Canada’s role in global wildlife trade: Research trends and next steps

Abstract

North America holds a considerable share of global wildlife trade as both an importer and exporter of live animals and their parts. Wildlife trade is embedded in Canada’s history dating back to the early fur traders, evolving to include multiple commodities such as the contemporary fur industry and the thriving pet trade of today. Considering recent reports of animals legally and illegally imported into Canada and the potential threats of wildlife trade studied elsewhere, wildlife trade may pose risks to Canada’s natural heritage, biodiversity, biosecurity, and animal welfare. To delineate research needs pertaining to wildlife trade in Canada, we conducted a review of the existing literature. Our review included a systematic search of peer-reviewed scientific articles and grey literature to identify research gaps and opportunities. The analysis of 160 coded sources demonstrates that the existing literature on wildlife trade in Canada is limited, with only five journal articles focused specifically on trade in the Canadian context. Most research with a focus on wildlife trade was international in scope but identified Canada as an import or export country with connections to both legal and illegal trade. Although articles on luxury products and pet trades were the most frequently cited, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of Canada’s role, particularly in the trade of live animals for pets. Our review underscores the need to enhance academic knowledge and policy tools to effectively identify and address trade issues concerning Canadian and non-native wildlife. Implementing a robust monitoring system in Canada is critical to achieving successful oversight, characterisation, and control of wildlife trade in Canada.