Online Marketplaces Increasingly Endanger Biodiversity, Study Finds
This is bad for everybody.
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A comprehensive research review has revealed that internet-based marketplaces are significantly accelerating threats to global biodiversity through illegal wildlife trafficking. Scientists found that thousands of animal and plant species are being traded illicitly across popular platforms including social media networks and e-commerce websites, with both live specimens and animal-derived products available for purchase. The study, published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, highlights how digital platforms provide traffickers with anonymity and minimal oversight compared to traditional trading methods.
The scale of the problem is substantial, with researchers identifying over 33,000 specimens from endangered species during a six-week survey of 280 online platforms. Many animals targeted for trade are already vulnerable to extinction or have never been previously monitored for illegal trafficking. Species range from primates sold as exotic pets to animals harvested for body parts like rhino horns. The ease of access and cross-border nature of online trading operations has enabled illegal wildlife trafficking to operate with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
Beyond direct harm to animals and threatened species populations, illegal wildlife trafficking poses broader risks to human society. The trade can facilitate the spread of invasive species and zoonotic diseases that jump from animals to humans. Researchers emphasize that protecting biodiversity benefits everyone, as ecosystem services are often taken for granted until they are lost. Scientists call for comprehensive strategies involving stronger species protection laws, improved regulatory enforcement, technological solutions, and community engagement to address this growing conservation crisis.
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Originally reported by Sciencealert →
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