Key points:
- Research shows discrepancies in macaque trade records
- Concerns focus on a three-fold increase in exports from Cambodia
- Poor conditions in illegal trade settings amplify the risk of disease transmission
An analysis of data on the international trade of macaques for research revealed discrepancies that point to a booming macaque black market. This illegal trade increases the risk of disease transmission to humans, which could set the stage for the next pandemic.
The study from the University of Adelaide found that less than a third of macaque shipment records included both import and export data, suggesting many of the animals were exchanged illicitly. A large proportion of discrepancies arose between 2019 and 2020, when China ceased macaque exports and Cambodia significantly increased exports, according to senior author Anne-Lise Chaber from the School of Animal and Veterinary Science at the University of Adelaide.
Exports of macaques from Cambodia increased three-fold around this period, from about 10,000 in 2018 to about 30,000 in 2019 and 2020, said first author Regina Warne. The researchers believe that this enormous growth in macaque sales is unlikely to have arisen from legal breeding practices alone. The authors also noted problems with trade information from the United States, which has long been the world’s largest macaque importer.
The researchers analyzed records from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’s (CITES) Trade Database between 2000 and 2020 for the study published in One Health. The prevalence of discrepancies in data reported to CITES should be further investigated in order to curb illegal wildlife trade, the researchers said.
Chaber noted that because macaques are closely related to humans, cross-species disease transmission is at a high risk.
“Animals that are traded can be stressed, malnourished, and kept in unhygienic conditions with high stocking densities,” Chaber said. “These conditions are the perfect breeding ground for the transfer of infectious diseases.”
The authors recommend stronger law enforcement strategies for detecting illicit wildlife trade practices, such as random screenings of traded animals and audits of breeding facilities.