BopCo is pleased to share a report that was recently released entitled: “Medium rare or rare? The hidden side of the illegal wild meat trade in Europe”.
BopCo collaborated on a study carried out by WWF France, in partnership with TRAFFIC, the University of Adelaide (Australia), the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development and the University of Utrecht (the Netherlands) which aimed at understanding illegal wild meat markets and associated health risks in target EU countries.This study aimed at better understanding wild meat seizures and the demand in Europe, the conservation and health risks associated to the illegal wild meat trade involving Europe and the roles and responsibilities of the authorities in charge of monitoring, controlling, regulating and investigating the wild meat trade in European countries. Amongst the 513 wild meat samples analysed for this study, 81 distinct species were identified. Over a quarter of them are listed as near threatened, vulnerable or endangered according to the IUCN Red list, and more than a third of these species are CITES-listed. Rodents’ or primates’ meat can easily be bought in Europe. This market for illegally imported meat that escapes any sanitary or veterinary control is worrying from a public health perspective and should alert us collectively. France is the primary entry point for wild meat illegally imported from Africa to Europe, but many other European countries are affected by this trade.