Slipping through the cracks: A systematic assessment of CITES-overlooked tropical mammals threatened by hunting and wildlife trade

Abstract

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is the main international agreement that identifies levels of protection for traded species. The inclusion of species in CITES' Appendices for their protection and regulation is carried out through non-systematic case-by-case proposals. To identify potentially overlooked species, here we identify mismatches between tropical mammal species with high hunting and trade and CITES-listings. To this end, we developed a Biological Resource Use Impact (BRUI) score system based on the estimated hunting-induced defaunation level of a species, as well as the quantity and frequency of legal and illegal trade. We identified 249 species with recent non-zero BRUI scores, of which 48 may not be sufficiently protected by CITES. Additionally, four species were found with moderate-to-high defaunation level and non-zero illegal wildlife trade quantities and occurrences in recent years, and recommended for harvest or trade management actions in IUCN Red List Assessments. We conclude that there is a considerable number of overlooked species by CITES that warrant their inclusion based on our BRUI score, and underscore the pressing need for a comprehensive reassessment of these species. Additionally, we emphasize the necessity for better alignment between species assessments by IUCN and CITES.