Regulatory compliance and support for altered management of the exotic pet trade

Globally, the exotic pet trade has contributed to species invasion, disease, and animal welfare risks. Although scientists have advocated for increased trade regulation, the success of management and regulatory efforts depends on compliance by participants in the exotic pet trade. We used a regulatory compliance framework to investigate exotic pet trade participants’ support for proposed changes to regulations. In 2023, we administered online surveys to 1653 exotic pet owners, breeders, and sellers in the United States. Survey respondents largely supported efforts to ensure that animals in the exotic pet trade are captive bred, appropriately housed, and provided with veterinary care. On average, respondents also supported changes to federal regulations to improve consistency in species that can be traded as pets and imported into the United States. However, individuals who opposed regulatory changes considered regulations unfair, reactive, and inconsistently enforced, distrusted management agencies, and advocated for government consultation with the exotic pet trade when designing regulations. Proponents of regulatory changes expressed moral obligation to obey regulations applied to the exotic pet trade, agreed that regulations pertaining to the exotic pet trade are ethically valid, demonstrated greater trust in government agencies, and considered regulations fair, equitable, and consistent. Our findings suggest there is a cohort of exotic pet trade participants who would collaborate with government agencies to reduce the risks associated with the pet trade, but agencies should also address pet trade participants’ concerns about gaps in regulation and failures in enforcement strategies to build trust between exotic pet trade participants and government agencies.