# data[].attributes.body
This article provides information in a video. The video explains how wildlife traffickers in Colombia are able to do what they do. The trafficking is driven by sophisticated criminal networks that exploit gaps in enforcement, facilitated by corruption at various levels of governance. This includes permit falsification and abuse, allowing traffickers to bypass regulations with ease. A lack of reliable data and limited law enforcement capacity in Colombia’s Amazon and Pacific regions create significant vulnerabilities that traffickers exploit.

# data[].attributes.body
This article emphasizes the importance of El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, as that's a major transit point in the trafficking network. Millions of animals are trafficked yearly, frogs and primates being the most targeted and endangered. This issue calls for multifaceted and collaborative enforcement response, combining technological, legal, and community-based strategies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wildlife Trafficking in Colombia - Wildlife Trade Report from TRAFFIC

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This report analyzes wildlife trafficking in Colombia, with an emphasis on El Dorado International Airport. It is based on data from CITES, TRAFFIC’s Wildlife…

# data[].attributes.body
What practices or policies should be implemented in Colombia to slow down or sustainably trade wildlife?

# data[].attributes.body
What are the socio-economic and ecological impacts poaching has on communities?

# data[].attributes.body
What community-based practices can be put into action to restore habitats and local eco-systems in regions where there is a lot of degraded ecosystems?

# data[].attributes.body
How does land usage impact biodiversity and ecosystems in tropical regions?

# data[].attributes.body
I think I want to research the overexploitation of wildlife, more specifically the illegal wildlife trade, which must be addressed to reach SDG #15. I will focus on the country of Colombia and promote sustainable practices. I want to research this because it seems to be a big and prevalent problem that endangers alot of animals, and is directly linked to everything else SDG #15 is trying to resolve.

# data[].attributes.body
Trafficking in general is often overlooked in Latin America and the Caribbean. These regions hold 40-50% of the worlds biodiversity, and it is facing severe threats as it has been slowly dissapearing since 1970. Colombia is a key player in this trade, as it acts as a source, transit hub, and destination for trafficked wildlife. It poses a serious threat to biodiversity, global health, and national security.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Following the launch of our Latin America and Caribbean Chapter, United for Wildlife Chairman Lord William Hague writes for El Tiempo on how Latin America and the Caribbean fit into the global context of the illegal wildlife trade.
The story of the illegal wildlife trade is often one of Africa and Asia, of supply and demand, of rhino horn and traditional medicine.

In truth, the illegal wildlife trade is an even bigger problem than that, and it is a major threat in Latin America. Wildlife trafficking is one of the four most significant international organised crimes alongside the trafficking of humans, drugs, and weapons. Wildlife crime is often regarded as a low risk, high reward enterprise worth up to $20bn USD a year to syndicates around the world that puts communities, biodiversity, and our planetary health at risk.

Latin America and the Caribbean represent one of the world's most biodiverse regions. It therefore comes as no surprise that the region is a major target for the illegal wildlife trade. Colombia specifically is a source, transit hub, and destination for live wildlife and wildlife derivatives trafficked across the region, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, big cats, aquarium fish, and primates. Both live animals and their parts most often exit the country to destinations in the United States, Europe, and Asia by air, both in cargo and smuggled by passengers.

Illegal trade is regularly hidden behind seemingly legitimate fronts, including pet stores, breeding facilities and online retailers. Reptiles for example, are prized for their skins, producing exotic leather for fashion items. Recent arrests in Colombia have shown reptile skin traffickers attempting to evade both environmental protections and customs and imports duties by smuggling finished goods like bags and shoes to their destination markets, with even known branded products being seized due to illegal and unsustainable practices.

These criminals are often hidden in plain sight, backed by an international, highly organised criminal architecture. Defeating such a pervasive, worldwide crime requires a global, organised response, with root and branch intelligence sharing between front-line conservationists all the way up to national governments and international organisations. The private sector in particular has a vital role to play in bringing this heinous trade to an end through the disruption of supply chains and supporting financial investigations.

Founded by Prince William and The Royal Foundation in 2014, United for Wildlife aims to organise and convene these multilateral stakeholders to make it impossible for traffickers to transport, finance, or profit from illegal wildlife products.

Following Colombia demonstrating its commitment to ending the illegal wildlife trade by becoming the first country to sign up as a United for Wildlife member last year, this week, we are launching our Latin America Chapter in Santa Marta. The Chapter will bring together leading figures from government, civil society, law enforcement and the private sector from across Latin America to unify and support a regional approach to address the illegal wildlife trade.

The importance of this work cannot be understated. Latin America alone is home to 40% of the world's biodiversity and almost a quarter of the planet's most endangered species. Beyond their intrinsic right to exist, flora and fauna are key lynchpins of the natural world upon which we all depend. However, in some areas of the region, as much as 94% of wildlife has disappeared since 1970 due to habitat loss, deforestation, human wildlife conflict, and increasingly, the illegal wildlife trade.

We are making progress. Through our Transport and Financial Taskforces, United for Wildlife has supported over 500 arrests, nearly 300 seizures of illegal wildlife products, and the training of over 100,000 people to target and tackle wildlife crime. The will is there to make a difference and bring down this destructive trade for good. By working together, we can find the way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Threat of Illegal Wildlife Trade in Latin America - United for Wildlife

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
United for Wildlife Chairman Lord Hague writes for El Tiempo on how Latin America fits into the global illegal wildlife trade.

# data[].attributes.headline
Where overexploitation is most prevalent

# data[].attributes.subject
Where overexploitation is most prevalent

# data[].attributes.body
Animal trafficking is all over the world, but studies show it is most prevelant in Latin America. This is due to the regions high biodiversity like colorful parrots and exotic reptiles. The wildlife in Latin America and the Caribbean is nowhere else to be found, which is why the regions weak enforcement of wildlife protection laws makes it so easy to traffic these animals to places such as Europe, Asia, and the United States.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Report: Criminals Exploit Latin American Airports to Traffic Wildlife

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Criminal organizations exploited increased air travel in Latin America and the Caribbean to traffic birds, reptiles, mammals and other species outside and within the region, endangering the world’s most-wildlife rich territory, a new report reveals.

# data[].attributes.body
I didn't know what the wildlife trade was before this but I am now realizing what it is and how bad it is. Wild animals are harvested for the illegal pet trade, traditional medicine, and body parts. It is pretty much impossible to put a complete stop on this trade, but there is ways to trade sustainably. It is important that we take care of our wildlife and resources and not abuse them. This trade is what leads to animals and plants to go extinct, and also leads to the abuse and neglect of many animals that are kept as "pets".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Shark fins are targets for fishermen because they sell for a high price and serve as a symbol of status in Eastern cultures. They are used in a popular dish called shark fin soup, which has a long history of being favored by some Eastern emperors who thought it had medicinal benefits and represented a victory against powerful sharks. That belief is unfounded but has not faded.

Many fishermen practice shark finning, a brutal practice of catching a shark, pulling it onboard a boat, cutting its fins off and tossing the still-living shark back overboard. Unable to swim properly and bleeding profusely, the sharks suffocate to death or die of blood loss.

But it's not just sharks that face a brutal fate.

Within poaching circles, it is said that a kilo of rhino horn is worth more than its weight in gold, making the animals a prime target for poachers. Rhino horn was used in traditional Eastern medicine, but increasingly common is its use as a status symbol to display success and wealth.

Poachers are now being supplied by international criminal gangs with sophisticated equipment to track and kill rhinos.

HSI Seattle Special Agent Kyle Maher knows firsthand how brutal the poachers can be when removing a rhino's horn.

"While in Africa years ago, we came across a rhinoceros with its face sliced off," he said.

Frequently a tranquilizer gun is used to bring the rhino down, before its horn is hacked off, leaving the rhino to wake up and bleed to death, painfully and slowly. The rare few that survive their encounters with poachers are often left with horrific gunshot, axe or machete wounds.

Maher and his colleague, HSI Special Agent Robert Patterson, recently helped bring two wildlife poachers to justice.

HSI Seattle's Border Enforcement Security Taskforce and HSI Washington D.C.'s Global Investigations Group concluded a multi-year investigation with the arrest and 11-count indictment of two foreign nationals from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The investigation centered on two people who previously conspired to send multiple shipments of bulk elephant ivory, pangolin scales and rhinoceros' horn to Seattle from the DRC.

"We found them and started talking to them. We then started sending them money and they started sending us the product. They eventually accepted our invitation to come over to Seattle," Maher said.

During the face-to-face meeting near Seattle, an HSI special agent posing as the chief buyer negotiated with the smugglers to facilitate the purchase and movement of an entire shipping container filled with wildlife-related contraband.

"We had previously been offered multiple tons of ivory if we were willing to buy in bulk. At the breakfast meeting we eventually came to an agreement to make a significant purchase," Maher said. "And then we told them that we would take them to meet the rest of the investors. That's when Rob [Patterson] put the handcuffs on them."

In close collaboration with the U.S. embassy in Kinshasa, HSI provided key intelligence to a DRC taskforce led by the DRC National Parks Security (Corps en charge de la sécurisation des Parcs Nationaux) who within 12 hours executed multiple raids seizing 2,067 pounds of raw and processed ivory along with 75 pounds of pangolin scales that the DRC valued at approximately $3.5 million.

Wildlife Demand

At the core of illegal wildlife trafficking is a rapidly expanding demand for a variety of products around the world: bushmeat; ingredients for traditional Eastern medicine; exotic pets; jewelry, trinkets, and accessories such as chess sets; furs for uses ranging from coats to traditional costumes; and trophies.

Wildlife trade is regulated by the United Nations' Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which currently has 170 member countries.

The Lacey Act also protects wildlife, fish and plants that are illegally taken, possessed, transported or sold. Initially enacted in 1900, it only applied to a narrow range of plants indigenous to the United States and did not prohibit trade in plants taken in violation of foreign law. However, in 2008, the Lacey Act was amended to include a prohibition on trade in plants and plant products, such as timber and paper, harvested in violation of international law. This landmark legislation constituted the world's first ban on trade in illegally sourced wood products.

There are many different estimates of the value of illicit wildlife trafficking worldwide. According to the Wildlife Conservation Society, unreported and unregulated fisheries trade alone are estimated to be between $4.2 billion and $9.5 billion per year. Illicit wildlife trafficking is estimated to be between $7.8 billion and $10 billion per year, and illegal timber trade is estimated as much as $7 billion per year.

Combining these numbers, all illicit wildlife trafficking, including fisheries and timber, comprise the fourth largest global illegal trade after narcotics, human trafficking and counterfeit products.

And this continues to grow as international criminal networks engaging in drugs and human trafficking get more involved to supplement their income.

"A lot of times where we start with the lower-level facilitators and shippers, you know there's this whole supply chain of organized crime," HSI's Harbin said.

Why should we care?

Wildlife trade threatens the local ecosystem and puts all species under additional pressure at a time when they are facing threats such as over-fishing, pollution, dredging, deforestation and other forms of habitat destruction.

It also causes an imbalance in local economies, impacting local communities

Human livelihoods in rural areas across the tropical forest world are closely bound to hunting of wildlife for food and income.

Across the tropics, many more peoples whose cultures are in transition from a subsistence to a market economy depend on hunting as a fallback in times of hardship.

Loss of wildlife along newly created roads to distant markets means that a vital resource is lost.

Remote forest peoples who have few or no alternatives are driven even further into poverty.

Latin America is vulnerable to wildlife trafficking because of its biodiversity. Ecuador has about 1,600 species of birds. Although accurate data about the illegal trade in animals and plants is hard to come by, Brazil's Institute of Environment and Natural Resources estimates that at least 12 million wild animals are poached there each year.

In Congo, wildlife declined by more than 25% in a single 3-week period after a forest was opened up by a logging company; and in forested areas in Malaysia, which had been accessible by a logging road for at least a year, no large mammals remained.

As soon as a road goes in, outside hunters and weapons also go in and wildlife flows cheaply and rapidly down to distant towns where it is either sold directly or linked to global markets through ships and planes.

"Every time they open a new road, when they start taking out the timber, that's when most of the poaching happens within five or 10 miles of a road. So as soon as they put in a new road, they just start vacuuming everything out of the area," says Maher.

Illegal Logging's Impact on Climate Change

The world's forests are being rapidly destroyed by agricultural expansion, firewood harvesting and charcoal production as well as legal and illegal logging. Because of the world's appetite for "precious" and commercial wood, vast areas are deforested each year. The earth's forests are home to most of the species protected by CITES. Individual countries are responsible for halting shipments of illegally sourced timber and wood products.

Worth an estimated $51-$152 billion annually, according to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the illegal timber industry threatens on many levels.

Uncontrolled logging leads to devastating fires, landslides and floods, endangering biodiversity and wreaking havoc on forest dependent communities. It is starving developing countries of money sorely needed to fund schools, hospitals and sanitation. Efforts by these countries to rein in these activities can be very challenging in the face of remote locations, weak enforcement and corruption.

The bulk of this illegal wood is exported, and most finds its way eventually onto shelves and into homes in the wealthy countries of North America, Europe and East Asia. Together, the U.S., Europe, Japan, Canada and Russia consume 74% of the timber in global trade.

HSI Special Agent Patterson says that rich countries want beautiful wood floors, but they don't understand the devastation to the environment that the logging caused.

The rate of forest loss is greater than ever before.

"In Ghana, for example, they've lost something like 80% of their natural forest in the last 25 years," Maher said. "And then in Cambodia, places like Andoung Bor, a protected virgin forest area was completely razed in less than 10 years between 2008 and 2017."

Cambodia has experienced one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, losing about 64% of its tree cover since 2011.

While the illegal importation of wood continues, there have been some high-profile cases in which companies are being taken to court to stop this illicit practice.

In 2016, Virginia-based hardwood flooring retailer Lumber Liquidators Inc. was sentenced in federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, and paid more than $13 million in criminal fines, community service and forfeited assets related to its illegal importation of hardwood flooring. Much of the wood they sold was manufactured in China from timber that had been illegally logged in far eastern Russia, the habitat of the last remaining Siberian tigers and Amur leopards in the world.

This was the first felony conviction related to the import or use of illegal timber and the largest criminal fine ever under the Lacey Act.

HSI continues the fight

HSI remains steadfast in its commitment to combat wildlife trafficking and the illegal trading of natural resources. Through its collaboration with interagency partners, HSI continues to work and build on the strategy's three objectives: strengthening enforcement; reducing demand for illegally traded wildlife; and building international cooperation, commitment, and public-private partnerships.

HSI's Harbin said that HSI is at an advantage in investigating these cases.

Through its engagement with the Presidential Task Force on Wildlife Trafficking, HSI has taken steps to coordinate with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) Office of Law Enforcement and has worked to implement the National Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking.

HSI also continues to take decisive action to dismantle organized crime syndicates, while specifically recognizing the increasing connection between the trafficking of wildlife and other natural resources and transnational crime organizations.

Some of HSI's recent successes:

On Nov. 2, 2022, Savannah Nicole Valdez, 20, from Katy, Texas, pleaded guilty to smuggling a spider monkey into the United States without first declaring and invoicing it and fleeing an immigration checkpoint. The joint investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Kingsville Police Department. On March 21, 2022, Valdez attempted to enter the United States through the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas. Officers observed a wooden box with holes inside the vehicle which Valdez said contained beer she had purchased in Mexico. When officers opened the box, they discovered a live spider monkey and referred Valdez to secondary inspection. Valdez, however, refused to comply with their instructions and instead sped off, running a traffic light and nearly colliding with officers and other vehicles. Later that day, agents found multiple online postings advertising the sale of the spider monkey in the Katy and Houston areas with Valdez's phone number listed in the advertisements. Valdez will be sentenced on Jan. 25, 2023. She faces up to twenty years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

On July 12, 2022, Herdade Lokua, 34, and Jospin Mujangi, 32, of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), each plead guilty in federal court in Seattle, WA to conspiracy, and Lacey Act violations for trafficking elephant ivory and white rhinoceros horn from DRC to Seattle. HSI Seattle, in conjunction with the Department of State, Department of Justice, FWS, CBP, Seattle Police Department and HSI Nairobi, spearheaded the investigation as part of "Operation Kuluna." Immediately after the arrests, the task force in DRC acted on information provided by HSI Seattle to make additional arrests and seize 2,067 pounds of ivory and 75 pounds of pangolin scales in Kinshasa. The DRC placed the value of the wildlife trafficking contraband at approximately $3.5 million.

On July 26, 2021, a husband and wife pleaded guilty to violating the Lacey Act for illegally selling Louisiana box turtles and were sentenced to serve one year of probation. Federal investigators initiated an undercover investigation after receiving information from a confidential informant that the defendants illegally captured and sold common box turtles, a protected species, exporting them to New Jersey. This joint criminal investigation was conducted by HSI, FWS, and USPIS.

On January 25, 2021, a federal judge sentenced a Dallas business owner to pay a $2,000 fine and to complete a 1-year term of probation. The owner pleaded guilty to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). A joint investigation by HSI, FWS, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division found that between June 2017 and April 2019, the defendant, who owned a Dallas mystic shop, sold dried hummingbird carcasses known as "chuparosas," without a valid permit. Some believe that "chuparosas" impart mystical benefits and use them as amulets or charms.

On December 14, 2020, a federal court sentenced a smuggler to 6 months' incarceration for smuggling protected sea cucumbers, valued at more than $60,000, into the United States from Mexico in violation of the Lacey Act and U.S. customs law.

On November 13, 2020, following a joint HSI and FWS criminal investigation, a federal judge sentenced a defendant to time served and two years' supervised release. He further was ordered to pay $1,500 in restitution to the government of Mexico. This defendant pleaded guilty to both Lacey Act and customs violations for smuggling Totoaba macdonaldi (Totoaba) into the United States from Mexico.

On October 8, 2020, the owner of a Japanese fishing vessel pleaded guilty to unlawful trafficking of shark fins and was sentenced to the largest criminal monetary penalty ever imposed in a federal shark finning case in the United States. This case was investigated by HSI, FWS and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and involved notable assistance from CBP, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the U.S. Coast Guard.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wildlife Trafficking: Why battling this illicit trade is crucial

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shark fins are targets for fishermen because they sell for a high price and serve as a symbol of status in Eastern cultures. They are used in a popular dish called shark fin soup, which has a long history of being favored by some Eastern emperors who thought it had medicinal benefits and represented a victory against powerful sharks.

# data[].attributes.body
Unsustainable wildlife trade is very profitable as well as harmful. Animals are illegally captured and poached in order to make things such as medicine, clothes, food, and pets. This is directly linked to animal extinction and is one of the largest threats to biodiversity.

# data[].attributes.body
Fishing is the biggest reason as to why ocean life is going extinct. Fish are very important, as they do not only feed other wildlife, but are also a huge source of protein and vitamins for humans. Overfishing is when people catch fish faster than the fish can replenish themselves. This is bad because if we were to run out of fish, it would be a disaster for the food chain and ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.body
Hunting isn't neccessarily bad, as some people do it for food, safety, and to keep populations in check. It becomes a problem when the hunting is excessive and is only done for sport and trophy's. Most people hunt to keep the body parts for skill.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We are reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn affiliate commission.

Humans impact wildlife in numerous ways, but overhunting is one of the most pressing concerns. Global species suffer from people killing animals for fun or economic benefit, which eventually harms humans too. These factors are everything you need to know about the causes and effects of overhunting, plus a few solutions that could mitigate the problem.

What Causes Overhunting?

People need to understand a problem before they can find a solution. These are the reasons why overhunting is an immediate concern for animals on and off the endangered species list.

1. People Hunting for Sport

Using stealth, strategy and technology to find and kill prey is an appealing hobby to many people. Over the centuries, passionate fans created 18 types of hunting sports that involve various weaponry and animals.

The hobby can quickly become an overhunting problem, given that so many people spend their free time that way. Over 13.9 million Americans got hunting licenses in 2021, with many others hunting with or without a license globally. With so many people involved in this sport, endangered animals can easily get caught in their crosshairs.

2. People Hunting for Food

You may think that overhunting doesn't affect animals that aren't on the endangered list, but that isn't true. Many people still hunt for their daily meals or the occasional dinner. When they hunt in areas with a limited number of animals like dear, bears and fish, it hurts those species.

This isn't a problem in every culture, but some societies may live by species that need more support to reproduce. If those species are also a group's primary food source, it can lead to complicated overhunting problems at risk of leaving people underfed.

3. People Hunting for Economic Benefit

Legal hunting creates jobs and stimulates the economy, even at the price of significantly reducing species. Illegal wildlife trading is also profitable. The United Nations estimated that illegally hunting ivory tusks on elephants, walruses and hippos made $400 million annually between 2016 and 2018. Much of that trading results in animals dying for their most profitable parts.

4. People Relaxing Animal Protection Laws

Animal conservation laws become relaxed if they aren't renewed or strengthened. Enforcement is also an issue. Hunters in remote locations can hunt endangered animals like the arctic fox to skin and sell their pelts for a higher profit than other fox species. It isn't a leading societal issue, so the laws keeping these problems from getting solved can go unnoticed when they lapse.

How Does Overhunting Affect Animals and the Ecosystem?

Everyone can imagine how overhunting prevents animals from replenishing their species each year, but these are a few ways it also hurts the ecosystem.

1. It Disrupts the Food Chain

When one type of animal significantly reduces its population or disappears entirely, it disrupts the food chain. People could overhunt an animal that isn't on the endangered list, like prairie dogs. When their population got too scarce in 1979, it threatened the black-footed ferret and would have made them extinct without intervention by wildlife experts.

2. It Interrupts Migration Patterns

There are a few ways that overhunting harms migrating animals. They may change their path if their typical prey no longer exists on their annual migration routes. It could also stop animals from migrating altogether, resulting in a lack of biodiversity that causes other global species to suffer. Migrating animals are essential to the ecosystem, but they can't follow their instincts if there isn't food to support them along the way.

3. It Affects Nonendangered Animals

Wild animals are dying from human-influenced climate change as wildfires become more frequent due to a lack of precipitation and higher temperatures. The lucky ones who survive environmental disasters still need prey to eat. When they move to new locations to continue their survival, they may not find enough food to thrive because overhunting already took away their primary food source.

4. It Impacts Agriculture

Many wildlife species eat insects as their primary food source, which allows vegetation to thrive. Agricultural industries need natural insect and bug population control to grow crops successfully. If those animals disappear, pests become overabundant and eat crops, making food more scarce for people at grocery stores, farmer's markets and homesteads.

Potential Solutions to Overhunting Animals

Although the overhunting of animals is heartbreaking, there are ways humans can help fix the problem. These could mitigate the issue and even prevent overhunting from becoming a global concern again.

1. Stricter Hunting Laws

There are hunting laws, treaties and agreements in place in every country. The U.S. also allows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to enact regulations and rules when the laws are too vague. Stricter laws would expedite animal protection and provide updates for newly or potentially endangered species.

2. Additional Hunting Law Enforcement

Federal wildlife officials already regulate the laws protecting animals and restricting hunting abilities, but there could be additional enforcement measures to further protect wildlife. Increased enforcement officials in areas sparsely monitored would keep hunters from illegally killing animals just because there's no one there to witness it.

3. Eliminated Economic Support for Overhunting

Consumer demand drives production. Economic support has a powerful influence over marketplace variety. If people stop buying animal products from endangered species-like ivory, pelts or taxidermied parts-the products would become too cheap to support hunting and distribution expenses.

4. More Funds for Conservation Agencies

Law enforcement officials have legal rights to take action when hunters break conservation laws, but other agencies could also help minimize overhunting issues. The only problem is their funding.

Many non-federal conservation agencies don't get federal funding, so they rely on donations and merchandise sales to stay financially afloat. If more people supported them or new laws increased the available federal funding, they could do more work to spread the news about endangered species and ways people can help them.

Overhunting Animals Doesn't Have to Continue

Overhunting animals has many causes and effects on the animal kingdom and everyone on the planet. People need to become aware of how it impacts the environment to better protect themselves and animals who are powerless against legal and illegal sporting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Overhunting Animals: Causes, Effects and Potential Solutions - Environment Co

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
People are overhunting animals every year due to these causes, so read about what effects it has on the environment and possible solutions.

# data[].attributes.body
Consumerism of wildlife is when people kill animals for food or their body parts. Consumerism can be driven by cultural beliefs, desire of status symbol, or perceived medicinal properties. Overconsumption of wildlife is one of the main drives to biodiversity loss. Not only is certain wildlife endangered, but the interaction of humans with wild animals put us at risk as well as sickness and diseases are carried by these animals. This cannot be fully stopped, but it can be prevented by embracing a minimalist lifestyle and only buy things that are necessary. Recycling is also a great help, aswell as buying secondhand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Understanding consumer behavior to reduce wildlife demand

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Curbing illegal, unsustainable and high-disease-risk wildlife consumer demand is an urgent and difficult task. Conservationists are increasingly adopting an approach that integrates regulatory measures, consumer data, and behavioral science to successfully change attitudes and end wildlife demand.

# data[].attributes.body
Invasive species are non-native plants, animals, bugs, and other organisms that could cause economic harm, environmental harm, or harm to human health. Since these species arent in their natural habitat, they tend to not have any natural predators to keep the population in check. They can cause native species to go extinct, and is the reason why it is a major drive to loss of biodiversity. Invasive species are often introduced to new habitats due to the transportation of people and goods. Although this conflict is usually accidental, its better if we as humans try our best to prevent these spreads by cleaning tools well and try to not misplace woods and plants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Provides the official definition for what are invasive species and related information.

Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other living organisms (e.g., microbes). To learn more, see our Species Profiles which provides general information about species considered to be invasive.

View related information: Resource Search - Invasive Species 101

What Defines an Invasive Species?

As per Executive Order 13112 (Section 1. Definitions) an "invasive species" is a species that is:

1) non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration and,

2) whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Non-native species are plants and animals living in areas where they do not naturally exist. "Non-native species" and "invasive species" can not be used interchangeably. Many commonly grown fruits and vegetables are not native to the U.S. For example, tomatoes and hot peppers originated from South America, while lettuce was first grown by the Egyptians. Domestic cows are non-native to North America and were introduced as a food source, and considered to be a beneficial organism in an agricultural setting.

See also:

Invasive Species Definition Clarification and Guidance White Paper
This white paper provides a non-regulatory policy interpretation of the term "invasive species." Submitted by the Definitions Subcommittee of the Invasive Species Advisory Committee (ISAC) and approved by ISAC on April 27, 2006.

Invasive Species Terminology: Standardizing for Stakeholder Education
Iannone, B. V., Carnevale, S., Main, M. B., Hill, J. E., McConnell, J. B., Johnson, S. A., Enloe, S. F., Andreu, M., Bell, E. C., Cuda, J. P., & Baker, S. M. (2021). Invasive Species Terminology: Standardizing for Stakeholder Education.The Journal of Extension, 58(3), Article 27.
This paper from the Journal of Extension has practical applications for any firewood and forest pest-related communicators.

How do Invasive Species Spread?

Invasive species are spread primarily by human activities, often unintended. People, and goods transported, travel quickly around the world, and often carry uninvited species with them. Invasive species can be introduced to an area by ship ballast water, firewood, accidental release, and by people. Insects can be transported easily in wood, shipping palettes, and crates shipped across the globe. Ornamental plans can become invasive after escaping in the wild. Released unwanted pets are another way invasive species are spread. See our pathways information to learn more about how invasive species are introduced to new areas.

What are the Impacts of Invasive Species?

The introduction and establishment of invasive species to the U.S. (intentional or unintentional) can pose a significant threat to native and plant communities. Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals, destroy biodiversity, and permanently alter habitats. See our impacts section to learn more about the various impacts of invasive species -- economic and social, environmental and ecological, and human health.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how invasive species are officially defined.

# data[].attributes.body
Human-Wildlife conflict is when humans and animals have dangerous interactions with each other that lead to negative outcomes. These negative interactions include damage to crops and property, livestock predation, injuries to humans, spread of disease, and generally impact the well-being of developing nations. Human and wildlife conflict/contact becomes more prevalent as loss of habitat increases and human population expands. This conflict can be prevented by taking small measures like avoiding leaving food outside that could attract animals, or putting up fences. Community-level strategies include habitat preservation and alternative resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Why moving toward co-existence is crucial for people and wildlife
Above: Thaba Sarki, a farmer in Nepal, guards crops against wildlife incursions.

The long-term survival of some of the world's most iconic species, including elephants and tigers, is at risk from a significant and escalating threat: human-wildlife conflict. Human-wildlife conflict is when encounters between humans and wildlife lead to negative results, such as loss of property, livelihoods, and even life. Defensive and retaliatory killing may eventually drive these species to extinction. These encounters not only result in suffering for both people and wildlife immediately impacted by the conflict; they can also have a global reach, with groups such as sustainable development agencies and businesses feeling its residual effects. The scope of the issue is significant and truly global, but we are nowhere near being able to address it at the scale needed.

The need for elevating this issue globally and unlocking partnerships and resources to reduce human-wildlife conflict spurred the creation of a new WWF-led report: A Future for All: The need for human-wildlife coexistence. The outcome of an international and multi-organizational collaboration, this report delves into the complexities of human-wildlife conflict, ways to sustainably manage and reduce it, and move towards coexistence with wildlife-all while engaging diverse partners through a call to action.

Nilanga Jayasinghe, manager of Asian species on the Wildlife Conservation team at WWF-US, is an expert on the human-wildlife conflict issue and one of the main contributors to this report. She breakdowns why human-wildlife conflict is such an important and complex issue, and why it's crucial to come together as a global community to achieve human-wildlife coexistence.

Why is human-wildlife conflict on the rise?

As human populations and demand for space continue to grow, people and wildlife are increasingly interacting and competing for resources, which can lead to increased human-wildlife conflict.

Along with other threats, human-wildlife conflict has driven the decline of once-abundant species and is pushing others to the brink of extinction. But the human-wildlife conflict issue has far-reaching impacts beyond the wildlife and communities immediately affected by it. With human-wildlife conflict centered around the interaction between wildlife and humans, human-wildlife coexistence is strongly linked and important to sustainable development activities. If not effectively managed, human-wildlife conflict has the potential to negatively affect these activities and conservation much more broadly.

Who is impacted by human-wildlife conflict and in what ways?

Wildlife and the communities that live near it are most directly impacted by human-wildlife conflict. While human-wildlife conflict can result in the decline and potential eradication of species, communities can experience financial losses and threats to health and safety, livelihoods, food security, and property. The costs of living with wildlife are unevenly distributed and disproportionately fall on communities that often face systemic barriers and have incomes well below the poverty line and access to few economic opportunities, while the global community benefits from healthy wildlife populations and healthy ecosystems that allow us to survive, provide food, and enable livelihoods.

Human-wildlife conflict is, therefore, as much a development and humanitarian issue as it is a conservation concern, affecting the income of farmers, herders, and artisanal fishers-particularly those with incomes below the poverty line. In addition to direct losses to communities, human-wildlife conflict indirectly impacts people all over the world through the pressure it places on the global supply chain and production of agricultural goods, leading to food insecurity and decreased productivity among producers.

Why are current strategies not fully sufficient to address human-wildlife conflict?

The current strategies and solutions don't match the scale of the problem and management measures are often implemented in a piecemeal manner, primarily with just a conservation focus. There is also a lack of coordinated and adequate support from the many other sectors and organizations that are impacted despite the issue being so global in nature.

What solutions are there to help humans and wildlife coexist and how do they benefit all involved?

Human-wildlife conflict will always exist as our world becomes increasingly crowded; however, effective, well-planned management and holistic and integrated approaches can reduce and minimize conflict in the long term. Such human-wildlife conflict management strategies can create opportunities and benefits not only for biodiversity and impacted communities, but for society, sustainable development, production, and the global economy at large. We also ask for global cooperation, concerted actions, and resources to address the issue at the scale required.

In order to reduce human-wildlife conflict, we must reassess the relationship-and especially the direct interactions-between people and wildlife to improve our coexistence in the future. We need to adopt approaches that identify and address the deeper, underlying causes of conflict while developing systemic, context-specific solutions with affected communities as active and equal participants in the process. As demonstrated in many of the case studies in this report, coexistence is both possible and attainable.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What is human-wildlife conflict and why is it more than just a conservation concern?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why moving toward co-existence is crucial for people and wildlife Above: Thaba Sarki, a farmer in Nepal, guards crops against wildlife incursions. The long-term survival of some of the world's most iconic species, including elephants and tigers, is at risk from a significant and escalating threat: human-wildlife conflict.

# data[].attributes.body
Overexploitation is the unsustainable harvest of different species at a rate that's faster than the natural population can replenish, and leads to declines in populations. Overexploitation happens to all species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, invertebrates, fish, and plants. Overexploitation ruins ecosystems and leads to loss of biodiversity. Reduce, reuse, and recycle can help with this problem, as well as using renewable resources and implementing sustainable resource management. Community efforts include preserving habitats by creating protected areas, and improving regulations for industries like fish and log companies.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wildlife at Risk

Fish and other aquatic species: As fishing gear and boats have improved, the fishing industry has become very efficient at harvesting fish and shellfish. The industrialization of the fishing industry and the increasing global demand for seafood have people taking more fish from oceans, lakes and rivers than is sustainable. Prized fish, such as swordfish, cod and tuna, have undergone dramatic declines. In the Great Lakes, overfishing has caused whitefish, walleye, and sturgeon populations to decline. Beyond their role in the food supply, freshwater and marine fish are also trapped for the aquarium trade and fished for sport.

Birds: Certain species of birds are collected or hunted for sport, food, and the cage-bird pet trade (parrots and songbirds are prized as pets). Millions of birds are traded internationally each year. Close to 30 percent of globally threatened birds are affected by overexploitation, particularly parrots, pigeons, and pheasants. The Carolina parakeet was once the only species of parrot in the U.S., but it was hunted to extinction early in the last century for food, to protect crops and for its feathers (which adorned ladies' hats).

Mammals: People have always hunted mammal species-for fur, food, sport, and for their horns or antlers. Mammals are also trapped for the pet trade, zoos, and biomedical research. Today illegal hunting still threatens many species, especially large mammals such as tigers, rhinoceros, bears, and primates, whose body parts are highly valued in some parts of the world for traditional medicine.

Amphibians: Members of the amphibian class are collected and shipped all over the world for the pet trade, medicine, education (frogs are dissected in many biology classes), scientific research, and for food (frog legs are a delicacy in many parts of the world). The California red-legged frog, now a federally protected endangered species, was over hunted for food and its numbers seriously depleted during the Gold Rush in the area around San Francisco.

Reptiles: Wanted for their skins or shells, their eggs, meat, and for the pet trade, reptiles are harvested and traded around the world. Overharvesting of the Kemp's ridley sea turtle 's eggs nearly led to its extinction, and today it is still an endangered species. In the U.S., box turtles are being collected at unsustainable levels for the overseas pet trade. Some reptile skins-such as crocodile, python, and monitor lizard-are highly prized as exotic leathers.

Invertebrates: At least 75 percent of all known animal species are invertebrates. Insects, oysters, octopus, crayfish, sea stars, scorpions, crabs, and sponges are all kinds of this animal class. Today many invertebrates-particularly marine invertebrates-are at risk from overharvesting. Chesapeake Bay oysters, once an important part of the Bay economy, are now in decline. Horseshoe crabs, whose eggs provide food for migratory birds, fish and other organisms, are being harvested as bait for eel and whelk fishing. Octopus are suffering declines worldwide due to heavy fishing pressure. Shells and corals are collected for ornaments and jewelry.

Plants: The Earth's plants are vital to our survival and are the foundation of most ecosystems. People harvest plants for food, medicine, building materials, and raw materials to make other products. But we are taking too many plants from the wild. Some plants, such as orchids, are so prized by collectors that they are now endangered and legally protected from poaching by international law. Some medicinal plants, such as American ginseng, have also been so enthusiastically collected that it is now very hard to find them in the wild. A number of tree species that are prized for their wood, such as mahogany, are under threat because of overharvesting.

Sources
Environmental Protection Agency
BirdLife International
Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity. Chivian, Eric and Aaron Bernstein, Eds. Oxford University Press, New York: 2008.
Precious Heritage: The Status of Biodiversity in the United States. Stein, Bruce A., Lynn S. Kutner and Jonathan S. Adams. Oxford University Press, New York: 2000.
National Science Foundation
Amphibiaweb
UGA Research
Wildlife Trade in Southeast Asia, World Wildlife Fund
Kemp's Ridley turtle, NOAA
Mammal Species Decline in Face of Over-hunting, Habitat Loss, Climate Change, Worldwatch
Invertebrates: the Silent Majority, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Overexploitation | National Wildlife Federation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Overexploitation-the overuse of wild animal and plant species by people-is threatening wildlife in the United States. Learn more about the wildlife at risk.

# data[].attributes.body
Pollution is the effects of introducing contaminants into natural environments and can affect human health, ecosystems, and all living organisms. Pollutants can come in many forms such as solid, gas, liquid, and energy sources like light, noise, and heat. Although some pollution can be results from natural events, most of it is due to human doings, such as industrial waste, car emission, and littering. Pollution can be reduced by reducing the use of energy, driving less, disposing of chemicals properly, conserving water, and no littering.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | www.ebsco.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pollution effects on animal life | EBSCO

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Pollution has significant and detrimental effects on animal life, impacting biodiversity and threatening species with extinction. The rise in human population and industrialization has resulted in widespread environmental degradation, leading to habitat destruction and the contamination of air, water, and soil. Chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, and industrial waste alter ecosystems, disrupt food chains, and cause health issues in wildlife, including reproductive abnormalities and decreased lifespans. Acid rain, caused by air pollution, further damages aquatic habitats, leading to declines in fish populations and the creatures that depend on them. Climate change exacerbates these issues by altering habitats through rising temperatures and extreme weather events, ultimately reducing biodiversity. Marine life is particularly affected by plastic pollution, which poses physical dangers to animals and disrupts their habitats. The depletion of the ozone layer also poses risks, as increased ultraviolet radiation can have harmful effects on various species. Efforts to mitigate these effects require global awareness and action, emphasizing the need for education and sustainable practices to protect both animal life and ecosystems.

# data[].attributes.body
Climate change is the shift in temperature and weather shifts. It can happen naturally, but human actions is the leading cause right now. Climate change can cause many natural disasters and also affects the ability to grow crops, housing, safety, and can hurt human and animal health. The main reason for this shift of temperature is carbon dioxide, as well as the result of humans burning fossil fuels like oil and gas. It could be reversed if we as a community switched over to more renewable energy sources and improve energy efficiency in buildings and transportation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ERROR: The request could not be satisfied

# data[].attributes.body
Animals are a very essential organism to a balanced ecosystem. They provide pollination, pest control, and help with the movement and exchange of essential nutrients between organisms. They also serve as food source and also give us materials like wool and silk. Protecting the animals is so important for global food security and planetary health. Wildlife conservation groups are responsible for speaking out about how crucial it is to conserve wildlife, that is why SDG #15 is very useful. It guides governments and law makers into making the necessary approches.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
the critical role of animals in achieving the SDGs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A report on the critical role of animals in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals

# data[].attributes.body
Land degradation and desertification directly affects human and animal populations. It causes habitat loss, forcing the animals to relocate somewhere else. Relocating in a different habitat could increase competition for scarce resources, and can ultimately lead to extinction of certain species. Degraded habitats are less able to support a variety of wildlife, meaning they are a big reason catering towards loss of biodiversity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
animals vital to achieving Sustainable Development Goals | IFAW

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Unfortunately, the browser you use is outdated and does not allow you to display the site correctly. Please install any of the modern browsers, for example:

# data[].attributes.body
This goal seems to focuses a lot on land degradation, but I have no idea what that is. This gave me more insight on what exactly it is, and why it is so bad. Land degradation is the reduction in quality productivity of soil/land, caused by human activities and climate change. The erosion of soil can lead to food insecurity, habitat destruction, and increases flood and drought risks. Life On Land is so important to have as one of the sustainable development goals because it aims to reduce this issue.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Land degradation is the reduction or loss, in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas, of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland or range, pasture, forest and woodlands resulting from land uses or from a process or combination of processes, including processes arising from human activities and habitation patterns such as soil erosion caused by wind and/or water; deterioration of the physical, chemical and biological or economic properties of soil; and long-term loss of natural vegetation (UNCCD, 1993).

# data[].attributes.body
Im not sure if this is the exact beginning, but its definitely tied to sdg #15. It starts in 1977, when a plan of action is set by the United Nations to fight against land desertification and degradation. Although they had a general foundation set down, the problem was only getting worse. In 1992 they elevated the desertification issue globally. Countries around the world worked to address this problem until 2018, when a strategic plan and framework was set down to achieve Land Degradation Neutrality. This issue can be grouped with the rest of the issues that are addressed by SDG #15.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is the driving force behind Sustainable Development Goal 15 and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

UNCCD's history can be traced back to the first United Nations Conference on Desertification (UNCOD) in 1977, which adopted a Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (PACD). Despite the recognition that land degradation and desertification are major economic, social and environmental concerns to many countries of the world, in 1991 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concluded that the problem of land degradation in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas had intensified.

Tackling desertification took center stage at the seminal 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) - also known the Earth Summit - held in Rio de Janeiro. The Rio Conference called on the United Nations General Assembly to establish an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INCD) to prepare, by June 1994, a Convention to Combat Desertification.

In December 1992, the General Assembly agreed and adopted resolution 47/188 on this matter, and the UNCCD was established in 1994.

197 countries and the European Union are now Parties to the Convention. The Conference of the Parties (COP), which is the Convention's supreme governing body, held its first session in October 1997 in Rome, Italy.

The 10-year strategic plan and framework to enhance the implementation of the Convention for 2008-2018 outlined a clear vision to forge global partnerships to reverse and prevent desertification and land degradation. The strategic plan provided a worldwide framework to support the development and implementation of national and regional policies that contribute to the reduction of poverty.

At UNCCD COP13 in September 2017 in Ordos, China, Member States agreed on a new global roadmap to address land degradation. The UNCCD 2018-2030 Strategic Framework is the most comprehensive global commitment to achieve LDN, with the aim of restoring the productivity of vast swathes of degraded land, improving the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people, and reducing the impact of drought on vulnerable populations.

The UNCCD is the global voice for land, championing land stewardship to avoid, reduce and reverse land degradation and ensure the ongoing availability of land-based resources vital to human survival. Much has been done, but much more remains to be done.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management. It is the driving force behind Sustainable Development Goal 15 and Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN).

# data[].attributes.body
This link gave more insight as to what exactly Life On Land aims to do. Not only does it inform me of its goals, but also how I can help achieve this goal!! After reading the targets and goals of this sdg, it made me wonder what led to its creation, when did we realize it was time to look after our earth??

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Goal 15: Life on land - The Global Goals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

# data[].attributes.body
Goal #15 aims to protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of environments. This includes various different environments such as deserts, forests, and mountains. The goal aims to slow down biodiversity loss and land degradation, and to ensure long-term health and productivity of our ecosystems. I am interested in this topic because I have always loved all kinds of animals growing up, and I would like to help the animals and their habitats.