Longevity Conservation: Shaping Global Policy to Protect Earth's Elders

The challenge in society the research addresses

Human activities have disproportionately impacted the age structure of wild animal populations, leading to the widespread loss of older, larger, and more experienced individuals. These animals often play critical ecological roles and contribute to ecosystem stability, resilience, and cultural knowledge within species. Despite their importance, current conservation policies globally fail to recognize or protect these age classes, leaving a significant gap in biodiversity management and ecological understanding.

How the research is addressing the challenge

The research, led by Charles Darwin University (CDU) and published in Science, presents a comprehensive review of the ecological and socioeconomic consequences of losing older animals. It introduces the concept of Longevity Conservation, advocating for the protection of older individuals due to their unique contributions to population dynamics, ecosystem services, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.

Key contributions include:

- Synthesizing evidence across taxa to demonstrate the ecological importance of older individuals.
- Challenging traditional assumptions about senescence and ecological value.
- Proposing new frameworks for conservation policy and management that prioritize age diversity.

The real world benefit/change the research is creating

The research has catalyzed significant policy momentum:
- International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Motion 113: Five global IUCN members submitted a motion to formally recognize Longevity Conservation as a new conservation principle.

- The motion passed initial assessment and was debated at the IUCN World Congress 2025, involving over 1,400 government, civil society, and Indigenous member organizations.

- The motion was approved by majority vote, with overwhelming support from both government agencies (Category A) and NGOs and First Nations organizations (Categories B and C) — approval from all categories was required for adoption.

As a result, Longevity Conservation is now officially recognized as a principle within IUCN’s policy frameworks. This instructs the IUCN Director General, member states, agencies, and governments worldwide to:

- Develop research and monitoring frameworks.

- Where appropriate, implement strategies to protect old and large individuals across species.

While this marks a major milestone, implementation will require extensive collaboration among scientists, governments, and practitioners to translate the principle into effective conservation action globally.

Beneficiaries (and how they are benefiting)

- Government and conservation agencies: Gain a new evidence-based framework to guide wildlife and fisheries management.

- Fisheries and wildlife-dependent communities: Improved sustainability and resource availability.

- Conservation and management organizations: Enhanced frameworks for biodiversity protection.

- Wild animal populations: Contingent on bodies/individuals actually implementing the recommendations, greater protection for older individuals, improving population health and resilience is possible.

Associated research that supports the research and change/benefits

The IUCN Motion 113 to formally recognize  Longevity Conservation as a new conservation principle can be viewed here:
https://iucncongress2025.org/assembly/motions/motion/113

Additional information about the research

This research aligns with key national and international priorities, including:

- Australia’s Threatened Species Strategy
- UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14 & 15)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) targets
- Closing the Gap by supporting Indigenous-led conservation initiatives

Category of impact	Environmental impacts, Policy impacts
Impact Status	Emerging