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The harvest of CMS appendix i-listed sharks and rays as aquatic wild meat

The Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) COP12 expressed concern that CMS-listed species, including cetaceans, sirenians, crocodiles, turtles and seabirds, are harvested1 as aquatic wildmeat in many regions of the world, and that there is evidence that the demand is increasing. Resolution 12.15 requested the formation of a thematic Aquatic Wildmeat Working Group of the Scientific Council and the Parties established a programme of work (Dec 12.46) for this new Working Group to implement. One of these actions (Dec 12.46 d) was to facilitate a discussion about incorporating CMS Appendix I-listed sharks and rays to the scope of the Working Group. This paper serves to instigate that discussion and provides two preliminary recommendations for consideration by the Scientific Council.

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WildLabs Conservation Technology Community

WILDLABS is home to the global conservation technology community of 8,600 people in 120 countries discussing 1,500 topics like biologging, camera traps, and machine learning. With engaging spaces to ask questions and collaborate together, share your own work, and discover new ideas and innovations, WILDLABS is your platform to connect with #Tech4Wildlife experts and projects from around the world.

Widespread Use of Migratory Megafauna for Aquatic Wild Meat in the Tropics and Subtropics

Wild animals are captured or taken opportunistically, and the meat, body parts, and/or eggs are consumed for local subsistence or used for traditional purposes to some extent across most of the world, particularly in the tropics and subtropics. The consumption of aquatic animals is widespread, in some places has been sustained for millennia, and can be an important source of nutrition, income, and cultural identity to communities. Yet, economic opportunities to exploit wildlife at higher levels have led to unsustainable exploitation of some species. In the literature, there has been limited focus on the exploitation of aquatic non-fish animals for food and other purposes. Understanding the scope and potential threat of aquatic wild meat exploitation is an important first step toward appropriate inclusion on the international policy and conservation management agenda. Here, we conduct a review of the literature, and present an overview of the contemporary use of aquatic megafauna (cetaceans, sirenians, chelonians, and crocodylians) in the global tropics and subtropics, for species listed on the Appendices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). We find that consumption of aquatic megafauna is widespread in coastal regions, although to varying degrees, and that some species are likely to be at risk from overexploitation, particularly riverine megafauna. Finally, we provide recommendations for CMS in the context of the mandate of the Aquatic Wild Meat Working Group.

CMS Impacts of Taking, Trade and Consumption of Terrestrial Migratory Species for Wild Meat

This study looks for the first time at the extent to which terrestrial animals protected by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) are being impacted by wild meat taking, trade and consumption. It contributes to the implementation of a decision adopted by the CMS Conference of the Parties in 2020 (CMS Decision 13.109). We assessed the direct and indirect impacts of wild meat taking, trade and consumption of 105 terrestrial mammal species listed in the CMS Appendices I and II and relevant CMS daughter agreements and initiatives.

We first used a systematic review of the published literature, global database searches and the IUCN Red List to determine which CMS species are affected by wild meat hunting. We then reviewed the legislation applicable to the regulation of wild meat hunting and trade and explored the application of hunting legislation using a national casestudy example. Finally, we examined the known linkages between zoonotic diseases and wild meat use and trade.

Wild Meat Toolkit

The WILDMEAT Toolkit provides guidance and tools for:

  1. Designing interventions aimed at sustainable management of wild meat
  2. Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of these interventions and/or tracking wild meat use at a site-, national- or international level.

Wild Meat Library

Welcome to the WILDMEAT Library, which currently holds information on over 1200 wild meat publications! We update the library every month with new journal articles, books and book chapters, technical papers, reports, and conference proceedings. Citations include direct DOI-based links to the articles on the original journal or publisher’s website; access will depend on your/your institution’s journal subscriptions. Where the citation refers to an open-access publication, and where available, the citation will also include a web link to the publication. Please use the search engine below to browse the library. If you would like to suggest publications to add to the library, contact us at info@wildmeat.org

FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (CCRF)

The purpose of 1995 FAO Code of Conduct is to set international standards of behaviour for responsible practices to ensure the effective conservation, management and development of aquatic resources, the ecosystem, and biodiversity. These standards may be implemented at the national, subregional, and regional levels.

WILDMEAT Use Database

The aim of the WILDMEAT Use Database is to ensure that efforts to manage wild meat resources sustainably are based on the best available evidence. The Database holds three types of data, on wild meat consumption, hunting offtakes, and market sales in a standardised format within one database. This allows data from many different sites and studies to be combined and compared, to track changes in wildmeat harvest characteristics and use, and to evaluate the effectiveness of management and policy interventions. Data can be shared under different license agreements, from full open access to access that is dependent on some terms and conditions.

The WILDMEAT Use Database – User Guide provides assistance on using the database, including descriptions of the data structure, metadata descriptions, data limitations, and other useful information. A WILDMEAT Toolkit with guidance on indicators, theories of change, and data collection methods is under development.

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