Wildlife Trade And Biodiversity
Legal Trade May Endanger Species Which Now Have Healthy Populations
One Airport, One Day’s Animal Trade
London’s Heathrow Airport has an Animal Quarantine Station. Every day thousands of fish, reptiles and insects pass through its doors as part of the legal trade in wildlife.
On one pallet are crates filled with pill vials. Each one contains a praying mantis. On another, legal size envelopes filled with shredded paper house chameleons.
Yet another has plastic bags with water and a bubble of air to keep the water oxygenated. Every one has a fish in it. In an ironic twist, the movie Finding Nemo, with its very clear conservation message - clownfish belong in the ocean - actually resulted in increased trade in clownfish.
The Illegal Trade
For every shipment that goes through Heathrow in the legal trade, there are countless others that are brought in illegally. Parrots, hawks and other exotic birds are stuffed into the types of mailing tubes used to ship posters and packed into luggage.
The death toll from this type of illegal trade is very high. Most of the birds don’t survive. Unfortunately, the few who do will provide enough income to make doing it again worthwhile.
In addition, many animals that are seized from illegal trade cannot be returned to the wild and thus end up in the legal trade.
The Argument For Wildlife Trade
The most common argument in favor of legal trade is that if people have no financial interest in the wildlife in their area, they won’t conserve it. But if it can be used in a sustainable manner it will be protected. This has not been shown to be the case for species considered to be abundant.
The further argument is that the funds from legal trade would be used to protect wildlife habitat. This argument is suspect in cases where the country in question has a long history of corrupt government. The chances of funds from wildlife trade actually being used for conservation are very limited at best.
The Biodiversity Concern
If the numbers of wildlife species going through Heathrow Airport is staggering, consider the fact that this is just one airport. There are many more airports like Heathrow around the world, processing similar numbers of animals each day. With habitat loss continuing to increase throughout the world, it seems very unlikely that this level of legal trade in non-endangered species can be maintained.
Add to that the spread of diseases such as H5N1 and chytrid fungus when animals are transported out of their native area and the danger to the world's biodiversity is greatly increased.
It is probable that today’s legal trade in wildlife is putting a strain on non-endangered wildlife populations and reducing the biodiversity of the areas being exploited. It is time to take a closer look at all forms of wildlife trade to determine their impact on the environment.
Praying Mantis Legally Traded
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