The United States role in the international live reptile trade

2 Pages·2001·1.2 MB·English

by  Craig M Hoover

Copyright©2000AmphibianandReptileConservation.Allrightsreserved.ARCauthorizes Amphibian and Reptile Conservation 2(1):30-31.
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Column
The United States role in the international live reptile trade
CRAIG M. HOOVER1
TRAFFIC North America. World Wildlife Fund (WWF). 1250 24th Street. NW, Washington. D.C. 20037-1132, USA
—
Abstract. In the 1990's, the trade in live reptiles has grown substantially, and the United States (U.S.) is the world's
mostsignificantplayerin the international trade in live reptiles, both as an importerofexotic species, and as an exporter
ofnativeand exoticspecies. In 1995,morethan 2.5 million reptileswereimportedintotheU.S.,primarilytosupplythepet
trade.In 1996,over9.5million reptileswereexportedorreexportedfromtheU.S.,primarilytoEuropeandAsia,tosupply
the demand forreptiles as pets and food. Despitethe large andapparentlygrowingnumberofreptiles and amphibiansin
trade, we haveyet to quantify the impacts ofthis trade on the conservation ofthese species in the wild.
Keywords.Herpetofauna, import,export,reexport, livereptile, internationaltrade
By way ofintroduction, I would like to give you some Thisbackground, alongwithaneducationinnatural
background information about myself, TRAFFIC, and resources and law, will influencethe areasto be covered
this new column in Amphibian andReptile Conserva- in this column. Among the subjects I intend to tackle in
tiontitled,HerpetofaunaandHumanity.Presently,Iama thisspacearereptileandamphibiantradeanditsimplica-
SeniorProgramOfficerforTRAFFICNorthAmerica.As tionsforconservation;theuseofreptilesandamphibians
aSeniorProgramOfficer, Iamresponsibleforthedevel- asclothing,foodandmedicine;theenactment,implemen-
opment and oversight ofwildlife trade studies and the tationandeffectivenessofwildlifetradelaws;illegaltrade
implementationoftheirfindingsandrecommendations. and the threat posed to reptiles and amphibians in the
TRAFFICNorthAmericaisapartoftheworldwideTRAF- wild; captive breeding and the private breeder's role in
FICNetwork,aprogramofWorldWildlifeFund(WWF) conservation; and the current events that shape the rela-
andThe WorldConservation Union (IUCN). TRAFFIC tionship between herpetofauna and humankind. As an
is the world's largest introductiontothisnewcol-
wildlifetrademonitor- umn,HerpetofaunaandHu-
ing program with 21 manity, itwouldbeusefulto
officescoveringmost provide an overview ofthe
regions ofthe globe. U.S.roleintheinternational
TRAFFIC produces livereptiletrade.Thefollow-
reports and papers inginformationsummarizes
documentingthefind- a report released by TRAF-
ingsofits studiesand FICinAugust, 1998,entitled
recommending mea- The U.S. Role in the Inter-
sures necessary to nationalLiveReptile Trade:
help ensure that the Amazon tree boas to Zulu-
trade in wildlife and land dwarf chameleons
wildlife products are (Hoover 1998).
conducted in a sus- The international trade
tainable and legal in live reptiles has grown
manner. This work is dramatically in the last de-
done by collecting Ball python (Python regius). Photo: World Wildlife Fund. cade.Theimport,export,and
tradedataviagovern- reexportoflivereptilessup-
ment agencies such as the United States Fish and Wild- pliesanumberofmarkets,includingzoosandaquariums,
life Service (USFWS), customs agencies, and interna- breedingfacilities, researchcenters,privatebreedersand
tional bodies, carrying out market surveys, conducting keepers,andevenfoodmarketsinsomesegmentsofsoci-
literaturereviewsandwebsitesearches,andothermeans. ety. By farthemostsignificantmarketforthe livereptile
InthethreeyearsthatIhavebeenwithTRAFFIC,much trade is the pet market (private breeders and keepers of
of my time has been devoted to investigating various amphibiansandreptiles).
aspects ofreptile and amphibian trade. The causes ofthe substantial rise inthe international
PriortocomingtoTRAFFICNorthAmerica,Iwasa tradeinlivereptilesaredifficulttoquantifybutmayinclude
wildlife inspectorforthe USFWS in Los Angeles,where an increase in the availability and variety ofspecies; im-
foroverfouryearsIwasabletoseefirsthandthescopeof provedreptilehusbandrypracticesduetoadvancesintech-
thetrade inreptilesandamphibians. Equally important, I nologyandscientificknowledge; increasedrestrictionson
gained valuable knowledge ofthe laws that govern the otherwildlifetrade; changinglifestylesthatmakereptiles
trade,andthemeansbywhichtheselawsareimplemented moresuitablepetsthanotherfauna;orsimplyanincreased
andenforced inthe United States(U.S.). popularitythathasmadereptilestoday's fashionablepets.
Whateverthereason,andtheremay besometruthtoallof
'Correspondence. Tel: [phone]; fax: (202) 775- these explanations, there can be no denying that the live
8287; email: [email protected] reptileindustryhasexpandeddramatically.
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CRAIGM.HOOVER
In 1970,priortothepassageoflawssuchastheU.S. centofthetotalworldtradein 1983,butconstitutedmore
Endangered SpeciesActandadoptionoftheConvention than82percentoftheworldtradeby 1992.However,these
on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild numbersmaybeartificiallyhighgiventhefailureofmany
FaunaandFlora(CITES),U.S. importsoflivereptilesap- countries to accurately report such trade.
proached2millionanimals.Nearly80percentofthisim- There appears to have been an increase in illegal as
portvolumeconsistedofturtles,primarilyred-earedslider well as legal trade. Based on a review ofpress releases,
turtles (Trachemysscripta elegans), with 12 percent liz- wildlife tradejournals, and other sources, from 1970 to
ards, 6.5 percent crocodilians, and less than 2 percent 1990therewereonly 11 reported investigationsofinter-
snakes(Busack 1974). national livereptile smuggling, whilefrom 1991 to 1997
BasedonanalysisofUSFWStradedataforanumber therewereatleast23 suchcasesreported.However,there
ofreptile species, it is clear that the trade subsequently are anumberofalternative explanationsto these results,
declinedsignificantlyandremainedrelativelylowthrough- includingincreasedenforcementeffortandbetterreport-
out the 1980s. However, imports increased again in the ing ofprosecutions.
early 1990s,andin 1995morethan2.5millionlivereptiles Ofcourse,allofthisinformationonthegrowthinthe
were imported to the U.S. Yet the content ofthis trade reptile trade raises the all-important "so what" question.
differedsignificantly fromthereptiles imported in 1970. The overview study that TRAFFIC conducted was not
Byfarthemostcommonlyimportedspecieswasthegreen meant to answerthat question, but to identify areas that
iguana {Iguana iguana), which made up more than 45 neededfurtherexaminationsothat, insomerespects,the
percent ofthe total trade in 1995, and only 8 percent of "so what" question could be addressed. That, in large
importsin 1970. Snakesandlizardsplayedafarmoresig- part, will be the role ofthis column as well. In future is-
nificantroleincurrentimportlevelsthantheydidin 1970, sues,wewilllookatseveral"sowhat"questions,suchas:
with 1995turtlevolumesgreatlyreducedandcrocodilian Whatimpactdoesthepettradehaveonwildpopula-
importsvirtuallynonexistent.Infact,thedramaticincrease tions ofreptilesandamphibians?
in the total numberoflive reptiles imported is primarily What is being done to monitor and protect native
dueto fluctuations inthe numberofiguanas imported. species found in trade?
However, the U.S. is not only a consumer in the Whatotherformsofreptileandamphibiantrademay
internationallivereptiletrade,butalsoasignificantsup- bethreateningspeciesaroundtheworld,suchastheskin,
plier. Infact,theU.S.presentlyexportsorreexportsmore food, andmedicinetrades?
livereptilesthan it imports, due largelytothe export of What isthe impactofcommercial captive breeding,
farm-raised hatchling red-eared sliderturtles, a species farming,andranchingoperationsforiguanas,turtles,ball
evenmore influential onoverall trade volumesthanthe pythons, and other species on wild populations ofrep-
iguana. Forexample, in 1996,theU.S. exportedorreex- tiles andamphibians?
portedover9.5 millionreptiles,primarilytoEurope,East What isthe threat posed by exotic species introduc-
and Southeast Asia, yet over 88 percent of this trade tions that can occurwith international trade, such as the
consisted ofthe red-eared slider, at a volume ofnearly red-earedsliderturtleinEurope?
8.4millionanimals. Whatisbeingdonetomoreeffectivelyenforceexist-
Settingasidethevoluminoustrade inred-earedslid- ing laws andregulationsto ensurethat trade is notdetri-
ers, therearemorethanonemillionreptilesofotherspe- mentallyaffectingwildreptilesandamphibians?
cies that are exported or reexported from the U.S. The The U.S. is clearly the world's largest consumer of
NorthAmericantaxanearesttothered-earedsliderinex- livereptilesforthepettrade, aswell asasignificantsup-
port volume are the map turtles (Graptemys spp.). Ac- plier and intermediary. Yet, this is only one piece ofthe
cording to USFWS data, map turtle exports have risen puzzle. Thegrowth inpopularityofreptilesand amphib-
fromlessthan 10,000in 1990toover80,000inboth 1995 ians as pets, alongwiththe continued enormous demand
and 1996.Basedonmapturtleexportdata,justtwoofthe forthesespeciesforskins,meat,andmedicine,presentus
twelvemapturtlespeciesmakeup90to95 percentofthe with a broad array ofsubjects fordiscussion and debate.
export trade: the common map turtle (G. geographica) Incomingissues,wewillexplorethesefascinatingtopics
andthefalsemapturtle(Gpseudogeographica)[Ventura inanefforttogainabetterunderstandingofthedynamic
1997;dataprovidedbyWeissgold 1997]. and complex relationship between herpetofauna and hu-
The U.S. also plays asubstantial and apparently ex- manity.
panding role as an exporter ofpreviously imported rep-
tiles. For example, the U.S. reexported less than 60,000 References
iguanasin 1993 andmorethan270,000importediguanas Chatel, K. W. 1998 (June). Personal communication to Craig
Hoover, TRAFFIC NorthAmerica, Washington, D.C.
in 1996. This role as a supplier ofpreviously imported
reptilesisinfluencedbyanumberoffactors.Perhapsfore- BusacUkn,itSe.dD.St1at9e7s4..UA.mSp.hiDbeipaanrstmaenndtroepftiIlnetseriiomrp,orWtaesdhiinngtototnh,e
mostisgeography; forinstance,U.S. dealersarewellpo- D.C. 36 p.
sitionedto supplyAsiaand EuropewithLatin American Hoover, C. M. 1998. The U.S. Role in the International Live
reptiles.AnothersignificantfactormaybethatU.S.deal- ReptileTrade:AmazontreeboastoZululanddwarfchame-
ershavelong-establishedconnectionswithoverseassup- leons. TRAFFIC NorthAmerica, Washington, D.C. 59p.
pliers that may provide a competitive advantage as new Ventura, J. 1997 (May). Personal communication to Craig
marketsarise.Forexample,mostofthelivereptiletradein Hoover, TRAFFIC USA, Washington, D.C.
Canada, where the trade in reptiles is less established, Weissgold, B. 1997 (May). Personal communication to Craig
appearstobesuppliedbyU.S. traders(Chatel 1998). Hoover,TRAFFIC USA, Washington, D.C.
U.S. trade in live reptiles also appears to make up a
A
substantial portion ofthe world trade in live reptiles. Thebackgroundscreenphoto:red-earedsliderturtles(Trach-
comparisonoftradedataforcertainCITES-listedspecies emysscripta elegans). Photo: WilLuijf.
indicatesthatU.S.tradeconstitutedapproximately28per-
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