Social network analysis reveals specialized trade in an Endangered songbird

Abstract

Unsustainable harvest is one of the most important threats to biodiversity, and birds are highly impacted, but avian markets remain poorly understood. When species value and corruption/criminality are high, the “parallel trafficking” hypothesis predicts that illegal animal items will move through networks used for other illicit products. Alternatively, when particular demands, logistical skills or access limits trade, “specialized trafficking” hypotheses predict that few, expert actors will control markets. Here, we use social network analysis of trade in an Endangered songbird, the Red Siskin Spinus cucullatus, originating in Venezuela, to examine the generality of the parallel trafficking hypothesis in a setting where corruption/criminality and species value are high. In spite of these circumstances, of 2575 Red Siskin (RS) records compiled from 2010 to 2017, we found just six reports consistent with parallel trafficking. Instead, we discovered an independent network of 15 actor types, and a trade structure consistent with specialized trafficking. Just two intermediary types (national vendors to intermediaries and to consumers) and one consumer type (national breeders) had the highest exposure to the flow of birds, and the most trade connectivity. Use of wild‐caught over captive‐bred birds was high (67% of records), as was use of natural‐phenotype birds over hybrid or mutant‐phenotype birds (65% of records). Geographically, Spain and Venezuela had the highest exposure to the flow of birds, but Brazil and Colombia had the most direct connections with other countries. The unexpected lack of evidence for parallel trafficking suggests that combined flows of illicit products are not inevitable, even in adverse settings. In a context where law enforcement may not be feasible, our results suggest that it may be possible to reduce unsustainable harvest using breeder connectivity in informational campaigns to stimulate peer‐to‐peer interactions and accelerate behavior change.

Opportunistic or Non-Random Wildlife Crime? Attractiveness Rather Than Abundance in the Wild Leads to Selective Parrot Poaching

“…Therefore, our concern is not the absolute number of individuals poached of a given species but the proportion of the wild population size. In fact, the poaching of as few as 70 individuals per year constitutes a major threat to the Critically Endangered red siskin Spinus cucullatus in Venezuela [63]. The trade of some attractive parrot species has been shown to cause negative population trends and affect their conservation status [11].…”

Mapping illegal wildlife trade networks provides new opportunities for conservation actions

“…Sanchez‐Mercado et al (2019) combine on‐the‐ground interviews with online monitoring to identify those who are involved in the trade of Red Siskin, and apply social network analysis to identify the key actors in this trade. Their study reveals a trade network involving many types of people – including hobbyists, sustenance harvesters and professional traders – that together form a global network of trade.…”

“…Their study reveals a trade network involving many types of people – including hobbyists, sustenance harvesters and professional traders – that together form a global network of trade. However, the primary focus of the study by Sanchez‐Mercado et al (2019) – to test whether the illegal bird trade coming from Venezuela is linked to more general illegal trade or remains more specialized – also sheds light on some potentially novel solutions. Their evidence for a specialized trade network structure, and their ability to identify the contribution of different parts of the trade network by following the flow of birds, suggests that there might be opportunities to apply knowledge from other disciplines to help develop new types of targeted interventions.…”

“…From such models, different types of interventions could be simulated, in much the same way as targeted vaccinations or culling programmes are simulated in other social networks. Sanchez‐Mercado et al (2019) identify one possible action – the engagement of Red Siskin breeders as a source of information for greater sustainable use of this endangered species. However, producing meaningful predictions of the efficacy of such an intervention and identifying the general applicability of different types of interventions across traded species require quantitative data from real wildlife trade networks.…”

“…However, producing meaningful predictions of the efficacy of such an intervention and identifying the general applicability of different types of interventions across traded species require quantitative data from real wildlife trade networks. Sanchez‐Mercado et al (2019) showed that gaining the necessary information is possible by nurturing personal contacts in these networks, in their case through mutual contacts with harvesters of Red Siskin.…”