Legal wildlife trade

Regulation and trends of wildlife trade

• Since 1975, international trade in many wild species has been regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) 336, a multilateral treaty with 183 signatory Parties (182 countries and the EU) that provides a mechanism to regulate the legal trade of about 36,000 species of animals and plants
• A number of countries have additional measures to regulate trade in wildlife—particularly exports. National or regional level controls for trade in native and exotic species have been enacted for conservation purposes; to promote animal welfare; for public or agricultural health concerns; and to reduce the risk of invasive alien species
• Wildlife consumption patterns vary markedly among countries, with North America, Europe and some parts of Asia being net importers and consumers, whereas countries in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania tend to be net suppliers, or may have a large domestic trade, added to traditional consumption patterns

The story was first published in the State of India's Environment 2022 report by the Centre for Science and Environment, a New Delhi-based non-profit.