COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade: Perspectives and Proposed Actions

WWF International calls for urgent global action to mitigate zoonotic disease risks by closing high-risk wildlife markets and stopping illegal trade. The organization advocates for a holistic approach that combines law enforcement, demand reduction, and the protection of natural ecosystems to prevent future pandemics. The document specifically highlights the need for the United States to provide strategic resources and diplomatic leadership, and presents survey data showing strong public support for closing illegal wildlife markets in several Asian regions.

• Preventing future pandemics requires a holistic strategy focused on five areas, with immediate priorities including the closure of high-risk markets in densely populated urban areas, cracking down on illegal and unregulated trade that lacks veterinary checks, and stopping the online sale of high-zoonotic-risk animals.
• A March 2020 GlobeScan survey of 5,000 respondents across Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam revealed that 93% of people in the four regions with active wildlife markets support government efforts to close all illegal and unregulated markets selling wild animals.
• Global systemic changes are necessary to address environmental drivers of pandemics, specifically by stopping land conversion, deforestation, and fragmentation of natural ecosystems while ensuring a sustainable and just economic recovery.
• The United States is urged to adopt a whole-of-government approach, which could include creating a Zoonotic Disease Task Force, updating the END Wildlife Trafficking Act, and increasing funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

APA

WWF International (2020). COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade: Perspectives and Proposed Actions. https://www.worldwildlife.org/statements/covid-19-and-wildlife-trade-perspectives-and-proposed-actions/

Chicago

WWF International. COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade: Perspectives and Proposed Actions. 2020. https://www.worldwildlife.org/statements/covid-19-and-wildlife-trade-perspectives-and-proposed-actions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=WWF International |title=COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade: Perspectives and Proposed Actions |date=9 July 2020 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/statements/covid-19-and-wildlife-trade-perspectives-and-proposed-actions/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{wwfinternational2020covid19, author = {{WWF International}}, title = {{COVID-19 and Wildlife Trade: Perspectives and Proposed Actions}}, publisher = {WWF International}, year = {2020}, month = jul, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/statements/covid-19-and-wildlife-trade-perspectives-and-proposed-actions/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }