The use of wild animals and plants for food, medicines, timber and fibres is essential to human livelihoods.  Uses of plant and animal products for cultural, ceremonial and recreational purposes are also a central part of our wellbeing.  As the world’s population increases, our exploitation of wild plant and animal is having a greater and greater impact on both the species being targeted and the ecosystems in which they live.  In order that our use of wild species meets our present needs without compromising the needs of future generations it is vital that these wild species are used in a biologically sustainable way.  Measuring sustainable use of wild products at scales other than local populations is challenging, but it is important that countries build up a picture of sustainable and unsustainable use of wild species. The most basic indicator of the sustainability or not of the exploitation of wild species is the proportion of products derived from sustainable sources. Further information on where and how people are using wild species, and who is benefiting from this, can help prioritise efforts to address unsustainable threats and other pressures on exploited populations.

The most developed indicators of sustainable use are for marine fisheries.  These indicators are based on assessments of whether the catch levels of a particular species from a fishery are sustainable.  These data can then be used as a basis for calculating the proportion of fisheries within a given area where the catches are sustainable.  The UN Food and Agriculture (FAO) has used these data to produce a global overview of the proportion of fisheries classified as being over-exploited or recovering, fully exploited or exploited.  Similar indicators can be calculated on a national level using data collected from within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding a country.  On-line databases with national level catch volume information is available from the University of British Columbia’s ‘Sea Around Us’ project.

Indicators that measure the proportion of products derived from sustainable sources from other sectors, such as timber or wild food and medicines, are less widespread but a number of indicators are under development.  For example, the Wild Commodities Index being produced by IUCN, UNEP-WCMC, ZSL, TRAFFIC and partners uses data on population changes, harvest amounts and prices to look a the changes in the sustainability of use of a selection of wild species over time.  As this indicator is based on national and population level data there is the potential for it to be scaled to a national level. 

Data on the trade in specific species can also be used to identify trends in aspects of sustainable use, including the source and quantity of plants, animals and products from specific areas, and trends in harvest rates. One source of data is for species listed in the Appendices of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which can be used to guide national policies on sustainable use and trade in endangered species.