The IUCN, International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources was established in 1948
The IUCN is now sometimes called the World Conservation Union.
The WWF (World Wildlife Fund) was created in 1961.
CITES (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora was created in 1975.
Although all 3 are independent of one another, their joint belief is in the WCS
World Conservation Strategy: (The guiding principle for modern wildlife management policies)
The 3 objectives of what the WCS described as ‘living resource conservation’ (sic) are:-
1. To maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems (such as soil regeneration and protection, the recycling of nutrients, and the cleansing of waters) on which human survival depend;
2. To preserve genetic diversity (the range of genetic material found in the world’s organisms) on which depend many of the above processes and life-support systems, the breeding programmes necessary for the protection and improvement of cultivated plants, domesticated animals and micro-organisms, as well as much scientific and medical advance, technical innovation, and the security of the many industries that use living resources; and
3. To ensure the sustainable utilization of species and ecosystems (notable fish and other wildlife, forests and grazing lands) which support millions of rural communities as well as major industries.
The WCS does not deal JUST with WILD renewable natural resources. It is concerned with the management of ALL renewable natural resources – both those that are domesticated or cultivated, AND those that are wild.