Rampant exploitation of nature is a threat to the well-being of billions of people across the world who rely on wild species for food, energy and income, United Nations biodiversity experts said Friday.
PARIS, France —
IPBES, which has previously warned that a million species are at risk of extinction, said halting overexploitation was "critical to reverse the global trend in biodiversity decline" and hailed the crucial role of indigenous communities in protecting nature. UN experts estimate "about 40 percent of humanity" relies in some way on wild species, he said: "It's much bigger than you think."Overall, 50,000 species are used for food, energy, medicine, material and other purposes around the world, the report said, with more than 10,000 different types harvested for human consumption.
Even foraging remains an important activity for people in North America and Europe, with notably high rates in Eastern Europe, according to the research, which said there is "growing demand for wild foods" for high-end restaurants.Wild trees account for two thirds of global industrial roundwood, while trade in wild plants, algae and fungi is a billion-dollar industry.
While this largely targets trees and fish, the report said even smaller-scale trade in rare animals and plants, like orchids, can have devastating effects. In general, overexploitation is the main threat to wild marine species, it said, as well as a key threat to land and freshwater ecosystems.
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