Position statement: Managing wildlife trade in the context of COVID-19 and future zoonotic pandemics
There is strong evidence that zoonotic disease emergence is linked to human activities which bring wildlife, domestic animals and humans into increasingly intense contact. To minimise the risks of future zoonotic outbreaks, whilst also protecting wildlife, ecosystems and human well-being, we need to rebalance our relationship with nature, using an evidence-based approach to manage the risks associated with global food systems.
We recognise that trade in some wild species represents a risk to public health. However, we express concern at the dominant discourse which focusses solely on the links between zoonosis emergence and wildlife trade and caution against a blanket approach to wildlife trade regulation. Instead, we advocate for a more nuanced and evidence-based approach which could better serve both people and wildlife.
Read our recommendationslatest news
View allWildlife trade researchers aim to better represent diversity of traded species
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.
UK hunting trophies law 'would cause more harm than good'
Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on Wildlife Trade and the University of Oxford’s Department of Biology have reported findings from a study into the UK’s role in the international hunting trophy trade, and indicated that previously proposed legislation to regulate the trade would need significant reform.
Patents can help us understand wildlife trade trends, says Oxford Martin study
Researchers from the Oxford Martin Programme on Wildlife Trade have identified analyses of patent-filing trends as a viable way to understand the wildlife trade’s future direction.
End-of-world scare stories have the opposite effect: Dame EJ accentuates the positive
It makes no sense to talk in apocalyptic terms about the environment, Dame EJ Milner-Gulland has told the University of Oxford's website.
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Incentivizing pangolin conservation: Decisions at CITES CoP19 may reduce conservation options for pangolins

Evaluating the performance of conservation translocations in large carnivores across the world

Flagship individuals in biodiversity conservation

Identifying species likely threatened by international trade on the IUCN Red List can inform CITES trade measures

Trading species to extinction: evidence of extinction linked to the wildlife trade
Understanding China's political will for sustainability and conservation gains