Impacts of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the global demand for exotic pets: An expert elicitation approach

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused immense social and economic costs worldwide. Most experts endorse the view that the virus has a zoonotic origin with the final spillover being associated with wildlife trade. Besides human consumption, wild animals are also extensively traded as pets. Information on zoonotic diseases has been reported to reduce consumer demand for exotic pets. We conducted a global survey and collected 162 responses from international experts on exotic pet trade (traders, academics, NGOs, enforcement entities) to understand how the legal and illegal trade of exotic pets is expected to be affected by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Our results suggest that legal purchase of exotic pets is perceived as decreasing during the first pandemic wave due to: lower availability of animals for trade, suppliers’ inability to reach consumers and social distancing measures. The general perception is that in the future (i.e., next five years), both demand and supply of legally traded exotic pets are expected to either remain unchanged or decrease only temporarily. The consumer demand for illegal exotic pets is also expected to remain unchanged following the outbreak. The top two challenges reported by respondents, when considering the consequences of the pandemic for the exotic pet trade, are inadequate enforcement of national regulations and increased illegal trade. Our results suggest that the negative consequences of a zoonotic outbreak may not dissuade consumers of exotic pets. Worldwide, the transit/storing conditions and lack of health screenings of traded live animals are conducive to spreading diseases. Consumer demand is a key driver of trade, and enforcement of trade regulations will remain challenging, unless factors driving consumer demand are adequately incorporated in problem-solving frameworks. We emphasize the complexity of trade dynamics and the need to go beyond bans on wildlife trade. Stronger law enforcement, implemented along with initiatives dissuading consumption of wild exotic pets, are essential to sustainably satisfy the market demand.This study received funding from FEDER Funds through the Operational Competitiveness Factors Program “COMPETE”, and by National Funds through the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) within the framework of project ‘PTDC/BIA-ECO/30931/2017-POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030931’. Joana Ribeiro acknowledges the support from INTERREG Europe through a post-doc grant within project INTERREG Europe INVALIS -Protecting European Biodiversity from Invasive Alien Species “PGI05271”, funded by the European Union and through project UNRAVEL (PTDC/BIA-ECO/0207/2020), financed by National Funds through FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, IP. Joana Santana was supported by project ALIENTRADE (PTDC/BIA-ECO/30931/2017). Ana Sofia Vaz acknowledges support from FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the program Stimulus for Scientific Employment - Individual Support [contract reference 2020.01175. CEECIND]. Luís Reino was supported by Portuguese National Funds through FCT, I.P., under the “Stimulus of Scientific Employment—Individual Support” contract “CEECIND/00445/2017”.Peer reviewe