Billions of billions around the world, according to a radical new scientific report, concludes that humans must make dramatic changes in hunting and other practices to address the accelerating biodiversity crisis. People depend on about 50,000 wild species for food, energy, medicine and income.
A four-year report prepared for the United Nations by 85 experts from 33 countries, this is for the sustainable use of wild species or in ways that do not lead to long-term depletion of their resources. The most comprehensive view up to. Guarantee their availability for future generations. It utilizes thousands of scientific studies and other references, including a collection of indigenous and local knowledge. Indigenous peoples and poor communities are one of the most immediately affected by the abuse of wild species, the report said.
“Half of humanity benefits from wild species and uses them, often without even knowing that they do,” said Marla, one of the co-chairs of the assessment. R. Emery says. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.. A summary Approved by representatives from 139 countries, including the United States, in Bonn, Germany on Thursday, the full report will be published within a few months.
However, the focus of this latest assessment was to provide a more optimistic outlook on how people around the world can use wild species in a sustainable way, said one of Co-Chairs, Jean- Marc Fromentin states.
One-third of the wild species that are used by humans in some way and appear on the Red List (species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature) are used by humans. Despite being, we have experienced a stable or increasing population trend. One study cited in the report. This suggests that “the use of these particular species has not yet directly contributed to their extinction, as far as we know.” Research on endangered speciesPublished in 2021.
Indigenous and local knowledge is essential, but traditionally underutilized, to learn some of the best practices for sustainable use, according to the report. Indigenous communities have long incorporated sustainable use of wild species into their cultural practices, with an estimated 15% of the world’s forests being managed as “community resources” by indigenous peoples and local communities, the report said. increase.
The report referred to practices such as those used on the hills of the Cordillera region of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. “The entire community is being mobilized to protect the forest,” said Victoria Tauricolps, an indigenous rights activist who grew up in the area. This practice, called batangan, is a resource management system with a common sense of responsibility to monitor forest diversity and plant new trees as older ones get older.
Not only “water, plants, animals and microbes”, but also climate change is becoming more important as forests play an important role in sequestering carbon, Tauri Corps said.
The report states that the sustainable use of wild species is central to the identity and existence of many indigenous peoples and communities.
“If wildlife disappears, our culture is at stake and our lifestyle and livelihood are at stake,” said Argentine Aboriginal lawyer and activist. International Indigenous Forums on Biodiversity.. “There’s still a lot to do, but at least some awareness,” Figueroa said.
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Future policies to control the use of wild species need to take into account the social and historical aspects of sustainability and whether the benefits from their use are evenly distributed. For example, vicuna fiber in luxury garments is expensive and produced primarily by low-income indigenous communities in South America, helping to protect vicuna by allowing animals to graze on commons or private lands. increase.
Still, the report states that it is “almost impossible” for the remote Andean community to negotiate with international textile companies or bring their products to the international market. And textile companies.
The report recommends that fisheries need to reduce unregulated illegal fishing, support smaller fisheries, and curb harmful subsidies that encourage overfishing. The report concludes that the logging industry also needs to invest in technologies that reduce waste in the production of timber products, and while the government tightens bans or regulations on wild meat in some areas, those policies are in them. May affect food insecurity in the region.
The findings of the new report could soon have a direct impact on international policy. Part of this report was carried out at the request of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora Species. The Convention aims to ensure that global trade in flora and fauna does not interfere with survival in the wild. The Parties to the treaty At a meeting in Panama in November, the results of the assessment will be used to inform trade decisions.
Overfishing of wild species is not the only factor causing decline. According to the report, anthropogenic climate change is also a major force. Increasing population and consumption will put even more pressure on wild species, along with technological advances that make many mining practices more efficient.
“We need to make sure that these policy instruments benefit everyone,” said Emma Archer, a professor at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and one of the lead authors of the assessment. “You don’t have to have both a winner and a loser.”