CITES Appendix III matters: Hidden impacts of CITES deletions on global bird trade

Global trade in bird species monitored by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) declined significantly in the mid-2000s, a trend previously attributed to the 2005 EU import ban on wild birds. However, prior analyses did not account for Ghana's 2007 removal of 114 bird species from CITES Appendix III, one of the largest deletion events to date. Here, we analyzed trade data of CITES-listed species and non-CITES-listed species (including U.S. imports and global songbird trade data) to assess the effects of this deletion on reported trade patterns, examining changes in trade volumes as well as taxonomic and spatial shifts. Before their removal, deleted species comprised 70.7 % of global bird trade reported in the CITES Trade Database. After 2007, no deleted species were recorded in CITES data, while US imports of these species increased fourteenfold. Additionally, trade of deleted songbird species into Asia and the EU continued after 2006. Our findings suggest that the EU ban contributed less to reducing global bird trade than previously reported, with Ghana's deletion playing a major role in reported trade trends. We highlight the importance of considering changes in CITES listing, including deletions in wildlife trade research and underscore Appendix III as a tool for restricting and monitoring trade in species where unsustainable trade is a concern.