a another shocking news, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in report released recently said that 50,000 wild species of plants, animals, fungi and algae meet needs of billions of people globally with one in five people relying on wild species for income and food, and one in three (2.4 billion) depending on fuel wood for cooking.
The IPBES in its popular ‘IPCC for biodiversity’ report has brought out the detailed analysis, insights, and tools for sustainable use of wild species, reminding the global community how much human beings are inter dependent with all living beings and why it is and therefore, the importance of conserving them by stopping over exploitation and protecting their habitats.
For the sake of humans and to fill his stomach, the wild species are being used through fishing, gathering, logging and terrestrial animal harvesting globally with more than 10,000 of them being harvested. In another worrying matter, the report on ‘Sustainable Use of Wild Species’ flagged a worrying trend that shows the illegal trade in wild species, worth up to $199 billion annually, accounts for the world’s third largest class of illegal trade. Timber and fish make up the largest volumes and value of illegal trade in wild species.
