A co-director from the Oxford Martin Programme on Wildlife Trade was lead guest editor for a special issue of a Wiley journal that aims to broaden wildlife trade discussions and better represent the diversity of traded species.

This issue of Conservation Biology, ‘Beyond Charismatic Megafauna in Illegal Wildlife Trade’, features 21 papers from over 125 authors compiled by Dr Amy Hinsley alongside Dr Jared Margulies of the University of Alabama and Dr Alice Hughes of the University of Hong Kong.

It is headlined by an essay from the guest editors, who call for a broadening of the scope of research and policy discussions and a more inclusive approach to trade management to ensure threatened species deemed less charismatic yet significantly traded are not overlooked.

Key priorities to ensure this goal is realised include improving data on the trade and ecology of a wider variety of species, codesigning solutions to unsustainable trade with key stakeholders, and designing interventions that are tailored to the trade in overlooked species.

Dr Hinsley, co-director of the Wildlife Trade programme and Research Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology, said:

'Wildlife trade goes way beyond the illegal trade of elephant and rhino products that often gets the most attention. With this special issue we highlight the species that are highly traded but often overlooked in conservation policy and practice discussions. From snails and crayfish to fungi and venus fly traps, we need targeted research and action to ensure that trade does not threaten wild species’

Dr Diogo Verissimo, Research Fellow with the Wildlife Trade programme as well as the Department of Biology, also contributes a paper alongside other authors that outlines a methodology for assessing potential threats posed by trade to wildlife, using the Caribbean diamond tarantula as a case study.

He said:

'Our study shows that by applying a behavioral framework, we can make more informed decisions about the risks posed by wildlife trade. By understanding the behaviors driving the demand and supply for species, we can take proactive steps to mitigate threats and design more effective conservation strategies that benefit both people and wildlife.'

‘Beyond Charismatic Megafauna in Illegal Wildlife Trade’ is accessible now.