The novel coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need to combat the threat to human health posed by the illegal trafficking of wild animals, according to a UN report published Friday.

The report published by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) points out "zoonotic diseases -- those caused by pathogens that spread from animals to humans -- represent up to 75 percent of all emerging infectious diseases".

"Without human interference through capturing, slaughtering, selling, trafficking, trading and consuming of wildlife, the evolution and transmission of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 would have been highly unlikely," the UNODC said in its annual World Wildlife Crime Report.

Pangolins, the mammals thought by some scientists to be the possible host of the novel coronavirus, are the most trafficked mammals in the world and the report says seizures of their scales have increased tenfold between 2014 and 2018.

Pangolin scales are prized in traditional Chinese medicine -- despite a lack of scientific proof -- and used for the treatment of various diseases such as arthritis, ulcers and tumours.

The report warns that the current pandemic may worsen some forms of trafficking as some "wildlife products may be touted as 'cures' for COVID-19, notably bear bile".

In terms of other trends in smuggling of flora and fauna, the report noted that "demand for tropical hardwood timber has grown greatly in the last two decades" with illegal African rosewood entering some legal supply chains, such as the international wood furniture trade.

However, the report says the demand for African ivory and rhinoceros horn is in decline.

The report's analysis of trends in wildlife crime uses a database compiling details of 180,000 seizures from 149 countries and territories between 1999 and 2009.

"To build back better from the COVID-19 crisis, we cannot afford to ignore wildlife crime," UNODC director Ghada Waly said in a statement accompanying the report, calling for further anti-trafficking legislation to be adopted in affected countries, as well as better inter-agency co-ordination.

Related Links
Darwin Today At TerraDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Scientists move to create single, comprehensive list of Earth's living species
Washington DC (UPI) Jul 07, 2020
An international group of scientists hope to convince biologists, taxonomists, conservationists and policy makers the world over to use a single, comprehensive list of the world's species - from mammals and birds to plants, fungi and microbes. On Tuesday, the team of scientists, organized by the International Union of Biological Sciences, published a series of principles in the journal PLOS One that they hope will serve as a roadmap for compiling such a list. It's not the first time sci ... read more