As Lawmakers Push Global Wildlife Market Ban, U.S. Issues Remain

U.S. lawmakers from both parties are pushing for more funding to address wildlife trafficking and encourage a ban on overseas markets that sell live and exotic animals, which have been linked to several virus outbreaks including the current pandemic.

But the oversight of U.S. fishmongers and neighborhood sellers of fresh meat and poultry remains a patchwork of local and federal enforcement, adding to the difficulty of controlling the problem domestically.

Lawmakers are pushing for a “substantial increase” in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to help fight illegal wildlife trafficking from other nations, said Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), ...