The demands of traditional Asian medicine (TAM) don't just pose a threat to the survival of tigers and rhinos (Nature 480, S101–S103; 2011). Numerous smaller species are also at risk, as a result of being traded in large volumes. (Correspondence)

The future of the International Whaling Commission is tenuous. A ‘whale conservation market’ might rescue it, say Christopher Costello, Leah R. Gerber and Steven Gaines.

A quota-trading scheme could end conflict between whalers and conservationists. (Editorial)

Recent studies indicate that trophy hunting is impacting negatively on some lion populations, notably in Tanzania. In 2004 there was a proposal to list lions on CITES Appendix and in 2011 animal-welfare groups petitioned the United States government to list lions as endangered under their Endangered Species Act. Such listings would likely curtail the trophy hunting of lions by limiting the import of lion trophies. Concurrent efforts are underway to encourage the European Union to ban lion trophy imports.

India has come a long way from the bad old days of tiger shooting as 'sport' to tiger tourism as a growing business. India has 39 tiger reserves scattered all over the tiger's range, covering about 40,000 sq. km of forest. Unfortunately, almost 50 per cent are in very bad shape, but they can be recovered with proper management. (Editorial)

Elephant poaching and the ivory trade remain high on the agenda at meetings of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Well-informed debates require robust estimates of trends, the spatial distribution of poaching, and drivers of poaching. We present an analysis of trends and drivers of an indicator of elephant poaching of all elephant species.

Activists question allowing China to participate in ivory trade, with estimates that as much as 90 per cent of retail items in the country are illegal.