consumption, wild animals are also extensively traded as pets. Information on zoonotic diseases has been reported to reduce consumer demand for exotic pets. We conducted a global survey and collected 162 responses from international experts on exotic pet trade (traders, academics, NGOs, enforcement entities) to understand how the legal and illegal trade of exotic pets is expected to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Our results suggest that legal purchase of exotic pets is perceived as decreasing during the first pandemic wave due to: lower availability of animals for trade, suppliers’ inability to reach consumers and social distancing measures. The general perception is that in the future (i.e., next five years), both demand and supply of legally traded exotic pets are expected to either remain unchanged or decrease only temporarily. The consumer demand for illegal exotic pets is also expected to remain unchanged following the outbreak. The top two challenges reported by respondents, when considering the consequences of the pandemic for the exotic pet trade, are inadequate enforcement of national regulations and increased illegal trade. Our results suggest that the negative consequences of a zoonotic outbreak may not dissuade consumers of exotic pets. Worldwide, the transit/storing conditions and lack of health screenings of traded live animals are conducive to spreading diseases. Consumer demand is a key driver of trade, and enforcement of trade regulations will remain challenging, unless factors driving consumer demand are adequately incorporated in problem-solving frameworks. We emphasize the complexity of trade dynamics and the need to go beyond bans on wildlife trade. Stronger law enforcement, implemented along with initiatives dissuading consumption of wild exotic pets, are essential to sustainably satisfy the market demand.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989422000695Consumer demandCovid-19SurveyWildlife tradeZoonoses |
| spellingShingle | Joana Ribeiro Miguel B. Araújo Joana Santana Diederik Strubbe Ana Sofia Vaz Luís Reino Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach Global Ecology and Conservation Consumer demand Covid-19 Survey Wildlife trade Zoonoses |
| title | Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach |
| title_full | Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach |
| title_fullStr | Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach |
| title_short | Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach |
| title_sort | impacts of the sars cov 2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets an expert elicitation approach |
| topic | Consumer demand Covid-19 Survey Wildlife trade Zoonoses |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989422000695 |
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