Scientists are taking aim at wildlife trade regulations, saying that inaccurate tracking could threaten ecosystems, native species, food supply chains and human health in the United States.

According to scientists from five organizations, U.S. wildlife imports are so badly coordinated that fewer than one in five species is tracked accurately as it enters the country. “These scientists report a pattern of trade in wildlife that includes a very large number of animals, coupled with a poor understanding of what species are traded,” said James Collins, assistant director for biological sciences for the National Science Foundation (Arlington, Va.). “The findings highlight the need for further research because of the unknown effects these animals and their pathogens can have on native organisms.”

The report, published in the journal Science, was compiled by researchers from the Wildlife Trust (New York), Brown University (Providence, R.I.), Pacific Lutheran University (Tacoma, Wash.), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta), and the Global Invasive Species Programme (Nairobi, Kenya).

According to the report, the United States imported more than 1.5 billion live animals between 2000 and 2006, part of the billion-dollar global wildlife trade. “That’s more than 200 million animals a year—unexpectedly high,” said scientist Peter Daszak, president of the Wildlife Trust and a co-leader of the research.

The animals, intended for commercial sale, were collected from wild populations in more than 190 countries around the world.

Researchers found that more than 86 percent of shipments contained animals that were not classified to the level of species, making it impossible to assess the full diversity of animals imported, or calculate the risk of non-native species introductions or disease transmission.

The research team proposed several guidelines to protect human, animal, and ecosystem health:

• Require stricter record-keeping to inform risk analysis on animal imports.
• Establish third-party surveillance and testing for both known and unknown pathogens at export points in foreign countries.
• Educate individuals, importers, veterinarians and pet industry advocates about the dangers of diseases that emerge from wildlife and that can make their way to domesticated animals and humans.

“Shipments are coming in labeled ‘live vertebrate’ or ‘fish,’ ” said Daszak. “If we don’t know what animals are in there, how do we know which are going to become invasive species or carry diseases that could affect livestock, wildlife—or ourselves?”

He added, “We need to look at all the factors that impact ecosystems—the whole picture.”

The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Social, Behavioral & Economic Sciences co-funded the research through the agency’s Human and Social Dynamics priority area. HSD was supported by all NSF Directorates, and by NSF’s Office of International Science and Engineering and Office of Polar Programs. [July 2009 PET AGE]