Trade in wild-sourced African grey parrots: Insights via social media

The rise of social media is changing the global trade of wildlife, presenting new challenges and opportunities for regulating and monitoring trade in threatened species. Parrots are among the most threatened groups of birds with wild populations of many species exploited in large numbers to supply the global pet trade. This trade increasingly occurs online yet the role of social media remains poorly understood. We examined trade in wild-sourced Grey parrots between 2014 and 2017, integrating data gathered via social media with other information sources and expert knowledge to gain insight into the scale and scope of trade. We identified 259 posts featuring trade in wild-sourced Grey parrots showing parrots held in transport containers or holding facilities. At least 70% of posts featured trade likely in breach of national laws or CITES regulations and basic welfare conditions were frequently not met. An examination of the locations of traders together with ancillary information enabled us to describe a number of opportunities for interventions to disrupt illegal trade, including major trade routes. Overall levels of trade activity, measured as numbers of posts, showed surprisingly little variation over time with the exception of a spike in activity in the months immediately proceeding new restrictions on international trade in wild-sourced Grey parrots for commercial purposes. Throughout the study period, the majority of exports originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo, with smaller numbers of posts from traders in Cameroon, Guinea and Ivory Coast. The trade activity of importers was more dynamic with North Africa playing a diminishing role and countries of the Persian Gulf increasing in prominence. The majority of importers were based in western and southern Asia, notably Turkey, Pakistan, Jordan and Iraq most recently. Turkey also played a prominent role as a transit point for air transport between Africa and Asia. There is an urgent need for targeted actions by airlines and enforcement agencies to disrupt illegal trade and by social media companies to improve monitoring and regulation of wildlife trade online.