Hunting and Export - Wildlife

The hunting and export of excessive numbers of certain animal species is another important factor leading to dangerous reductions in numbers. There are three main types of hunting:

• Commercial hunting-in which the animals are killed for profit from sale of their furs or other parts;
• Subsistence hunting-the killing of animals to provide enough food for survival; and
• Sport hunting-the killing of animals for recreation. Although subsistence hunting was once a major cause of extinction of some species, it has now declined sharply in most areas. Sport hunting is now closely regulated in most countries; game species are endangered only when protective regulations do not exist or are not enforced.