Examining the international bushmeat traffic in Belgium: A threat to conservation and public health
Anne-Lise Chaber,
Georgia Kate Moloney,
Veronique Renault,
Sandrella Morrison-Lanjouw,
Mutien Garigliany,
Lucette Flandroy,
Daniel Pires,
Valeria Busoni,
Claude Saegerman,
Philippe Gaubert
Affiliations
Anne-Lise Chaber
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Global One Health Alliance Pty Ltd, West Lakes Shore, SA 5021, Australia; Corresponding author at: The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
Georgia Kate Moloney
School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Global One Health Alliance Pty Ltd, West Lakes Shore, SA 5021, Australia
Veronique Renault
Faculty Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health, Avenue de Cureghem, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Sandrella Morrison-Lanjouw
University of Utrecht, Julius Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Mutien Garigliany
Faculty Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health, Avenue de Cureghem, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Lucette Flandroy
Retired from the Belgian Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, DG Environment, Belgium
Daniel Pires
Faculty of Science, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 1021 1055, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal; Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental, Universidade do Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Av. General Norton de Matos, s/n, 4450-208 Porto, Portugal
Valeria Busoni
Faculty Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health, Avenue de Cureghem, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Claude Saegerman
Faculty Veterinary Medicine of the University of Liège, Fundamental and Applied Research for Animals & Health, Avenue de Cureghem, 4000 Liège, Belgium
Philippe Gaubert
Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD/CNRS/UPS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier – Bâtiment 4R1, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France; Laboratoire Evolution et Diversité Biologique, IRD/CNRS/UPS, Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier – Bâtiment 4R1, 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse cedex 9, France
The carriage of bushmeat into the European Union is an infringement of EU Animal Health and Wildlife Trade legislation and poses a threat to biodiversity and public health. To explore the nature and scale of the international bushmeat trade, seized leaking luggage and passengers arriving at Brussels Zaventem airport from sub-Saharan Africa between 2017 and 2018 were searched for “meat” (bushmeat and livestock) by border control authorities. Visual identification, radiography and genetic analysis were applied to derive information from seized specimens, including at least ten CITES-listed species. We estimate that an average of 3.9 t of bushmeat is smuggled monthly through Brussels. The average consignment of meat seized per passenger was 2.8 kg and 4 kg of bushmeat or domestic livestock meat, respectively. The international trafficking of bushmeat is evidently active, yet penalties are rarely enforced; hence we provide suggestions to simplify law enforcement procedures.
