The magnitude of legal wildlife trade and implications for species survival

Authors

Benjamin Michael Marshall, University of Stirling
Aubrey L. Alamshah, Binghamton University State University of New York
Pedro Cardoso, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
Phillip Cassey, The University of Adelaide
Sebastian Chekunov, The University of Adelaide
Evan A. Eskew, University of Idaho
Caroline S. Fukushima, Luonnontieteellinen Keskusmuseo
Pablo García-Díaz, Instituto de Ecología Regional
Meredith L. Gore, University of Maryland, College Park
Julie L. Lockwood, Rutgers University
Andrew L. Rhyne, Roger Williams UniversityFollow
James S. Sinclair, Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum
Colin Thomas Strine, Dickinson State University
Oliver C. Stringham, Rutgers University–New Brunswick
Michael F. Tlusty, University of Massachusetts Boston
Jose W. Valdez, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Freyja Watters, The University of Adelaide
Alice C. Hughes, The University of Hong Kong

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Publication Date

1-14-2025

Abstract

The unsustainable use of wildlife is a primary driver of global biodiversity loss. No comprehensive global dataset exists on what species are in trade, their geographic origins, and trade’s ultimate impacts, which limits our ability to sustainably manage trade. The United States is one of the world’s largest importers of wildlife, with trade data compiled in the US Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS). The LEMIS provides the most comprehensive publicly accessible wildlife trade database of non-the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) listed species. In total, 21,097 species and over 2.85 billion individuals were traded over the past 22 y (2000-2022). When LEMIS data are combined with CITES records, the United States imported over 29,445 wild species, including over 50% of all globally described species in some taxonomic groups. For most taxa, around half of the individuals are declared as sourced from the wild. Although the LEMIS provides the only means to assess trade volumes for many taxa, without any associated data on most wild populations, it is impossible to assess the impact on biodiversity, sustainability of trade, or any potential risk of pest or pathogen spread. These insights underscore the considerable underestimation of trade and the urgent need for other countries to adopt similar mechanisms to accurately record trade.

Volume

122

Issue

2

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2410774121

Recommended Citation

Marshall, B., Alamshah, A., Cardoso, P., Cassey, P., Chekunov, S., Eskew, E., Fukushima, C., García-Díaz, P., Gore, M., Lockwood, J., Rhyne, A. L., Sinclair, J., Strine, C., Stringham, O., Tlusty, M., Valdez, J., Watters, F., & Hughes, A. (2025). The magnitude of legal wildlife trade and implications for species survival. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 122 (2) https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2410774121

ISSN

00278424

E-ISSN

10916490