2025
Prakash Kumar Paudel, Dibas Shrestha, Rashila Deshar
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecofro.2025.06.005Global patterns and drivers of wildlife hunting and trade: A review
Global patterns and drivers of wildlife hunting and trade: A review
Abstract
The use of wildlife—dead or alive—for various purposes is driving a biodiversity crisis worldwide. Developing a coherent global strategy to tackle this crisis, although a high priority, has been hindered by limited data at both global and regional levels. Here, we reviewed 642 original research articles published between 1979 and 2020 to assess the global patterns of wildlife hunting and trade and their drivers, including hunting techniques. We found that, on average, 51.72 ± 23.26 % of the population in the reported locations is involved in the wildlife hunting, while an average of 41.88 ± 36.63 % of the population consumes wild meat. Mammals are the most targeted species (14 %), followed by birds (3 %) and reptiles (2 %). We identified twelve major drivers of wildlife hunting: subsistence consumption, cash income/trade, cultural/traditional/religious use, medicinal use, pets, delicacies, poverty, recreation, ornamental use, retaliation, social prestige, and poor law enforcement/social instability. Additionally, we assessed eleven major drivers of wildlife trade, three of which — physical markets, market demand, and globalization/market networks/online platforms — differed from those driving hunting. While the drivers of both hunting and trade varied significantly in terms of reported cases, they were of similar proportions among regions defined by the World Bank. There were five major techniques of wildlife hunting (dogs, modern firearms, poison/chemicals, traditional weapons, and traditional catching), which were similarly proportioned across regions. Our findings are based on empirical studies of wildlife hunting and trade, primarily conducted in rural areas; therefore, they should not be generalized as representative of global populations. Overall, our review presents a global rural snapshot of wildlife hunting, largely driven by the need to meet subsistence living and consumption requirements. In contrast, trade is fueled by the presence of local markets and the need for monetary gain. The global conservation community should consider the multidimensional aspects of hunting and trade, including societal needs, when developing an appropriate strategy for wildlife conservation.
