European fashionistas fuel multi-million-pound trade in wildlife products

A booming trade in wildlife products to satisfy consumer demand for exotic fashion items is threatening the survival of numerous wild plants, animals and ecosystems.

The EU is now the world's biggest importer of wildlife products - ranging from rare orchids and live lizards to tropical hardwood and caviar - creating a multi-million-pound industry in legal and illegal goods.

Between 2000 and 2005, it is estimated that 3.4 million lizard, 2.9m crocodile and 3.4m snake skins were imported into the EU, mostly to make items such as handbags and shoes for the fashion industry. In addition, more than 300,000 live snakes and 4.7m live birds were brought in to fuel a demand for exotic pets, even though many of the creatures are recognised as being 'threatened species'.

'As EU membership has expanded, so has the size of the market and demand for wildlife products,' said Rob Parry-Jones, the head of Traffic, a Europe-based international environmental watchdog. 'While much wildlife trade is legal, we cannot ignore the growing illegal trade.'

Today, 171 member countries of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) will begin a 12-day conference in Holland to consider revising the list of thousands of plants and animals whose trade is regulated. More than 30,000 species are protected by Cites. However, enforcement of regulations is difficult to monitor and experts fear that the huge European appetite is stimulating a black market.