Awareness about the illegal trade of elephant ivory has gained significant traction over the last decade, but that's not the case with ornamental plants such as wild orchids, which are being sold on black markets worldwide. What's worse is ornamental plant traders are continually finding new ways to advertise their collection, with social media as the latest emerging outlet.
A recent study led by Amy Hinsley and David Roberts of the University of Kent is the first large-scale global survey examining how wildlife trade operates through social media. The researchers chose to use orchid trade as a case study, since the iconic flowers account for up to 70 percent of the species listed on the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) - a listing that warrants a series of protections and restrictions regarding the international trade of them.
Even still, orchids are in high demand and some can sell on the black market for tens of thousands of pounds. This, researchers say, motivates illegal traders to bypass all and any rules aimed at preventing the species from going extinct. As a result, many traders have turned to social media to promote their flowers and sell them on the black market.
Researchers found wild orchids were being traded from all over the world, including species that are listed as critically endangered or federally protected in the country from which they were sold.
While the total number of trade posts are relatively small, the quantity of wild collected orchids for sale is proportionally high. It follows then that that social media needs to be better monitored for the illegal trade of plants and other wildlife.
When Hinsley and Roberts investigated the ornamental flower trade in previous studies they found hobbyists who purchase orchids on the Internet have a preference for rare species. Therefore, they warn that the sale of wild orchids on social media, if left unchecked, could put extra pressure on vulnerable wild populations.
Conservationists face great challenges when trying to mitigate the advertising and selling of wildlife via the Internet. It is becoming an increasing trend among wildlife traders, especially for those in niche markets. It is believed that increased regulation, such as eBay's ban on ivory sales in 2009, has encouraged wildlife traders to sell via social media.
The findings were recently published in the journal Conservation Biology.