Use and trade of wild species are at the nexus of today’s most pressing conservation and development concerns. The use and trade in wild animal, plant and fungi species contributes to the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world and generates hundreds of billions of dollars of economic value annually. However, all too often, efforts to ensure this use and trade remain legal and at sustainable levels struggle to succeed. This is jeopardising the status of species, ecosystems and the wellbeing of people who depend on wild resources for their livelihood.  

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) Global Assessment Report on biodiversity and ecosystem services (2019) estimated that direct overexploitation is the main cause of marine biodiversity loss and second most significant cause of terrestrial biodiversity loss. The recent 2022 IPBES Sustainable Use of Wild Species Assessment Summary for Policymakers said that the interconnectedness of global trade in wild species is a significant driver of the increased and often unsustainable use of wild species. About 50,000 wild species of animals, plants and fungi are used for food, energy, medicine, material, and other purposes. For many species, there is a combination of illegal and legal (but unsustainable) use and trade linked to a wider lack of good governance. Persistent and systemic corruption exacerbate the problems facing natural resource management. 

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework will be adopted by the CBD CoP15. The Parties have shown a strong commitment to sustainable use of biodiversity for the benefit of the species and people that rely on them through Target 5 (as well as 9 and other associated Targets) of the first draft of the GBF: “Ensure that the harvesting, trade and use of wild species is sustainable, legal, and safe for human health”. Although not yet finalised and adopted, the draft Global Biodiversity Framework establishes the level of global ambition. However, an effective way to measure the progress towards this draft of Target is currently lacking.  

To fill this gap in the monitoring framework, a process for the development of a headline indicator for Target 5 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (https://www.post-2020indicators.org/pdfs/174?type=headline) was proposed, to ensure that there is adequate measurement of progress towards this target.

Although an index exists for the proportion of fish stocks that are harvested sustainably (FAO), no similar index exists for terrestrial species of flora, fungi and fauna.  Given the importance of the use of wild species nationally, concerns and warnings over unsustainable use are most likely need to be tackled at the national level before they can be elevated to an indicator at the international level (and global ranges of species). 

The process proposed includes the national piloting of developed indicator framework on ‘Sustainable Use of Wild Species’, with the emphasize on Parties with varied species management, abundance, and capacity resources, including e.g. Small Island Development States (SIDS). Pilots will be used to refine the approach, and build regional capacities, finally enabling  the global level indicator for policy-makers to track the progress and adapt actions to promote the legal, sustainable and safe use and trade in wild species.

This side-event will bring together CBD Parties to share their experiences and work to date in monitoring use of wild species, including their collaborations with indigenous people and local communities (IPLC) organizations, and other expert organizations on the subject of harvest, use and trade in wild species. The event will use case studies, best practice examples and lessons learnt to inform and engage Parties and other organizations with the development of clear roadmap for this critical work and contribute to the sustainable use of wild species globally.

Collaborators

• TRAFFIC
• Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia (MEPA)
• Comisión Nacional para el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Mexico
• CORDIO East Africa, Kenya; bioDISCOVERY SSC
• IPBES Sustainable Use of Wild Species report Co-Chairs 
• The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)
• FAO (Secretariat of the Collaborative Partnership on Sustainable Wildlife Management),
• International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
• IUCN SSC/CEESP Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group
• Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)
• International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CiC)