Prevalence of illegal turtle trade on social media and implications for wildlife trade monitoring

Sung, Yik-Hei; Lee, Wing-Ho; Leung, Franco Ka-Wah; Fong, Jonathan J.

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109245

Cited by 20 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…39 DWMs are also communication platforms, where users can meet and chat with other users either directly -using Whatsapp, phone, or email -or through specialised forums. These direct interactions may favour the emergence of decentralised trade networks that bypass the intermediary role of the marketplace, similar to what is currently happening on Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit, [16][17][18][19][20]23 where users post products, negotiate item prices, and then trade directly without an intermediary. We estimate that the trading volume of U2U pairs meeting on DWMs is increasing, reaching a peak in 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the one hand, some recent works have shown that a significant number of DWM users trade drugs and other illicit goods using social media platforms, such as Facebook, Telegram, and Reddit. [16][17][18][19][20] Moreover, several qualitative, interview-based studies have shown that DWM users form direct trading relationships with other users, starting user-to-user (U2U) pairs that bypass the intermediary role of DWMs. 21,22 Past research has also found that sellers on regulated online marketplaces and social medial platforms may decide to use intermediaries, such Facebook groups or Instagram, to find new customers, and may start direct U2U trading with potential buyers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Emergence and structure of decentralised trade networks around dark web marketplaces

Nadini,

Bracci,

ElBahrawy

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Dark web marketplaces (DWMs) are online platforms that facilitate illicit trade among millions of users generating billions of dollars in annual revenue. Recently, two interview-based studies have suggested that DWMs may also promote the emergence of direct user-to-user (U2U) trading relationships.Here, we quantify the scale of, and thoroughly investigate, U2U trading around DWMs by analysing 31 million Bitcoin transactions among users of 40 DWMs between June 2011 and Jan 2021. We find that half of the DWM users trade through U2U pairs generating a total trading volume greater than DWMs themselves. We then show that hundreds of thousands of DWM users form stable trading pairs that are persistent over time. Users in stable pairs are typically the ones with the largest trading volume on DWMs. Then, we show that new U2U pairs often form while both users are active on the same DWM, suggesting the marketplace may serve as a catalyst for new direct trading relationships. Finally, we reveal that stable U2U pairs tend to survive DWM closures and that they were not affected by COVID-19, indicating that their trading activity is resilient to external shocks. Our work unveils sophisticated patterns of trade emerging in the dark web and highlights the importance of investigating user behaviour beyond the immediate buyer-seller network on a single marketplace.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Emergence and structure of decentralised trade networks around dark web marketplaces

Nadini,

Bracci,

ElBahrawy

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…However, globalization has also accelerated legal and illegal trade of wildlife around the world (Esmail et al, 2020). Illegal trade of wildlife is a growing threat to global biodiversity and has significantly hampered conservation efforts (Challender et al, 2015;Sung & Fong, 2018;Esmail et al, 2020;Sung et al, 2021). Besides being a staple of food markets, luxury goods, and traditional medicine, a key factor of illegal wildlife trade worldwide is the demand for pets (Baker et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With the advent of social media, illegal wildlife trade is becoming easier than ever (La Laina et al, 2021). Social media can act as a marketplace, opening gateways for online trade of animals (Harrison et al, 2016;Esmail et al, 2020;Sung et al, 2021). The lack of control over the new trade media in developing economies may perpetuate threats to endangered species by facilitating access to these wildlife (La Laina et al, 2021;Martin et al, 2018;Nijman, 2020;Siriwat et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence on the role of social media in the illegal trade of Iranian wildlife

Sardari

Felfelian

Mohammadi

et al. 2022

Conservat Sci and Prac

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The combination of increasing trade across an ever more globalized world and the ubiquity of social media access has led to unprecedented levels of wildlife exploitation. In this study, we opportunistically surveyed Instagram and Telegram from 2019 to 2020, two of Iran's most prominent social media platforms, for advertisements of illegally captured wildlife in Iran. In total we documented 305 advertisements for 63 species, including birds (29%), amphibians (27%), reptiles (26%), and mammals (17%). Trade was most active in June, which may be due to increased availability of young animals, following spring births. The majority of the species advertised for sale (65%) were classified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Least Concern, and 5% of the species we documented as being traded are Endangered. Some Endangered species advertised for sale were Caspian seal and Saker falcon. While the sale of all species is illegal in Iran, 25% of species were also listed on CITES as being prohibited for international trade. However, these domestic and international laws are not well‐enforced within Iran, in light of the scale of open trade we observed. We recommend that authorities devote more time to monitoring these online platforms, and that resources are provided to in‐country enforcement efforts during the spring and summer, the observed peak of capture and trade. We also suggest that further research be conducted into the sources of wildlife, motivations for selling wildlife, and motivations for purchasing wildlife.

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Sustainability of medicinal animal products: Tokay geckos and pangolin scales as traditional Chinese medicine

Wang,

Dufour,

Yeung

et al. 2023

Integrative Conservation

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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) utilizes animal products derived from hundreds of species. For some species, such as the pangolins (family Manidae), demand from the medicinal trade has been recognized as a major threat and is under strict regulations to conserve declining endangered populations. In parallel, species such as the tokay gecko (Gekko gecko and Gekko reevesii) have only recently attracted conservation attention due to the high volumes in trade despite an apparently still abundant wild population. In this study, we collected market data to assess the trade in pangolin (illegal trade) and tokay gecko (legal trade) medicinal products. We also collect general public's attitude toward the trade and their understanding on the medicinal use of high‐profile endangered species (pangolins) and less well‐known species (tokay gecko) in Hong Kong. We interviewed a total of 169 shops/clinics and 153 members of the public. We found that tokay gecko was sold in 59% of the surveyed outlets. We estimate that trade volume may reach as many as 0.2 million individuals per year in Hong Kong. The substantial demand for tokay gecko products estimated in this study underscores the urgent need for a thorough assessment of trade sustainability and continuous monitoring of the wild population status of gecko species. In contrast, pangolin scale products were rarely reported, and there was a high level of awareness among sellers regarding the illegality of such products. Our public survey revealed that awareness of the legal status of these products was the most influential factor shaping public choice to support the trade and consequently consume the products. Therefore, setting up legal protection status and enhancing public awareness about the legality of wildlife trade are essential steps toward responsible consumption and conservation. Furthermore, support for the use of alternatives among TCM practitioners presents a promising avenue. This highlights the opportunity to transiting trade toward sustainably sourced alternatives while respecting the traditions associated with TCM.

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Prevalence of illegal turtle trade on social media and implications for wildlife trade monitoring

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

Emergence and structure of decentralised trade networks around dark web marketplaces

Emergence and structure of decentralised trade networks around dark web marketplaces

Evidence on the role of social media in the illegal trade of Iranian wildlife

Sustainability of medicinal animal products: Tokay geckos and pangolin scales as traditional Chinese medicine

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