Coronavirus: a wildlife trade perspective
COVID-19 may have provided a welcome break from high levels of pollution, but the illegal wildlife trade continues
As the coronavirus pandemic brings the world to a standstill, stories of nature’s comeback are beginning to circulate. Jellyfish are being spotted in the clearer waters of Venice canals, monkeys are reclaiming Thai city centres and mountain goats are roaming the streets of Llandudno in Wales. This is, of course, a hopeful message to humankind in a time when good news is scarce. A message that the damage we have done is not yet irreversible, and a reminder of the resilience of nature. But, the reality of our impact on the environment spreads far beyond pollution alone, and in fact the potential effects COVID-19 could have on wildlife around the world is of great concern for conservationist, not least the impact the pandemic will have on the illegal wildlife trade.
Coronavirus is officially a global pandemic, with at least 185 countries confirming cases within their borders. But while the high death tolls of the western world dominate headlines, we must not overlook the potential devastation COVID-19 is having, and may still have, on low-income countries. In a recent article written for The Conversation, conservation scientist Charlie Gardner made the valid point that citizens of these poorer nations will not receive financial support from their governments, and instead will be forced to exploit natural resources and wildlife as their ‘safety net’ for survival. The effect the coronavirus pandemic will have on the illegal wildlife trade remains to be seen, but the demand for natural remedies; namely the use of wildlife products in traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs); will surely grow if western pharmaceutical corporations choose to exploit a vaccine for profit.
COVID-19 is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, spawned from one of many Asian wet markets selling a range of live fish, chickens, meats and wildlife products — a breeding ground for novel viruses. This has finally shed light on the illegal wildlife trade as both a public health issue as well as a threat to endangered species and biodiversity. Following similarities drawn between COVID-19 and viruses found in wildlife markets, pangolins, the world’s most illegally trafficked mammal, are suggested to be the most likely intermediate host for this strain of coronavirus. The consumption of their meat may therefore have facilitated the zoonotic transmission to humans. This finding triggered a global call to ban the wildlife trade in China, and in February the Chinese government consequently announced its intention to ban the sale of wildlife products for human consumption. However, conservationists quickly identified loopholes in the ban, which still permitted the sale of wildlife products for fur, medicine and research. Such legal trades will therefore be exploited by traffickers as a disguise for an illegal trade to operate under.
We must also weigh up if banning the wildlife trade entirely is necessarily the best thing to do at this stage. As with many of the world’s most lucrative industries, notably the sale of drugs, alcohol or animals, history has taught us that if a demand still remains, prohibition only drives illegal markets underground. Enforcing a complete ban on wildlife trade could therefore drive up prices of already highly sought-after commodities like rhino horn and pangolin scales, further incentivising international crime syndicates. Furthermore, such unrestricted, unregulated underground markets may even increase the risk of newly emerging novel viruses, and this could prove to be counterproductive. The most effective response in the current climate may therefore be to tighten restrictions and regulations on these wet markets with regards to the spread of disease and human health.
“The illegal wildlife trade is a global network estimated to be worth up to US$23 billion”
The illegal wildlife trade is a global network estimated to be worth up to US$23 billion. Exotic and often CITES listed species are poached from sources all around the world to meet the demand for their eventual sale in Asian markets for high prices. As a result of this, it is important to consider what impact the pandemic could have on levels of poaching in source countries; notably South Africa, a leading supplier of products like rhino horn, elephant ivory, lion bone and pangolin scale — all of which are widely used in TCMs. Early reports on the ground suggest surges in bushmeat poaching, as protected areas and reserves normally patrolled by ecotourists are now left empty and exposed, while local communities are forced to turn to bushmeat hunting for food and income. Conversely, reported cases of rhino poaching incidents in some regions appear to have decreased since the nation-wide lockdown began — perhaps owing to restrictions in travel and aviation disrupting complex transnational supply chains normally used to export poached goods. However, given the inevitable financial struggles faced by poorer communities paired with the loss of ecotourism revenue for anti-poaching funding, managing the poaching crisis in South African reserves in the post-pandemic world will likely be extremely challenging.
Conservation rhetoric is becoming increasingly negative due to the wide multitude of threats currently facing the natural world, making it very difficult to unite people behind conservation goals. Stories of nature’s comeback and the resilience of the planet’s wildlife must of course be celebrated, but it is equally important that we acknowledge the impacts of our actions and seek to make appropriate changes. The world’s ecosystems and the biodiversity which underpins them are faced with many challenges as a result of human overexploitation, and how we navigate these challenges after emerging from COVID-19 is yet to be seen. One thing that’s for sure however, is that there will never be a more important time to support wild spaces and rally behind conservation goals, not least the ongoing and complex battle against the illegal wildlife trade.
