Abstract :
Keywords Amphibian; Farming; Trade; Ban; Eastern Asia Highlights * Eastern Asia showed strong leadership in regulating the trade of potential vector species following the COVID-19 pandemic. * Trade restrictions rarely affect amphibians despite direct (transmission) and indirect risk (vector control). * We support the current wildlife trade regulations and measures to safeguard wildlife from overexploitation. Recommendations: * I) Restrictions to amphibian farming in eastern Asia. * II) Regulation of the amphibian pet trade. * III) Expansion of the wildlife trade ban, to limit the wildlife-human-pet interface. Abstract Emerging infectious diseases are on the rise in many different taxa, including, among others, the amphibian batrachochytrids, the snake fungal disease and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, responsible for Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in mammals. Following the onset of the pandemic linked to COVID-19, eastern Asia has shown strong leadership, taking actions to regulate the trade of potential vector species in several regions. These actions were taken in response to an increase in public awareness, and the need for a quick reaction to mitigate against further pandemics. However, trade restrictions rarely affect amphibians, despite the risk of pathogen transmission, directly, or indirectly through habitat destruction and the loss of vector consumption. Thus, species that help alleviate the risk of zoonoses or provide biological control are not protected. Hence, in view of the global amphibian decline and the risk of zoonoses, we support the current wildlife trade regulations and support measures to safeguard wildlife from overexploitation. The current period of regulation overhaul should be used as a springboard for amphibian conservation. To mitigate risks, we suggest the following stipulations specifically for amphibians. I) Restrictions to amphibian farming in eastern Asia, in relation to pathogen transmission and the establishment of invasive species. II) Regulation of the amphibian pet trade, with a focus on potential vector species. III) Expansion of the wildlife trade ban, to limit the wildlife-human-pet interface. The resulting actions will benefit both human and wildlife populations, as they will lead to a decrease in the risk of zoonoses and better protection of the environment. Significance statement There is an increasing number of emerging infectious diseases impacting all species, including amphibians, reptiles and mammals. The latest threat to humans is the virus responsible for COVID-19, and the resulting pandemic. Countries in eastern Asia have taken steps to regulate wildlife trade and prevent further zoonoses thereby decreasing the risk of pathogens arising from wild species. However, as amphibians are generally excluded from regulations we support specific trade restrictions: I) Restrictions to amphibian farming; II) regulation of the amphibian pet trade; III) expansion of the wildlife trade ban. These restrictions will benefit both human and wildlife populations by decreasing the risks of zoonoses and better protecting the environment. Author Affiliation: (a) Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China (b) IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, 3701 Lake Shore Blvd W, P.O. Box 48586, Toronto, Ontario M8W 1P5, Canada (c) Section for Freshwater Biology, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, DK-2100, Denmark (d) Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken, 15, DK-2100, Denmark (e) Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand (f) Zoological Society of London, London NW1 4RY, United Kingdom (g) University of Battambang, Battambang, Cambodia (h) Herpetology and Applied Conservation Laboratory, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China (i) Amphibian Survival Alliance, Burlington, Ontario, Canada (j) Amphibian Ark, Conservation Planning Specialist Group, Apple Valley, USA (k) Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia (l) CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China (m) Federal Scientific Center of the East Asia Terrestrial Biodiversity Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok 690022, Russia (n) Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan 94300, Malaysia (o) Division of Science Education, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon 24341, Republic of Korea (p) Biology Department, University of La Verne, USA (q) Centre for Biodiversity, Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, Canada (r) State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, People's Republic of China (s) Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, People's Republic of China (t) Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Viet Nam (u) Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Viet Nam (v) Department of Life Sciences and Research Center for Global Change Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan * Corresponding author at: 159 Longpan Rd, Xuanwu Qu, Nanjing 210037, People's Republic of China. Article History: Received 23 July 2020; Revised 28 December 2020; Accepted 11 January 2021 Byline: Amaël Borzée [amaelborzee@gmail.com] (a,b,*), Jos Kielgast (b,c,d), Sally Wren (b,e), Ariadne Angulo (b), Shu Chen (f), Kit Magellan (g), Kevin R. Messenger (h), Candace M. Hansen-Hendrikx (i), Anne Baker (j), Marcileida M. Dos Santos (b,e), Mirza Kusrini (k), Jianping Jiang (l), Irina V. Maslova (m), Indraneil Das (n), Daesik Park (o), David Bickford (p), Robert W. Murphy (q), Jing Che (r,s), Tu Van Do (t,u), Truong Quang Nguyen (t,u), Ming-Feng Chuang (v), Phillip J. Bishop (b,e)