IUCN - The World Conversation Union

Unsustainable harvesting of plants and animals remains a major threat to species. However, over-exploitation also poses a threat to the livelihoods of people who depend on them directly for food, fuel, shelter and medicines and indirectly for the provision of ecosystem services. Ensuring the sustainability of use and trade of wild species is therefore vital both for the survival of harvested species and those that depend on them.

The work of IUCN's Species Survival Commission (SSC) on the status of wild species in trade started over 12 years ago, initially under the auspices of the Trade Specialist Group, but eventually the IUCN/SSC Species Trade and Use Unit was established.

The Unit is a sub-programme of the IUCN Species Programme and works closely together with the IUCN/SSC Specialist Groups, which monitor the conservation status of species in the wild. The Programme consults with species specialists and assesses to what extent trade and use affect that status in order to prioritize species for conservation action.

The Species Trade and Use Unit works in collaboration with its partner organisation, TRAFFIC . By combining the data produced from these two sources, the impact of trade on wild species can be assessed.