‘Conservation’ criminology: understanding and preventing illegal fishing in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Abstract

Wildlife crime is a significant global problem that undermines efforts to protect the environment, applies immense pressure to often fragile social and cultural structures and deprives economies of wealth and the capacity of countries to achieve sustainable development goals. Wildlife poaching, referring to the illegal removal of flora or fauna, is the most common form of wildlife crime and often occurs from within the spatial boundaries of protected areas (PAs). People poach for a variety of reasons such as, traditional use, subsistence, recreational and commercial gain. The wide-ranging motivations held by individual poachers makes it a particularly complex problem for PA managers. The rise of poaching in I acknowledge that an electronic copy of my thesis must be lodged with the University Library and, subject to the policy and procedures of The University of Queensland, the thesis be made available for research and study in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968 unless a period of embargo has been approved by the Dean of the Graduate School.