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It is time to accept that the current system of protecting species from over-exploitation by commercialising them is not working and hasn’t for some decades. The problem with regulating the legal trade in wild species and protecting species from extinction through trade is that the underlying basic assumption of the design of the CITES system, which was done in the mid-1960s, no longer applies. At the time, the perception of abundance and of low trade volumes led to the justification that the default could be ‘to trade’ in endangered and exotic species and only to apply restrictions when there is evidence of over exploitation because of the legal trade. Today the focus of conservation bodies is [...]

A recent article in the Daily Maverick put all the same old pro-trade spin on opening the international trade in rhino horn. While there are plenty of counter arguments, again they have also been discussed for more than a decade, again-and-again. So, with this response, I will only clear up one of the misleading statements. The article implied that multi-millions of dollars has been spend over the last decade on rhino horn demand reduction campaigns and “the demand for rhino horn seems not to respond” to these activities. I have heard and read these statements many times in the media. Having volunteered my time to work on rhino horn demand reduction strategies, under the banner Breaking The Brand [...]

Are 2,000 captive-bred, farmed rhinos of any value from either a commercial or conservation perspective? John Hume, the owner of the world’s largest private rhino herd, is auctioning off his rhino farm, the starting bid being US$10 million. The question is, what are Hume’s rhinos really worth? In recent weeks there have been quite a few emotional appeals from John Hume and his supporters to ‘see the value’ in what is being offered. I get that many people believe that this is John Hume’s life’s work, but the US$150 million the one-time billionaire reportedly spent on this enterprise is, in business terms, the project’s sunk cost. It is a business risk he chose to take, as he farmed [...]

The International Institute for Sustainable Development’s (IISD) SDG Knowledge Hub recently invited a number of guest articles about the trade in wild species. John Scanlon (with co-authors) contributed a number of articles to explore the state of CITES 50 years after it was agreed. Before taking a closer look at these articles it is worth noting some points on sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), since the SDG Knowledge Hub is meant to be an online resource centre regarding the implementation of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs. Over recent decades, a plethora of global organisations have sprung up with a stated objective of creating a more sustainable world. From the [...]

With the end of 2022 on the horizon, the Nature Needs More team would like to wish you a peaceful holiday with your family and friends. The coming weeks bring us all a time for reflection. It has certainly been a big year for biodiversity, from CITES CoP 19 to the CBD CoP 15. Add to this Climate CoP 27 and the conferences to discuss the state of the world’s oceans and seas. The issues we all face in the years to come are complex but not insurmountable. While the old normal may be gone, at least for several generations to come, there is much we can individually and collectively do to halt the destruction of nature. This [...]

“The wildlife trade is one of the most lucrative trades in the world. The LEGAL trade into the EU alone is worth €100 billion annually.”, stated a 2016 European Parliament Report. The choice of words bears repeating, “one of the most lucrative trades in the world”. The trade is not only incredibly lucrative to business, but the spoils also go overwhelmingly to big business in the richest nations. Detailed research into trade flows published in 2021 highlighted just who the biggest exporters and importers of wild species are – the US/Canada, the EU and UK, Japan and China/HK. Again, this bears repeating. The richest countries in the world are the key benefactors of this trade, not developing nations. [...]

From fins to teeth, skin and meat, the market for shark body parts is a grave concern, with shark finning being the most contentious issue. The coverage of CITES CoP19 in the mainstream media has been thin on the ground, but one decision which did get attention was to list all 54 species of requiem sharks and hammerhead sharks on CITES Appendix II. Whilst this is undoubtedly good news that more sharks have received trade related protections, what will this mean in reality? Is this historic decision just a protection on paper? Sharks are under serious threat from overfishing with 37% of shark and ray species facing extinction. Given the lack of national and international fisheries management, it [...]

The CITES convention is rapidly approaching its 50-year anniversary; the convention was opened for signatures in 1973 and CITES entered into force on 1 July 1975. This milestone cannot pass without CITES providing all the evidence that it is fit-for-purpose, particularly given the looming extinction crisis. CITES never included a funding model to enable all signatories to adequately resource scientific research, monitoring and enforcement. Far too many signatory countries still lack the mandated scientific authority or a dedicated enforcement authority. Whilst creating a dedicated enforcement authority is optional under CITES, the illegal trade is rampant and growing 2-3 times faster than the world economy overall. This makes CITES effectively a paper convention, impoverished to the point of being [...]

Will 2022 Be Yet Another Year Of Lost Opportunities and Greenwashing? Participating in CITES CoP 18, in Geneva in 2019, it was clear how broken the system regulating the international trade of the world’s most endangered species has become. So, what could provide the leverage for change? The only light on the horizon at the time was the Convention on Biological Diversity Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and specifically Target 5.  The draft Target 5 stated that all trade in wild species would be legal and sustainable by 2030.  Originally scheduled for agreement in October 2020 in Kunming, China, the CBD CoP15 was cancelled due to COVID-19. As a result of the pandemic Target 5 [...]

In recent years the importance of demand reduction campaigns has come to the fore. Certainly, well researched and designed demand reduction campaigns have the potential to trigger behaviour change in consumers and drive down their desire to purchase rare species. But the demand reduction strategy cannot succeed without an equally important sister campaign aimed at driving down the desire to supply. In early 2015, after spending time in South Africa interviewing people from both sides of the rhino horn pro-trade/no-trade debate, I wrote that the desire to supply was the new root cause of rhino poaching. During the pandemic, a period which saw a reduced interest in wildlife consumption in key destination countries, there were significant price drops in [...]