El Comerç il·legal d'aus en xifres : una anàlisi de les confiscacions del CITES des de 1980 fins a 2019

Abstract

Illegal wildlife trade is a multi-million-dollar industry that threatens global biodiversity and endangers the survival of many species. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the dynamics of illegal bird trade using seizure records collected in the annual reports of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) between 1980 and 2019. A total of 1,960 cases involving 354 different species were documented, with a total of 145 countries implicated. From a conservation perspective, a significant percentage of the seized species are currently classified as ‘Threatened’ according to the UICN Red List. A comprehensive review of existing literature on the illegal trade of birds has been conducted, including international regulations and pressures threatening their conservation status according to the IUCN Red List. The analysis of the CITES seizure database forms the core of the study. Using a quantitative approach, available data on bird seizures are examined, and statistical and descriptive techniques are employed to analyze patterns and trends in illegal trade. The results of the study reveal that 80% of the seizures involve live birds and shed light on the transaction purposes of the recorded seizures over the past four decades, including personal, commercial, and zoological uses. It has been observed that the temporal evolution of seizures has decreased over time, which has been linked to the potential expansion of avian influenza. Psittacus erithacus tops the list of species present in seizures, followed by Amazona aestiva and Amazona ochrocephala, confirming the initial prediction that species capable of vocalization are the most trafficked. Finally, the geographical distribution of seizures has been analyzed, establishing a positive

relationship between the economic capacity of importing countries and the volume of imports. It has been determined that Africa is the continent that has reported the highest number of exports in the last forty years