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UN report reveals over 107,000 species are traded globally
A new study published in Science Advances indicates that the number of species involved in global trade is significantly higher than previously estimated. While previous figures from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) suggested approximately 50,000 species were subject to use and trade, new research confirms that more than 107,356 species are currently being commercialized.
The research, which includes data from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), identifies 47,685 animal species in circulation. This figure represents approximately 42 percent of all vertebrate species described by science to date.
Lead researcher Alice Hughes from the University of Melbourne notes that much of this trade is legal, encompassing items such as timber, seafood, medicinal plants, pets, and fungi. The study highlights a critical lack of data regarding the quantity and origin of these species, making it difficult to assess the risks to biodiversity or determine when trade is driving species toward decline. Furthermore, the legal trade is estimated to have an economic value approximately ten times greater than the illegal trade.
Entities
Alice Hughes · IPBES · Science Advances · UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre · University of Melbourne
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] There are 47,685 animal species in circulation within the trade.
- [● 2 SOURCES] The legal trade includes at least twice as many species as previously believed. www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es
- [● 2 SOURCES] The legal wildlife trade has an economic value approximately 10 times greater than the illegal trade. www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Traded animal species account for 42 percent of all described vertebrate species.
- [● 3 SOURCES] More than 107,356 species are currently utilized and traded globally. www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es
- [● 3 SOURCES] Previous IPBES estimates placed the number of traded species at approximately 50,000. www.elperiodicoextremadura.com · www.laopinioncoruna.es