A case for listing the Union Island Gecko Gonatodes daudini in the Appendices of CITES

Shepherd, Chris R.; Janssen, Jordi; Noseworthy, Josh

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00549

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The uncontrolled commercialisation and demand for wild animals as pets is recognised as a significant and increasing driver of the global decline and extinction of species [ 10 , 12 , 100 , 101 , 102 ]. Collector demand is particularly high for rare species or those that have only recently been described [ 29 , 30 , 38 , 103 , 104 ]. Rarity of a species can enhance its desirability, which, in turn, stimulates higher prices; this is true of both legal and illegal trade [ 27 , 101 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning Negatives into Positives for Pet Trading and Keeping: A Review of Positive Lists

Toland¹,

Bando²,

Hamers

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The trading and keeping of exotic pets are associated with animal welfare, conservation, environmental protection, agricultural animal health, and public health concerns and present serious regulatory challenges to legislators and enforcers. Most legislation concerning exotic pet trading and keeping involves restricting or banning problematic species, a practice known as “negative listing”. However, an alternative approach adopted by some governments permits only the keeping of animals that meet certain scientifically proven criteria as suitable in respect of species, environmental, and public health and safety protections. We conducted an evaluation of positive lists for the regulation of pet trading and keeping within the context of the more prevalent system of restricting or prohibiting species via negative lists. Our examination of international, national, and regional regulations in Europe, the United States, and Canada found that criteria used for the development of both negative and positive lists were inconsistent or non-specific. Our online surveys of governments received limited responses, although telephone interviews with officials from governments either considering or developing positive lists provided useful insights into their attitudes and motivations towards adopting positive lists. We discuss key issues raised by civil servants including perceived advantages of positive lists and anticipated challenges when developing lists of suitable species. In addition, we compare functions of negative and positive lists, and recommend key principles that we hope will be helpful to governments concerning development and implementation of regulations based on positive lists.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Turning Negatives into Positives for Pet Trading and Keeping: A Review of Positive Lists

Toland¹,

Bando²,

Hamers

et al. 2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Similar research on another enigmatic Vietnamese gecko species, Cnemaspis psychedelica, endemic to small islands in the south of Vietnam, revealed a density of 12-19.2 animals / 100 m and an estimated population size of 365-732 individuals (Ngo et al 2016a). The population of the threatened gecko, Gonatodes daudini endemic to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, was estimated at abundances of 87-218 animals / ha in 2010 and has significantly declined to 19 animals / ha) in 2018 (with a total population of 9952 individuals) and over-harvesting being reported as the major threat to the species (Bentz et al 2011;Shepherd et al 2019). Overharvesting for the international trade has also been reported as a major threat to Lygodactylus williamsi, an electric blue gecko endemic to a small range in Tanzania.…”

Section: Population Status Of Goniurosaurus Catbaensismentioning

confidence: 99%

A case study on trade in threatened Tiger Geckos (Goniurosaurus) in Vietnam including updated information on the abundance of the Endangered G. catbaensis

Ngo¹,

Nguyen²,

Phan³

et al. 2019

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Tiger geckos of the genusGoniurosaurusare considered as a susceptible reptile group, due to their restricted distribution ranges, specialisation to specific microhabitats and generally low population densities. While still new species have been discovered recently,Goniurosaurusspecies are threatened by extinction through habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. Of the 19 described species, for only eight species, the conservation status has been assessed within the IUCN Red List between 2016 and 2018 and all have been classified in the threat categories VU (Vulnerable), EN (Endangered) and CR (Critically Endangered).Goniurosaurusspp. are popular in the international pet market at least since the 1990s and several species experienced local extirpations as a consequence of massive over-collection in the past. However, tiger geckos have not been paid much attention for conservation, amongst others, due to the lack of comprehensive knowledge on their conservation status and biology. This study provides an overview of international trade inGoniurosaurusbased on available data from 1999 to 2018 in the U.S. as well as data from online surveys and interviews in Europe and Vietnam, with the main focus on species native to Vietnam. All five tiger gecko species known from Vietnam were found in the local trade as wild captures for the national and international market and / or in the U.S. and Europe for relatively higher prices. We found that entire trade chains are very long (including several transfers and dealers involved) and that keeping and transport happen under poor conditions. We herein provide updated information on the abundance of the Endangered Cat Ba Tiger Gecko, which was recently shown to not only occur at its type locality, Cat Ba Island, Hai Phong City, North Vietnam, but also to inhabit small offshore islands in the Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh Province. While the wild effective population was found to be relatively stable on four islands in Ha Long Bay, consisting of about 124 and 129 individuals in July 2017 and April 2018, respectively, the abundance of other sub-populations, impacted by anthropogenic pressures were found to be very low (2–10 individuals). Based on our findings, we propose stringent conservation measures to more efficiently protect wild tiger gecko populations, such as the inclusion in the Governmental Decree in Vietnam, the assessment of remaining species in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and the inclusion in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

show abstract

“…Within the EU, Germany in particular plays a leading role in the exotic pet trade and German keepers have a long tradition of keeping reptiles and amphibians [ 27 , 28 ]. One of the world’s largest reptile trade shows, the Terraristika, takes place four times a year in the town of Hamm (northern Germany) and attracts traders and potential clients not only from all over Europe, but from across the world [ 4 , 15 , 29 ]. Moreover, Germany is by far the largest importer of live reptiles within the EU [ 30 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rush for the Rare: Reptiles and Amphibians in the European Pet Trade

Altherr

Lameter

2020

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Direct exploitation is one of the five main reasons for the loss of biodiversity, and collections for the international pet trade are an ongoing threat for many reptiles and amphibians. The European Union and in particular Germany have a central role as a hub and destination for exotic pets from all over the world. Rare species of reptiles and amphibians especially are in the focus of collectors. Rarity on the market may be either caused by rarity of a species in the wild or by a limited availability for sale, e.g., due to national protection measures in the range state or remote localities. The present study identified 43 species that are not listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and were only recently described, but have already entered the European pet trade. Ten of these species were selected as case studies, representing species from different geographic regions and illustrating the marketing mechanisms. Many such species that are new to science are neither assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species nor are they covered by international legislation, even though in several countries, where such internationally sought-after species are caught, national protection measures are in place. This paper analyses the challenges and opportunities for the protection of potentially threatened and newly described reptile and amphibian species against over-exploitation for the pet trade.

show abstract

A case for listing the Union Island Gecko Gonatodes daudini in the Appendices of CITES

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

Turning Negatives into Positives for Pet Trading and Keeping: A Review of Positive Lists

Turning Negatives into Positives for Pet Trading and Keeping: A Review of Positive Lists

A case study on trade in threatened Tiger Geckos (Goniurosaurus) in Vietnam including updated information on the abundance of the Endangered G. catbaensis

The Rush for the Rare: Reptiles and Amphibians in the European Pet Trade

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About