Official records on the numbers of animals being removed from the wild for commercial purposes are
often patchy, incomplete or absent entirely. Available data from the legal trade combined with surveys of
legal and illegal trade can give an insight into the species that are being targeted, the numbers in which
they are being removed from the wild, the reasons for which they are traded and can highlight
conservation, legal and welfare issues relating to this trade. Morocco, situated on the north-west coast of
the African continent as little as eight miles from the Spanish mainland, is a hub for tourism in the region
and a focal point for trade between Africa and Europe. Although some work had been conducted on
specific areas and species in Morocco, a comprehensive account of the wildlife trade was lacking, and
little was known about the effects of wildlife trade in the country. Morocco updated its wildlife trade laws
in 2015 and for the first time has the ability to effectively combat illegal and unsustainable trade, provided
sufficient resources are allocated to the law’s implementation. This law is comprehensive and clear and
Morocco therefore provides an interesting case study to explore the effectiveness of wildlife trade laws.
My publications included in this PhD by Published Work document the results of market and online
surveys carried out between April 2013 and April 2018 over the course of six study-periods. I investigated
the use, conservation, laws and welfare relating to the sale and keeping of birds, mammals and reptiles
in markets in 27 Moroccan cities and two Spanish cities within Morocco’s borders. My research has
provided detailed, robust data on the trade of over 11,000 animals of 47 species, sold as pets, decoration,
photo props, clothing, and medicine. This trade represents a significant conservation concern for many
of these species and the majority of animals are being kept in consistently poor welfare conditions. The
majority of wild animal trade in Morocco is illegal according to new law. Through my research and
publications, I have documented a baseline for Moroccan wildlife trade and provided NGOs and the
Moroccan government with much-needed data to inform policy and conservation initiatives. These data
have been given to conservation organisations operating in Morocco and to the Moroccan government,
in both paper and summary form and disseminated to the wider conservation community. They provide
these stakeholders with a detailed account of hotspots, species vulnerable to overexploitation and causes
of the wildlife trade, with the aim of helping conservation efforts to become more targeted and therefore
more effective in situations with limited resources
