Study finds global wildlife trade covers 107,356 species, double estimates
A new study just revealed that the global wildlife trade covers 107,356 species, more than double what experts previously believed.
Thanks to booming online markets, everything from spider eggs to reptiles is being traded with little oversight.
As Alice Hughes, a professor at the University of Melbourne and lead author of the study, put it, "The dimensions of trade have changed. Without monitoring it in a representative way, we cannot manage it," and she said the trade poses a major risk to species.
Researchers warn monitoring shortfalls risk extinctions
Current monitoring systems aren't keeping up, leaving many species unprotected because of slow regulations and weak data sharing.
The report warns some animals could go extinct before they even get noticed.
Researchers say better data collection and teamwork across countries are urgently needed.
As Hughes summed up, "The dimensions of trade have changed. Without monitoring it in a representative way, we cannot manage it."