Linking ILLegal WILDlife trade and biodiversity loss: new insights from digital media

Project Information

ILLWILD

Grant agreement ID: 101022521

DOI

10.3030/101022521

Project terminated on 27 August 2023

EC signature date 11 March 2021

Start date 1 December 2021

End date 30 November 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 202 680,96

EU contribution

€ 202 680,96

Coordinated by

HELSINGIN YLIOPISTO
Finland

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ILLWILD (Linking ILLegal WILDlife trade and biodiversity loss: new insights from digital media)

Reporting period: 2021-12-01 to 2023-11-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Every year, millions of animals and plants, and their associated products (hunting trophies, food, clothing, ornaments, pets, or traditional remedies) are illegally traded worldwide generating US $5-23 billion per year. Overharvesting of species for illegal wildlife trade (IWT) is linked to a decrease of species occurrence and density and, ultimately, can lead to population extirpation. IWT has far reaching consequences for ecosystems, affecting food webs, ecological processes and ecosystem services5,6; but also, for human health. IWT has been linked to recent outbreaks of infectious diseases, such as SARS and Covid-19, with dramatic health, social and economic implications. Over the last decade, IWT has surged and its nature has radically changed. The Internet has become one of the main markets for wildlife products, and digital media platforms, in particular E-commerce websites and social media sites, are the preferred outlets12,13. However, no systematic studies have characterized the magnitude and geographic range of IWT on digital media and the subsequent impacts on biodiversity conservation. Here, I will: (1) explore and quantify the global scale of IWT on digital media for endangered mammal and bird species; (2) identify geographic hotspots and explore the socio-economic drivers of IWT; and (3) identify top priority species for which the impact of individual offtake for IWT through digital media is higher in terms of population trends. This project will help governments and regulatory bodies direct their actions and resources towards the most vulnerable areas and species. This multidisciplinary, novel work will transform our understanding of IWT and its effects on the global ecosystem.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The ILLWILD project aims to characterise the magnitude and geographic range of wildlife trade on digital media and the subsequent impacts on biodiversity conservation. The data collected from multiple digital platforms now allows to shed light into the main digital pathways of trade and the most affected species, which ultimate can help design appropriate conservation interventions. The ILLWILD project has generated a unique dataset of digital data on wildlife trade through three social media platforms, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr, and a search engine, Google for all bird and mammal species included in the Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Moreover, it has allowed to develop a series of pipelines and methods for data processing and filtering that can be applied to other species affected by trade. Automated data collection and filtering methods reveal the scale of trade through digital media, as well as the importance of manual validation to obtain an accurate picture of the process. The creation of the dataset of bird and mammal species included in the Appendix I of CITES showed the differences in trade levels among species, with parrot and cockatoos being specially affected by trade. The results of the project have been presented at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting and at the European Ornithologists' Union Congress.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The work carried out in the ILLWILD project contributes to understand wildlife trade through digital and social media. This is especially relevant as wildlife trade is linked to a decrease of species occurrence and density and, ultimately, can lead to population extirpation. ILLWILD has created a unique dataset records of wildlife trade of birds and mammal species. Moreover, the pipelines and methodologies developed during the project have been made freely available through GitHub (https://gitlab.com/helics-lab/wt_philippines) which makes the research reproducible and will assist researchers and practitioners to expand the search to other species of conservation interest. The research team has already been contacted by international institutions showing interest in these approaches and methodologies.

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