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Conservation

Understanding the complexity of wildlife trade in biodiversity conservation

Nature Reviews Biodiversity volume 1, page 620 (2025)Cite this article

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Illegal and unsustainable trade in wildlife is a major threat to biodiversity and a challenge to conservation efforts. Unsustainable wildlife trade increases species’ extinction risk, disrupts ecosystems and undermines conservation efforts. In a 2019 review that has become a foundational reference for research on wildlife trade, ‘t Sas-Rolfes and colleagues examine the complex dynamics of wildlife trade.

The authors unpack the multifaceted nature of wildlife trade, which is shaped by its diverse operational modes. Wildlife trade can be domestic or international, legal or illegal, and sustainable or unsustainable. Social legitimacy further complicates governance, as certain forms of trade might be socially accepted despite being illegal or ecologically damaging. Legal frameworks also vary across jurisdictions — legal trade in one country can be illegal in another, owing to differing laws and regulations. Defining sustainability in wildlife trade requires an integrated approach that considers ecological, economic and social dimensions. Effective regulation should incorporate all three dimensions to ensure truly sustainable outcomes.

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References

Original article

  • ‘t Sas-Rolfes, M., Challender, D. W. S., Hinsley, A., Veríssimo, D. & Milner-Gulland, E. J. Illegal wildlife trade: scale, processes, and governance. Ann. Rev. Environ. Resources 44, 201–228 (2019)

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Related articles

  • Hughes, A. et al. Determining the sustainability of legal wildlife trade. J. Environ. Manag. 341, 117987 (2023)

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  • Phelps, J., Biggs, D. & Webb, E. L. Tools and terms for understanding illegal wildlife trade. Front. Ecol. Environ. 14, 479–489 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA

    Wahyu Nurbandi

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  1. Wahyu Nurbandi
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Correspondence to Wahyu Nurbandi.

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The author declares no competing interests.

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Nurbandi, W. Understanding the complexity of wildlife trade in biodiversity conservation. Nat. Rev. Biodivers. 1, 620 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44358-025-00090-5

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