Gia Haddock about The Amphibian Pet Trade Industry is at Risk of Collapse! - a podcast by Impact 89FM | WDBM-FM

On this week’s The Sci-Files, your hosts Chelsie and Danny interview Gia Haddock. Gia is a senior Fisheries and Wildlife student at MSU. Having an interest in disease, amphibians, and sociology, Gia combined the three with their undergraduate research. They study the current behaviors, knowledge, and opinions of those involved in the amphibian pet trade through the lens of disease spread. Currently, we are in a sixth mass extinction, with amphibians one of the most imperiled groups. One of these reasons is the human movement of lethal amphibian-targeting fungi, Bsal and Bd. There have been previous bans on amphibian and exotic species imports that have been overturned, but a new ban is being discussed now. This has been met with much disdain from the pet trade community. 

Gia has spent two years developing interview protocol, creating relationships with the pet trade, and conducting interviews. There is a trend in legislation and management decision-making to make choices without recognizing the voices of those that their decisions will affect. Gia aims to use their research to inform decision-making in regards to limiting the spread of disease in the pet trade. They hope their work will contribute to creating better representation, trust, collaboration, and transparency in the pet trade world.
If you’re interested in talking about your MSU research on the radio or nominating a student, please email Chelsie and Danny at scifiles@impact89fm.org. Check The Sci-Files out on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube! 

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