Context: A report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has said that trade in wildlife has become highly unsustainable.
Key highlights of the report

• The international legal wildlife trade has increased500 per cent in value since 2005 and 2,000 per centsince the 1980s.
• Estimated value of the global illegal trade in wildlife is worth around $7-23 billion per year, equivalent to nearly 25 per cent of the value of the legal market.
• Legal wildlife trade is unsustainable and becoming a threat to biodiversity conservation.

Global Scenario

• North America, Europe and some parts of Asia were net importers and consumers.
• Countries in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania were net suppliersor had a large domestic trade.
• In China, a growing wealthy middle class is often the main consumer of fashion productsof wildlife for traditional Chinese medicine or for food.
• The European Union and the United States were leading consumers of legally traded wildlife.
• The US was one of the largest legal importers of wildlife globally.
• CITES had been able to reduce wildlife trade, drive up value of sustainably traded species and products and promote captive-breeding, ranching or farming as alternatives to wild capture.
• Captive breeding might increase consumer demand and put pressure on free-living populations for founder stock.

Note

• Fisheries and forestry resources — were not regulated under CITES.
• Domestic use and trade of wildlife fell outside the purview of the Convention.

What the report said on wildlife farming?

• Wildlife farming might offer an alternative source for wildlife products and reduce hunting pressure on free-living populations but it has its negative sides too.
• Wildlife farms are stocked repeatedly with wild-caught individuals that are largely indistinguishable from those that are captive-bred.
• Record keeping is often lax or non-existent.
• Enforcement of laws is often poor.

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

• It was established in 2012 by 94 governments.
• Currently it has 137 member countries.

It is an independent intergovernmental body established by States to

• Strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services.
• Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
• Long-term human well-being and sustainable development.
• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat services to IPBES.
• India is a member of IPBES since 2012.

Work of IPBES

• Assessments: On specific themes (e.g. “Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production”); methodological issues (e.g. “Scenarios and Modelling); and at both the regional and global levels (e.g. “Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”).
• Policy Support: Identifying policy-relevant tools and methodologies, facilitating their use, and catalyzing their further development.
• Building Capacity & Knowledge: Identifying and meeting the priority capacity, knowledge and data needs of our member States, experts and stakeholders.

Communications & Outreach: Ensuring the widest reach and impact of our work.