How A Regulated Pet Supply Chain Supports Global Conservation Efforts

I RECENTLY READ ABOUT a case in California of a pet bird smuggler who was caught by authorities. As part of his plea deal, he admitted to engaging in wildlife trafficking dozens of times before he was caught. The aforementioned case was one of several bird-trafficking cases in recent years.

There’s been a seeming uptick in pet trafficking, particularly in California. After the state banned pet stores from selling dogs, an L.A. Times investigation found “a network of resellers — including ex-cons and schemers — replaced pet stores as middlemen.”

Supporting a regulated retail supply chain fights pet trafficking by giving consumers above-board options for the pets they want. Instead of birds being taken from the wild and smuggled into the U.S., they are instead sourced from licensed and inspected domestic breeders. Instead of consumers buying from unlicensed “mills” that sell in parking lots or over the internet, the retail supply chain provides prospective pet owners with a transparent, regulated option.

But the benefits of a regulated supply chain go deeper than “do no harm.” They include supporting global conservation efforts.

A number of studies have found that zoos build support for conservation simply because they allow people to feel a personal connection to the animals they see up close. It’s hard to care about something if you only see it on a screen. Allowing people to see majestic animals in person fosters a sense of empathy for these creatures and inspires them to care about wildlife halfway across the world.

The pet industry has a similar effect by allowing people to develop their own personal human-animal bond with the species they are most interested in.

The Laney Rickman Reserve in Bolivia provides a protected area for the critically endangered blue-throated macaw to breed. Much of the funding for the preserve came from the American Bird Conservancy, which is itself supported by bird lovers.

This is another benefit of the legal, regulated pet trade. Hobbyists and aviculturists have worked together to develop a breeding stock, ensuring that species do not disappear.

Project Piaba is another example of how the pet trade can support conservation. Founded in 1991, the group studies and promotes sustainable fish trade in the Amazon Basin to supply home aquariums. With these rural villagers making a living by supplying the fish trade, they are motivated to protect the ecosystems in which they live. That’s not just the aquatic ecosystem; Project Piaba calculates that there are 46,000 square miles of protected forest in its study area.

The LINI Foundation in Indonesia performs a similar role. The organization supports small-scale fishers and their communities through reef restoration and also promotes responsible companies in the supply chain.

Plan G Mexico is another campaign to protect fish. Plan G seeks to conserve Goodeid fishes, two dozen species of which are critically endangered in their native Mexico. The effort involves a coalition including academic institutions, Mexican government, zoos and aquariums — and hobbyists.

The recovery plan includes breeding programs to help replenish wild populations, once habitat is restored. Some of the stock came from hobbyists in the U.S. and the U.K. This is a great example of how home aquarium hobbyists have developed an “ark” for species that are threatened or critically endangered in the wild.

A regulated pet trade creates incentives that work in favor of both people and animals. It encourages sustainable practices, transparency and improvement. But this model is increasingly under threat from prohibitions on the pet trade that create black markets where the incentives are reversed and where profit is put at the expense of animals and the environment.

As we look ahead, keeping a legal, sustainable trade in pets through domestic and international supply chains might be the pet industry’s biggest challenge. And it will have consequences far beyond just the human-animal bond.