There is no evidence whatsoever to support this claim. In fact, the experiences in Belgium, where the Positive List was first introduced in 2001, have shown no indications that the implementation of the Positive List has led to an increase in illegal trade. The Eurogroup for Animals report ‘Implementation of the Positive List for mammal pets in Belgium – A success story’ revealed – after conducting an analysis of trading sites, official confiscations data and rescue centre data – that between 2009 and 2014, there were only 22 confiscations (of 92 individual animals in total) of illegally kept animals in Belgium. This indicates that the Positive List has not led to any significant levels of illegal activity. The experiences in Belgium have also shown that enforcement against illegal activity has actually become easier with the Positive List, as it’s easier for citizens to know which species are allowed and to report the keeping of prohibited species to the authorities.