Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission

The global use of wild animals for meat is now the primary illegal activity in many protected areas, and growing human populations and a lack of livelihood options suggest that demand for wild meat is likely to continue to rise. This Occasional Paper contains the background information presented to participants at a workshop jointly organized by IUCN, FAO and TRAFFIC in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

The global use of wild animals for meat is now the primary illegal activity in many protected areas, and growing human populations and a lack of livelihood options suggest that demand for wild meat is likely to continue to rise. This Occasional Paper contains the background information presented to participants at a workshop jointly organized by IUCN, FAO and TRAFFIC in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

This compilation brings together current information on the status of Asian freshwater cetacean populations, the factors that have caused their recent declines, and what can be done to improve their chances for survival. All of the species or populations in quesion are classified as endangered or critically endangered in the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals.

The African elephant is the largest living land mammal. It once inhabited most of the continent, from the Mediterranean coast down to its south tip. This picture of elephant range today is one of scattered, fragmented populations south of the Sahara Desert. Estimates suggested that elephant populations had more than halved in several areas between 1981-87.

Although most antelope species still exist in large numbers in sub-Saharan Africa (some in hundreds of thousands), up to three-quarters of the species are in decline. Threats to their survival arise from the rapid growth of human and livestock populations, with consequent degradation and destruction of natural habitats, and excessive offtake by meat hunters.

These 12th proceedings provide an overview of the ongoing research and management activities on polar bears on the circumpolar Arctic. Together with the previous proceedings, they provide an historic record of the international effort in protecting polar bears from over-harvest, and document more recent concerns of threats arising as a consequence of increased human activities in both the Arctic and in regions far beyond the realm of polar bears.

Sharks and their relatives, the rays and chimaeras, are the diverse group of cartilaginous fishes that have evolved over 400 million years. Historically considered of low economic value to large-scale fisheries, today many of these fishes have become the target of directed commercial and recreational fisheries around the world, and they are increasingly taken in the by-catch of fisheries targeting other species.

Stocks of sturgeono used for caviar are on the decline worldwide with some species now in danger of extinction. This situation has been caused partly by excessive fishing of sturgeon, but also by the destruction of sturgeon habitats and water pollution. Today, this situation is further exacerbated by the smuggling of sturgeon and caviar, by bartering and by related illegal activities.