Comercio de fauna silvestre y conservación en Sud América/ Faunal commercialization and conservation in South America

De Mendoza CONICET

DATA ON LEGAL EXPORTATION OF WILDLIFE FROM ARGENTINA SHOW THAT ENORMOUS NUMBERS OF ANIMALS ARE TAKEN EACH YEAR IN THE WILDLIFE TRADE; 5.4 MILLION VERTEBRATES REPRESENTING 25 SPECIES ARE EXPORTED ANNUALLY. GREATEST EXPORT VALUE (75%) IS OBTAINED FROM INTRODUCED SPECIES. THE WILDLIFE TRADE IS A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR MARKET IN ARGENTINA, AND VERY LIKELY ONE OF THE PRINCIPAL INDUSTRIES ON THE CONTINENT. COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION MAY BE SIGNIFICANT IN DEPLETING THE POPULATIONS OF SOUTH AMERICAN WILDLIFE SPECIES. (MICHAEL A. MARES AND RICARDO A. OJEDA. BIOSCIENCE, VOL. 34, NO. 9 (OCT., 1984), PP. 580-584)