Beneath the surface of the wins for wildlife at CITES’ latest conference
At its latest triennial conference, the global wildlife trade body removed the Caribbean monk seal from its lists of species under trade regulation for a grim reason: the species has already been exploited to extinction. The last recorded sighting of a...
A project to revive Gaza’s farmland is bearing fruit against the odds
Israel’s genocide in Gaza has decimated the trees, the birds, and once green landscapes, according to farmers. Still, they are successfully cultivating several crops in parcels of land there, even crops reliant on pollination. Amid ecological devastation, the...
Chicks on Speed: Big Chicken’s Push for Faster Birds, But Slower Reform
Modern chickens bred for meat have been genetically selected to grow a lot faster than they used to. There has been some media coverage of how this genetic selection impacts the chickens who ultimately end up on people's plates, such as the skeletal, heart, muscle,...
The Exotic Pet Trade Harms Animals and Humans. The European Union Is Studying a Potential Solution
By the time a sugar glider named Mango entered an animal sanctuary in the Netherlands in 2023, life as a pet had taken a terrible toll. Mango lost both his brothers and his right eye due to health issues, despite being kept by a veterinarian for seven years....
Wildlife Trade: Does the ‘Livelihoods Depend on It’ Defense Hold Up?
Wild beasts are often the stuff of legends, but narratives surrounding wildlife trade contain some tall tales, too. One of the most frequently uttered statements in support of the wildlife trade is that many people depend on it for their livelihoods. But just...
Probe points to rule breach in Mauritius’ lab monkey business
Mauritius has supplied long-tailed macaques to the research industry since the 1980s. In recent years, the African island nation has taken a leading role in the lab monkey business as allegations of criminality in supply chains from Southeast Asian...
Cash for Corals: Exploiting Ecosystems on Their Way to Extinction
On any given day, in shops around the world and online, customers can pay as little as a few dozen dollars to buy living corals for their aquariums. While some of these coveted, brightly colored pieces of coral are sourced from farms, others come directly from...
Time to Confront the Aquarium Trade’s ‘Gray Areas’
“We’ve got to shrink the flavors of fishes available to hobbyists.” This is not what I expected to hear from ornamental fish trade veteran Tim Haywood when we connected to discuss the aquarium industry. It’s rare to come across businessfolk calling for a constriction...
Saving Living Jewels: One Woman’s Mission to Shine a Light on the Ornamental Fish Trade
Nothing fascinates Monica Biondo more than the animals often referred to as the ocean’s “living jewels” — the vividly colored little fishes who dance around in its waters. Biondo, a Swiss marine biologist, became enamored with ocean life as a child after spending many...
Science takes a back seat in the war on wolves
Switzerland fired the official starting gun on a five-month-long wolf cull on 1 September. Several cantons have applied to kill young wolves and their elders, as well as to wipe out numerous whole packs. If approved by the federal authorities, the cantons...
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