Sustainable trade in wildlife means using natural resources (animals and plants) in a way that does not threaten the survival and extinction of species and supports local communities and economies through practices such as responsible ecotourism that generate income to conserve the environment, the legal and regulatory use of products, and the development of effective policies and management to balance economic benefit while preserving biodiversity and human well-being, while combating illegal trade that destroys wildlife and increases the risk of disease and accelerates its extinction.
How can sustainable trade be achieved? Promote organized ecotourism by engaging in ethically managed ecotourism trips that support local communities and provide jobs, thereby reducing human-animal conflict; responsibly manage resources by harvesting or hunting species in a way that does not damage ecosystem balance and sustains them for future generations; focus on legal practices; invest in conservation using revenues from sustainable trade to finance protected areas and develop policies to protect wildlife; and combat illegal trade by reducing illegal trade.
The benefits of sustainable trade for people and the environment include: conserving biodiversity by supporting healthy ecosystems that provide essential services such as clean air and water; economic growth by creating jobs and incomes for local and rural communities, especially in sectors such as sustainable tourism and forest management; reducing disease by reducing the risk of zoonotic diseases that spread through unregulated supply chains; and improving well-being by providing sustainable livelihoods and reducing the costs of destroying wildlife.
Unsustainable (illegal) trade challenges include: the risk of extinction through the rapid depletion of endangered species, especially those large and targeted by illegal trade, harm to tourism as illegal trade undermines legal and sustainable tourism, and health risks by increasing the chances of transmission of viruses through unregulated trade.
Sustainable trade aims to strike a delicate balance between conserving biodiversity and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on wildlife resources.
Sustainable trade practices ensure that neither harvesting nor hunting threaten the survival of species in the wild, preserve habitats with economic incentives to protect ecosystems and natural areas where these animals and plants live, and combat illegal trade.
Sustainable trade provides a sustainable source of income, food and clothing for communities, contributing to sustainable development and poverty reduction; economic benefits that generate significant national and local revenues that can be reinvested in conservation efforts, community infrastructure (such as schools and health care); and food security that can provide sustainably managed land-based sources of food, especially in rural areas.
Implementation mechanisms: The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is the main international framework governing this trade to ensure its sustainability and legality. Implementation includes developing effective policy and regulatory frameworks, strengthening law enforcement and border control capabilities, providing technical support and assistance to communities to develop alternative and sustainable wildlife-based lifestyles and promoting ethical ecotourism that benefits conservation efforts and communities.
In short, sustainable wildlife trade refers to the rational management of wild species to ensure the long-term survival of their populations and habitats, taking into account the social and economic needs of the human communities that depend on them.
Dr. Atef Mohamed Kamel Ahmed - Goodwill Ambassador - Founder of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ain Shams University - Assistant Professor and Vice-Chancellor for Community Service and Environmental Development and Founder and Head of the Department of Wildlife and Zoos - Member of the Scientific and Administrative Committee of CITES - International Expert in Wildlife, Nature Reserves and Biodiversity at UNESCO - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
