ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE

The list of species under international protection continues to grow. At the same time, conservation efforts are being thwarted by the poaching and trafficking of wildlife, crimes that are occurring worldwide. The world is dealing with an unprecedented spike in illegal wildlife trade. Since 1999, at least 7000 species of animals and plants have been reported in illegal trade affecting 120 countries. Worsening also is the increase in consumer demand for bush meat, also called wild meat. Many Africans hunt wildlife for bush meat to eat or to sell to earn money for their survival.