CITES and the Zoonotic Disease Content in International Wildlife Trade

Stefan Borsky, Hannah Hennighausen (), Andrea Leiter and Keith Williges ()
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Hannah Hennighausen: University of Graz, Austria
Keith Williges: University of Graz, Austria

No 2020-12, Graz Economics Papers from University of Graz, Department of Economics

Abstract: International trade in wildlife is one contributing factor to zoonotic disease risk. Using descriptive statistics, this paper shows that in the last decades, the volume and pattern of internationally traded wildlife has changed considerably and, with it, the zoonotic pathogens that are traded. In an econometric analysis, we give evidence that an international environmental trade agreement could be used to limit the spread of zoonotic pathogens and disease. More specifically, combining zoonotic disease data with wildlife trade data from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Fauna (CITES), we show that making trade requirements more stringent leads to a decrease in the number of animals traded and, incidentally, also the number of zoonotic diseases that are traded. Our results contribute to the discussion of policy measures that manage the spread of zoonotic diseases.

Keywords: Zoonotic diseases; international wildlife trade; CITES; gravity model. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F18 F53 Q27 Q54 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-env and nep-int
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Journal Article: CITES and the Zoonotic Disease Content in International Wildlife Trade (2020)
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