In Argentina, six out of ten animals that are seized for illegal trade are birds. This data was revealed by the Wildlife Trafficking Program, an initiative by Aves Argentinas celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The program was launched in 2015 with the purpose of raising awareness and combating the illegal wildlife trade, which is one of the main threats to biodiversity.
According to Aves Argentinas data, in wildlife trafficking, globally, over $20 billion dollars annually are involved, making it the fourth most profitable illegal trade in the world, after arms, drugs, and human trafficking.
Wildlife Trafficking on Argentina’s Social Networks
As part of this program, between 2020 and 2024, the Aves Argentinas team monitored illegal activity on Facebook, finding that the sale of birds in the country increased with the use of new technologies.
They analyzed 70 groups, which gather a large number of species or commercialize rare species, identifying 1124 active users in these operations.
While activity was recorded in 16 provinces, 64% of the offered birds came from the Buenos Aires province.
In this study of illegal trade through social networks, 9088 individuals of 107 species were recorded, of which 101 were birds. Among the most trafficked species through this channel were the golden finch, the red-crested cardinal, and the black-capped warbling finch.
Among them is also the yellow cardinal, an endangered species. According to the IUCN Red List, only 2000 individuals remain globally, with Argentina being its main habitat. This investigation detected the commercialization of 68 yellow cardinals on Facebook.
According to this work, the number of actions related to wildlife trafficking on digital platforms increased 8 times compared to the previous decade.
Raising Awareness and Reporting of this Crime
While more than 100 bird species are affected by illegal trafficking in Argentina, we also find that 20 reptile species and 15 mammal species fall victim to this crime.
“Trafficking not only steals life: it also kills more than it sells. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 individuals die in the process of capture, transportation, and sale, subjected to conditions of extreme stress, overcrowding, and mistreatment,” as referred by Aves Argentinas.
Ten years ago, Aves Argentinas created the Wildlife Trafficking Program to address the issue of illegal trade. During this decade, the program aimed to generate information, raise awareness, and report on this issue. In this period, diagnostics on commercialization routes were conducted, employees of control agencies were trained, and communication and awareness campaigns targeting a wide audience were developed.
Aves Argentinas is a century-old national organization, with over 4000 members, dedicated to protecting wild birds and nature in Argentina. It is a member of BirdLife International, the world’s largest network of nature conservation organizations.
