IUCN Guidelines on Harvesting Threatened Species

The harvesting of wild species involves the removal of organisms or parts of organisms from their natural habitat. Some forms of harvesting are lethal – for example, hunting, fishing and logging – while others are non-lethal – for example capture of live individuals (e.g., for breeding or for trade) or collection of parts of organisms such as seeds, leaves, roots and fibres, or collection of products such as honey, rubber, etc. Unintended mortality, however, may occur as a result of theoretically non-lethal practices if the harvesting process is not carefully managed.

The harvesting of all species requires careful management to ensure it is sustainable. The harvesting of threatened species requires particular care because of the heightened risk of extinction of these species…

These guidelines are intended to support decision-making on harvest of threatened species.