140 Briefly INTERNATIONAL
Illegal imports of Endangered macaques for research in the USA Two Cambodian wildlife officials and several members of a primate supply company based in Hong Kong have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with illegally export- ing hundreds (and potentially more than 2,000) Endangered long-tailed macaques Macaca fascicularis to the USA for research. The animals were reportedly captured in the wild in Cambodia and falsely labelled as captive-bred. It is unclear how many of these animals have been used in research, but one of the companies that received them is the largest private supplierofmonkeys to re- search laboratories in
theUSA.Nearly 30,000 long-tailed macaques were imported to the
USAin2021.Most areusedbypharmaceutical andbiotechnologycompanies for drug testing and vaccine
research.Macaca fascicularis was recategorized fromVulnerable toEndangered on the IUCN Red List in 2022,withgrowing demand from the research industry cited as a factor that could incentivize illegal trade. Source: Science (2022)
science.org/content/ article/indictment-monkey-importers- could-disrupt-u-s-drug-and-vaccine- research
Transforming conservation with evidence-based decision-making Across conservation science and practice, there are severe problems with the decision- making processes currently widely used. This leads to ineffective use of evidence, misguided decisions, wasting of resources and the erosion of public and political sup- port. In a new, open access book entitled Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making, an international team of experts provide so- lutions. The transformation envisioned by the authors includes rethinking how evi- dence is assessed, combined, communicated and used; using effective methods when so- liciting experts’ opinions; implementing a structured process for making decisions that incorporates available evidence; and putting in place effective processes for learn- ing from conservation actions. In each case, the specific problem with decision-making is described with a range of practical solu- tions. Adopting this approach to decision- makingrequires societal change, anddetailed recommendations are made for transform- ing organizations, governments, businesses, funders and philanthropists. Source: Open Book Publishers (2022)
openbookpublishers.com/books/10.11647/ obp.0321
Most carbon offsets by biggest provider are ineffective A new investigation suggests that the for- est carbon offsets approved by Verra, the world’s leading provider, are largely worth- less and could make global heating worse. The research has found that, based on an analysis of a broad selection of Verra’spro- jects, more than 90% of their rainforest off- set credits do not represent genuine carbon emission reductions. The analysis raises questions over the credits bought by a num- ber of internationally renowned companies, some of which have labelled their products as carbon neutral, or have assured their consumers they can travel, buy new items or eat certain foods without worsening the climate crisis. The investigation has drawn on dozens of interviews and on-the-ground reporting with scientists, industry insiders and Indigenous communities. Human rights issues are a serious concern in at least one of the offsetting projects, in Peru. The findings are likely to pose serious ques- tions for companies that are depending on offsets as part of their net zero strategies. Source: The Guardian (2023) theguardian. com/environment/2023/jan/18/revealed- forest-carbon-offsets-biggest-provider- worthless-verra-aoe
New satellite offers view into nearly all of Earth’s waters The US American and French space agencies NASA and CNES recently launched the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite into orbit to begin a 3-year mission dedicated to scanning oceans and freshwater. During its time in space, SWOT will use radar technology to monitor 90%of all waterways, including seas, lakes, rivers and reservoirs. The solar-powered satellite will regularly produce high-resolution maps of 2 millionkmof rivers and any body ofwater lar- ger than 6 ha. Some of these waterways are in areas that are difficult to access (e.g. within the Amazon or on the slopes of Mount Everest). Themapsbased on thenew satellitedata will help scientists better understand water trends around theworld,which is essential to predict- ing the potential impacts of climate change and assessing effective responses to those threats. It is estimated that between one-quarter and one-third ofhumanity’s annual carbonemis- sions are absorbed by the oceans alone,more thanbyanyother type of
ecosystem.Changes in ocean temperatures affect sea levels and currents and can alter climate patterns globally. Source: Conservation International (2023)
conservation.org/blog/news-spotlight-new- satellite-offers-view-into-nearly-all-of- earths-waters
Tree-dwelling primates may adapt to life on the ground Deforestation and climate change are threa- tening the habitats of tree-dwelling primates. Astudy that analysed.150,000 hours of ob- servations from 20 sites in Madagascar and 48 sites in the Americas over 34 years has re- ported that habitat loss has some arboreal monkey and lemur species spending more timeon the ground, exposing themto a high- er risk of predation. The study showed that specieswith certain social and physical traits may have an advantage. For example, pri- mates with diverse diets and larger group sizes may adapt more easily to terrestrial life, as may those with lower body masses. The research included 47 species, from brown howlermonkeys in Brazil to southern bamboo lemurs inMadagascar. The findings offer some hope as tree-dwelling primates may be able to use the groundmore as their original habitat disappears. But although the study suggests some species may be able to adapt, deforestation and climate change are taking a huge toll on a wide range of animals. Source: Mongabay (2022)
news.mongabay. com/2022/12/some-tree-dwelling-primates- may-adapt-more-easily-to-life-on-the- ground-massive-study-shows
Transparent assessments needed to improve sustainability of palm oil More than half of theworld’smost significant palm oil companies do not publicly assess their suppliers on commitments to sustain- ability and zero deforestation, according to an assessment by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL). The Society’s annual ranking of palm oil producers, processors and traders found that 39% of companies report a clear process to assess suppliers, but the remaining 61% have limited or no public commitments for evaluating the risk of their suppliers being associated with habitat destruction and bio- diversity loss. Only 58%of companies have a public zero-deforestation commitment that applies to all their suppliers, and just 12% have a time-bound action plan for suppliers to become compliant with sustainable palm oil sourcing commitments. As demand for palm oil continues to increase, ZSL is calling for the industry to provide stronger trans- parency on its assessment of and support for suppliers at all levels of the supply chain. This is vital to guarantee that they are com- plying with key legal requirements as well as social and environmental commitments that are needed to address the biodiversity and climate crises. Source: Zoological Society of London (2022)
zsl.org/conservation/news/mind-the-gap- palm-oil-buyers-fail-to-hold-suppliers-to- account-on-zero
Oryx, 2023, 57(2), 139–144 © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605323000121
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