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Commercial Trade of Wildlife - The Fur, Feathers, And Leather Trade, Collectors Of Rare And Exotic Species, Health Remedies And Fads
animal endangered percent example
Humans have used wild animal and plant products for numerous purposes since prehistoric times. Clothing was made from animal skins, and tools from bones. In many societies, products from rare species symbolized wealth and success. For example, flashy feathers from South American birds were given as a tribute to Inca chiefs by
their subjects, and women in nineteenth-century Europe sported ostrich feathers in their hats. In East Asia, animal parts have been used to prepare medicines and aphrodisiacs. Exotic species have also been kept as pets—cheetahs and falcons, for example, were kept for hunting. In addition, species such as dogs, cats, apes, monkeys, frogs, guinea pigs, rats, and mice are used in scientific
research.
Sadly, overexploitation of wild species for commercial gain is the second most important cause of animal extinction, after habitat loss. According to the World Conservation Union's 2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, hunting, collection, and trade affect 37 percent of all bird
species, 34 percent of mammals, and 8 percent of surveyed plant species. Once non-domesticated animal species are considered commodities, they have an extremely high likelihood of becoming endangered. A small subset of endangered species currently affected by trade include whales hunted for meat and blubber; exotic birds captured for the illegal pet trade; rhinos poached for their horns; minks
killed for their pelts; snakes, alligators, and lizards hunted for their skins; and elephants slaughtered for their ivory tusks. The argalis (see Figure 10.1) is a species of wild sheep endangered because trophy hunters seek its massive horns.
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Numerous wild animal species are hunted for their fur pelts or leather hides. These are used to make coats, hats, shoes, gloves, belts, purses, and other accessories. This has led to the near extermination of mammals and reptiles such as minks, foxes, beavers, seals, alligators and crocodiles, chinchillas, otters, and wild
cats. Birds were once hunted for fashion as well—species of egrets, …
Many wild species are valued by collectors, including spiders, insects such as beetles or butterflies, and plants, particularly orchids and cacti. Rare species are particularly sought after. For that reason Fish and Wildlife biologists are sometimes reluctant to reveal the critical habitats of threatened and endangered species
in the United States. Despite strict prohibition under the Endangered S…
Numerous populations of both animals and plants are being depleted for medicinal purposes. The World Health Organization reports that 80 percent of the world population depends largely on animal or plant-based medicines. In addition, plant and animal derivatives are frequently used as components of modern medicines or herbal
remedies. At the top of wildlife contraband lists are aphrodisiacs and ar…
The use of animals for scientific and medical research is both common and controversial. Under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) of 1966 and its amendments, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is responsible for reporting on species used in research. APHIS reported that in
2001 over 1.2 million animals were used for research purposes in the Unite…
TRAFFIC is a leading wildlife trade monitoring network sponsored jointly by the World Wildlife Fund and the World Conservation Union (IUCN). It works closely with the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Regarding threatened species, TRAFFIC states its objective as: "To ensure
that wildlife trade does not result in the endangerment of any wild …
In 1994 the Fish and Wildlife Service reported that U.S. wildlife trade represented a $20 billion market, including an estimated $5 billion in illegal trade—this is despite U.S. claims to leadership in the protection of threatened plant and animal species. Although the U.S. undeniably has some of the most promising legislation
in the world regarding wildlife trade, the insatiable demand of …
In the United States, the indiscriminate slaughter of wildlife in the nineteenth century brought about the extinction of numerous species. The Lacey Act was passed in 1900 and represented the first national conservation law. The Lacey Act prohibited interstate transport of wildlife killed in violation of a state law, and also
allowed individual states to prohibit import of wildlife or their produc…
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is an international treaty established to regulate commerce in wildlife. CITES, first ratified in 1975, was developed to block both the import and export of endangered species as well as to regulate trade in vulnerable species. CITES
maintains three levels of control. Appendix I, the most stringent, include…
The campaign to save endangered whales has perhaps made greater progress than any other international effort to protect endangered species. In 1946, long before the creation of CITES, the International Whaling Commission (IWC) was established to regulate whaling. The IWC, a loosely governed consortium, included fifty-two
nations in 2004. The primary function of the IWC is to conserve whale stocks …
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