The global legal and illegal wildlife trade causes enormous animal suffering and biodiversity loss, requiring comprehensive reform of international frameworks and domestic enforcement.
Wildlife trade causes welfare harm at multiple scales. Individual animals suffer during capture, transport, and in destination facilities. Population-level declines undermine the social and ecological systems wild animals depend on. Legal trade in wild animals including parrots, reptiles, and fish results in mortality at every stage from capture to sale. Illegal trade involves additional welfare harms from concealment and poor conditions. CITES provides a framework but is limited by member state enforcement capacity and political will. Demand reduction campaigns targeting key consumer markets have shown effectiveness. Prohibition of specific high-risk trade including live primates and great apes is achievable with political will. The One Health approach recognizing links between wildlife trade, animal welfare, and pandemic risk provides new advocacy leverage.