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Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach
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Orientador(es)
Resumo(s)
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
Descrição
Palavras-chave
consumer demand Covid-19 survey wildlife trade zoonoses
Contexto Educativo
Citação
Global Ecology and Conservation 35 (2022) e02067
Editora
Elsevier