Photo: IUCN Bangladesh
As the human population grows, the survival of many species is threatened by overexploitation for food, medicines and cultural uses. Illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth US$50-150 billion per year (UNEP 2014 Year Book). Effective governance of the use and trade of wildlife is thus essential to secure species survival.
IUCN, through its Global Species Programme and Species Survival Commission (SSC) Specialist Groups, including the CEESP/SSC Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group (SULi), promotes the sustainable use and trade of wild species by:
- Strengthening evidence on the sustainable use of wildlife through The IUCN Red List and as a partner of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management.
- Contributing evidence on wildlife use and trade to international policy fora, such as CMS (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals) and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), including through the IUCN/TRAFFIC Analyses of the Proposals to Amend the CITES Appendices.
- Playing a key role in combatting illegal wildlife trade by providing information and advice to international bodies such as CITES, the GEF (Global Environment Facility) Global Wildlife Program, and as a coalition partner of United for Wildlife.
- Acting to combat illegal wildlife trade on the ground through the IUCN SOS and Tiger Programmes, IUCN’s Commission on Ecosystem Management Fisheries Expert Group and IUCN’s Environmental Law Centre.
For more information please contact: Emma Vovk - Programme Officer, Sustainable Use and Trade
