Final answer:
The statement is true; poaching encompasses the illegal hunting, fishing, or consumption of wild or domestic animals, profoundly impacting biodiversity. Various conservation measures, including enforcement and international agreements like CITES, aim to combat this illegal activity, yet challenges such as high reward for poachers remain.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement is true; poaching can indeed refer to the illegal hunting, fishing, or consumption of both wild and domestic animals. It is a significant threat to biodiversity and endangers many species, some of which are already on the brink of extinction. Attempts to manage and restrict illegal wildlife trade, including no-take zones and trade restrictions, face challenges due to high demand and lucrative black market operations. Conservation efforts often struggle with balancing enforcement and incentives, with examples being the ban on rhino horn trade which resulted in black market expansion. Hunting not only affects the species targeted but also their ecological roles, such as seed dispersal.
Poaching and the illegal trade in wildlife products fuel a significant global market that includes high-value items such as ivory, rhino horn, and exotic pets. International agreements, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), aim to regulate this trade to protect species; however, these measures alone are not always effective without reducing consumer demand and increasing enforcement at the source. The case of saiga antelope is an example of misguided efforts, where promotion of saiga horn as an alternative to rhino horn by conservationists inadvertently contributed to the species' near-extinction.