Stop wildlife trade to prevent future pandemics Listen to article
To prevent further major outbreaks of novel diseases such as Covid-19, H5N1, SARS and MERS7, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) calls for a halt in all commercial trade in high risk wild taxa from, and within, high risk areas, whilst risks are assessed, targeted policy responses formulated, and the global community works to transform its relationship with nature as a critical investment in the future health of ourselves and our planet.
Most new infectious diseases arise when pathogens transfer from animals into humans. The common – including SARS, MERS7 and Ebola – originate in wildlife. Critically, this is occurring more often due to increased contact between wild animals and people, linked to changes such as agricultural expansion, urbanisation, and the expanding trade in wild animals.
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Heydi Salazar/FFI
By Tim Knight,
18th December 2020
Following the disastrous 2019/20 season, during which zero leatherback turtle nests were recorded in Nicaragua, Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is delighted to report that history has not repeated itself this year. Within the past few weeks, a number of females have already emerged from the sea and laid eggs at several sites in this crucial leatherback haven.
Historically, the three most important beaches for Eastern Pacific leatherbacks in Nicaragua have been Salamina Costa Grande, Veracruz de Acayo and Isla Juan Venado, all of which are situated along the country’s Pacific coast. FFI supports beach protection and monitoring at all three locations.
The giant South American river turtle (
Podocnemis expansa) is a large semi-aquatic turtle with a flattened oval-shaped carapace that is slightly wider at the rear. But what makes it special is its peculiar strategy in order to reduce the impact of predation on its young. Instead of running from predators or developing camouflage to hide from them, these turtles simply spawn in very great numbers at the same time on river beaches. While many hatchlings perish once they leave their nesting grounds, their sheer numbers help to dilute predation.
Now, researchers at the World Conservation Society (WCS) in Brazil have shared rare footage of a mass turtle hatching, showing tens of thousands of tiny turtles known as
Lessons in messaging from David Attenborough
The leader that made me: Consider the most important way of getting your message out there, says Mark Rose, CEO Fauna & Flora International.
by Stephen Jones
The ability to convey a message is vital for any organisation. Whether it’s getting eyes on a product, persuading clients that your cloud storage solution is the most efficient or convincing investors should back you instead of someone else - it’s hard to grow if no one knows what you do and what you stand for.
The message Mark Rose is trying to convey is simple: the importance of protecting the natural world. A zoologist by trade, the CEO of conservation charity Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has helped transform the organisation over the last 25 years from “a handful of activists” into a global programme of over 500 people working on 100 projects in over 40 countries.
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By Tim Knight,
16th December 2020
The latest IUCN Red List update, published last week, does not make comfortable reading. An ever-growing list of extinct species reminds us that we urgently need to persuade the world’s leaders and decision-makers to put nature first.
As usual, media coverage has focused primarily on the large animals that are declining or, in some cases, recovering. You can search in vain for any mention of plants, other than in the most generic terms.
Take, for example, one of the floral kingdom’s most spectacular, charismatic and endangered plant families: South Africa’s proteas. The latest update includes, for the first time, assessments of the status of all 353 known species. An astonishing 165 of these – that’s virtually half – are officially threatened with extinction.