A report assessing wildlife reported that people should help alleviate the biodiversity problem by altering aspects of our lifestyle. A summary for the report was approved on Thursday, July 7th, with a full report coming out later this year.
The report analyzes options to help wildlife and their resources. It combines references from scientific studies and knowledge collected from locals and Indigenous people, who greatly depend on wildlife for their survival.
The assessment adds to the 2019 report which had found almost one million species were vulnerable to becoming extinct. The decline in wildlife population can be attributed to overexploitation, climate change, and any uses of technology that strains the sustainability of wildlife populations. Jean-Marc Fromentin, a co-chair of the assessment, said this year’s assessment has an emphasis on how people can use wildlife while not reducing biodiversity.
However, not all human interaction with wildlife is negative. In a study referenced by the report, it discovered that one third of wildlife that interact with people and considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature show a flat or upward trend in population. Sophie Marsh, a biodiversity master’s student at the University College London, indicates that “the use of these specific species is not yet directly contributing to their extinction, as far as we can tell.”
The report reiterated the importance of knowing how Indigenous and locals interact with wildlife. It explained how cultural practices, such as Bantangan used in the Cordillera region of Luzon, are an integral part of these communities and would be useful in protecting wildlife. Viana Figueroa, Argentine Indigenous lawyer and activist, said that “[i]f wildlife disappears, our culture is at risk, our lifestyle and our livelihood is at risk.”
The report advised us on how we could help sustain wildlife. The fishing industry should discourage overfishing and any illegal fishing and support small fisheries. The logging industry should fund waste-reducing technology. The government should impose more laws to regulate wild meat but should also consider how the laws affect the food supply.
The goal for creating new policies on sustaining wildlife is to maintain that benefits shall be shared to all. Emma Archer, University of Pretoria professor and a leading author for the assessment, said, “[w]e have to make sure these policy instruments benefit everybody. There doesn’t have to be both winners and losers.”
Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/climate/species-biodiversity-united-nations.html
The report analyzes options to help wildlife and their resources. It combines references from scientific studies and knowledge collected from locals and Indigenous people, who greatly depend on wildlife for their survival.
The assessment adds to the 2019 report which had found almost one million species were vulnerable to becoming extinct. The decline in wildlife population can be attributed to overexploitation, climate change, and any uses of technology that strains the sustainability of wildlife populations. Jean-Marc Fromentin, a co-chair of the assessment, said this year’s assessment has an emphasis on how people can use wildlife while not reducing biodiversity.
However, not all human interaction with wildlife is negative. In a study referenced by the report, it discovered that one third of wildlife that interact with people and considered threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature show a flat or upward trend in population. Sophie Marsh, a biodiversity master’s student at the University College London, indicates that “the use of these specific species is not yet directly contributing to their extinction, as far as we can tell.”
The report reiterated the importance of knowing how Indigenous and locals interact with wildlife. It explained how cultural practices, such as Bantangan used in the Cordillera region of Luzon, are an integral part of these communities and would be useful in protecting wildlife. Viana Figueroa, Argentine Indigenous lawyer and activist, said that “[i]f wildlife disappears, our culture is at risk, our lifestyle and our livelihood is at risk.”
The report advised us on how we could help sustain wildlife. The fishing industry should discourage overfishing and any illegal fishing and support small fisheries. The logging industry should fund waste-reducing technology. The government should impose more laws to regulate wild meat but should also consider how the laws affect the food supply.
The goal for creating new policies on sustaining wildlife is to maintain that benefits shall be shared to all. Emma Archer, University of Pretoria professor and a leading author for the assessment, said, “[w]e have to make sure these policy instruments benefit everybody. There doesn’t have to be both winners and losers.”
Link to Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/climate/species-biodiversity-united-nations.html