What drives commercial poaching? From poverty to economic inequality

Lunstrum, Elizabeth; Givá, Nícia

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108505

Cited by 59 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Our findings reveal an uneven spatial distribution of studies on poaching for both their origin and study location. Researchers showed particular interest in Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and China, which could be explained by significant poaching and trafficking activities in these regions (Lemieux and Clarke, 2009;Liu et al, 2011;Gao and Clark, 2014;Zhou et al, 2018;Coleman et al, 2019;Lunstrum and Giva, 2020). This finding contrasts with the report of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2020), which demonstrates that every country in the world plays a role in combating wildlife crime.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Mapping the Research Landscape on Poaching: A Decadal Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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Poaching is a widespread activity that affects wildlife management goals and undermines conservation efforts worldwide. Despite its complexity, poaching is still commonly addressed by researchers as a one-dimensional phenomenon. To deepen the scientific understanding of poaching, we conducted a systematic literature review in the Web of Science and Scopus databases for the last 10 years, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses methodology. We found that most studies were carried out in Africa, although 43% of all articles on poaching were published by researchers from the United States and the United Kingdom. The most studied species are elephants (22%), rhinos (19%), wolves (9%), and bears (6%). Although this study identified a wide range of motives and drivers behind poaching activities, more than half of the analyzed articles do not attempt to provide a deeper understanding of this phenomenon. Its understanding of poaching usually does not go beyond the environmental impact of illegal hunting. Our study’s potential limitations may relate to the focus on exclusively English-language articles and, among them, only those discussing mammal, bird, and reptile species. Our findings indicate that global scientific knowledge on poaching in the last 10 years is biased. There is an imbalance between the developed countries that mostly produce knowledge on poaching (usually from Northern America and Europe) and the developing countries commonly an object of interest. This bias is potentially challenging, as the global scientific knowledge on poaching comes from limited experience based on charismatic species and selective case studies. To overcome this gap and develop a deeper understanding of poaching, the scientific community needs to overcome this bias and address illegal hunting wherever it affects the environment and undermines conservation efforts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

Mapping the Research Landscape on Poaching: A Decadal Systematic Review

et al. 2021

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“…Developed countries also have a historical responsibility to help solve poaching problems. Poverty in most developing countries is not innate to the nature of the place, but the result of a long history of colonialist activities, inequality, and even wars (Kates & Dasgupta 2007;Lunstrum & Givá 2020). Furthermore, conservation measures imposed through international efforts have in some cases exacerbated economic inequality (Lunstrum & Givá 2020).…”

Section: Toward the Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Poverty in most developing countries is not innate to the nature of the place, but the result of a long history of colonialist activities, inequality, and even wars (Kates & Dasgupta 2007;Lunstrum & Givá 2020). Furthermore, conservation measures imposed through international efforts have in some cases exacerbated economic inequality (Lunstrum & Givá 2020). This situation has been observed in the upper Gulf of California where several conservation interventions have had a strong impact on the economic development of the region (Cisneros-Montemayor & Vincent 2016).…”

Section: Toward the Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources

Aceves‐Bueno

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Cisneros-Mata³

2021

Conservation Biology

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The illegal harvest of marine species within exclusive economic zones can have a strong impact on the function of local ecosystems and livelihoods of coastal communities. The complexity of these problems is often overlooked in the development of solutions, leading to ineffective and sometimes harmful social and environmental outcomes. One-dimensional, oversimplified perspectives can lead to conservation prescriptions that exacerbate social stressors. This is particularly critical in the case of international illegal trade of endangered, high-value species, which generate a value chain in which artisanal fishers are the first operational and often the weakest link of an intricate web. We examined 2 illegal fisheries, totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) and sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus and Holothuria floridana), in Mexico. Although these are 2 separate and independent fisheries, important ecological (resource condition, fishery impacts at the ecosystem level) and social (governance, markets) similarities improve understanding of their complexity. Our findings are relevant globally and show the need for interdisciplinary decision-making groups, community engagement, and the development of demand reduction measures.

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“…The Chinese government banned the domestic trade and medicinal use of rhino horn in 1993, and removed rhino horn from the official TCM pharmacopeia (People's Republic of China, 1993). However, persistent and growing demand (particularly from China and Vietnam) has driven poaching and black market trade to dangerous levels over the past decade (Di Minin, Laitila, Montesino‐Pouzols, et al, 2015; Lunstrum & Givá, 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rhino horn use by consumers of traditional Chinese medicine in China

Cheung

Mazerolle

Possingham

et al. 2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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The medicinal use of rhino horn in Asia is a major driver of poaching and illegal trade. Research into the different actors involved in this trade is needed to inform policymaking and improve conservation outcomes. While researchers have investigated rhino horn consumers in Vietnam, studies have yet to focus on China.Here, we conducted a large-scale online survey to investigate medicinal rhino horn consumption in China's Guangdong province. One in seven respondents reported having used rhino horn in the past year. These individuals tended to be older, male, wealthier and better educated; several healthcare usage variables were also associated with rhino horn consumption. These findings can help guide the development of tailored demand reduction interventions. Our results question the effectiveness of the global community's current approach to rhino conservation. We conclude by highlighting the need for conservationists to work more closely with key stakeholders to find lasting and sustainable solutions.

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What drives commercial poaching? From poverty to economic inequality

Cited by 59 publications

References 32 publications

Mapping the Research Landscape on Poaching: A Decadal Systematic Review

Mapping the Research Landscape on Poaching: A Decadal Systematic Review

Illegal fisheries, environmental crime, and the conservation of marine resources

Rhino horn use by consumers of traditional Chinese medicine in China

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