Astrid Alex Andersson

The University of Hong Kong | HKU · School of Biological Sciences

While urban areas may not seem conducive to human-wildlife interactions (HWI), rapid land use transformations can result in frequent encounters with wildlife in the context of changing habitats, as well as encounters with species that thrive in urban settings. In Asia, the processes of rapid land-use change can bring into sharp relief the juxtaposi...

Wildlife trade is a multi-billion-dollar sector that impacts a wide range of species, and thus is of significant research and conservation interest. Wildlife trade has also become a prominent topic in the public-facing media, where coverage has intensified following the outbreak of the global COVID-19 pandemic due to the potential connection betwee...

Pangolins have recently received significant media attention globally as the trade for their scales and meat is driving many species closer to extinction. As a result of this, there have been increased legal regulations placed on pangolin trade in recent years. The suggestion that pangolins may have been involved in the transmission of COVID-19 fur...

Legal wildlife trade creates opportunities for the sale of illegally procured animals and their derivatives, since it is difficult to differentiate legal from laundered items. This problem is common across many wildlife trade areas – exotic pets, ornaments, seafood – and involves a variety of taxa. Here, we tested the ability of bulk and compound‐s...

Nature has the potential to provide wide-ranging economic contributions to society – from ecosystem services to providing income to communities via fair trade of resources. Unsustainable trade in wildlife, however, threatens biodiversity and its ability to support communities and a functioning planet. It is therefore important to have clear systems...

As luxury consumer markets in wildlife grow, many of the desired species targeted are declining, with some at elevated risk of local or even global extinction unless their trade networks are controlled and the necessary laws and regulations established and enforced. Application of the precautionary principle is strongly called for. The well-documen...

As the global epicentre of wildlife trade, Hong Kong plays an important role in the preservation or demise of biodiversity, including species found continents away. If mismanaged, legal trade in threatened species can lead to unsustainable exploitation. Inaccurate and incomplete trade records from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered...