Minds Over Matter: Addressing the Negative Impacts of the International Commercial Wildlife Trade on Animal Well-Being

Abstract

The scale of global commercial trade in wild animals is extensive and expanding. While research has largely focused on conservation impacts, the welfare of animals involved in trade has been largely ignored, despite the large numbers of sentient animals affected. Here, we evaluate three animal species' experiences during their commercial wildlife trade journey, focusing specifically on welfare impacts: bears used in traditional medicine, dolphins for entertainment, and mink farmed for fur production for the fashion industry. These cases represent diverse geographic contexts, end uses, and stages within the trade system, highlighting the range of experiences endured by wild animals. Using the Five Domains model, we assess the duration and scale of welfare impacts. Across all three case studies, individuals experience restrictions on natural behaviours, compromised health and nutrition, exposure to chronic stressors, and long-lasting psychological effects. Our review reveals that commercial trade in wild animals involves numbers that range from thousands to several million individuals, with welfare outcomes spanning acute to chronic stress and pain, sometimes persisting for the duration of an animal's life. Given the increasing scientific evidence of animal sentience, we argue that the welfare impacts associated with commercial wildlife trade warrant urgent attention. We suggest that a new approach is required - one that moves beyond a narrow focus on species numbers and population-level impacts to also consider the lived experiences of individual animals. Effective strategies should prioritise reducing and replacing consumptive wildlife practices and mitigating the trade's negative impacts on animal welfare.