IUCN / SSC Cat Specialist Group - Digital Cat Library |
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| Bennett, E.L.; Milner-Gulland, E.J.; Bakarr, M.; Eves, H.E.; Robinson, J.G.; Wilkie, D.S. | |
| Hunting the world's wildlife to extinction | |
| 2002 Oryx (36): 326-329 | |
The twin threats to wildlife across the world are habitat loss and hunting, but the perception of which looms larger has fluctuated over time. In the last 10 years, however, we have come to realize that hunting is the major threat across the tropics. Ironically, given the success we have had in protecting certain key areas, these areas are increasingly becoming 'empty forests'. The threat posed by hunting is especially great in tropical forests, where the productivity of edible wildlife is extremely low. Certain groups of species are especially vulnerable to hunting but the current scale of hunting affects the whole biotic community. Extraction of wildlife from such forests is presently six times the sustainable rate. To assess the current state of knowledge and identify areas for action two related symposia, on hunting and the conservation of exploited species, were held at the 16th Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology at the University of Kent, Canterbury, UK, in July 2002. In addition to data on the scale of the problem, the symposia included case studies of approaches that are starting to succeed. These symposia attracted a large audience and stimulated vibrant discussions. This issue of _Oryx _contains Forum pieces arising out of this debate. |
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