In April 2015, we concluded this year-long research project with presentations in Washington DC. We wrote six papers as part of this project which are proprietary to the client, the Congressional Research Service. Six students — Leo Carter, Caitlin Goodrich, LinhPhung Huynh, Cliff Kaplan, Delfina Rossi, and Wade Tanner —… read more
Economic
Multiplier Effect
While ecotourism provides clear, direct economic benefits to countries, those benefits are often underestimated, since the numerous inputs required to support the ecotourism industry are difficult to quantify. For example, items such as food, supplies, transportation, public works, infrastructure, and manpower are required to support ecotourism. Additionally, local citizens employed… read more
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and Wildlife Trafficking
As President Obama has been pitching the Trans-Pacific Partnership to voters and elected officials, he has meet fierce resistance from some of his fellow Democrats. The trade deal, still in the process of being negotiated, involves at present 12 Asian countries and is meant to facilitate freer trade among them.… read more
The Small Risks, Big Rewards, and Bigger Consequences of Poaching
As I mentioned in my first blog post, countries with weak rule of law (more specifically, weak enforcement of wildlife crime-related laws) can be particularly attractive sites for the capture, transit, and sale of illegal wildlife products. A key problem regarding illegal wildlife products vis-à-vis the acquisition and trade of… read more
Debt-for-Nature and the Illicit Wildlife Trade
Debt-for-nature (DFN) swaps “involve the purchase of a developing country’s debt at a discounted value in the secondary debt market and canceling the debt in return for environment-related action on the part of the debtor nation.” The debt that is purchased is then returned to the debtor nation as equity in… read more
Adaptive Management to End Human-Wildlife Conflict
Human-wildlife conflict, at its core, is essentially a struggle over land use. Cattle grazing, agriculture, and other profitable land uses are attractive alternatives to preserving land for the conservation of species in many range countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa where fertility rates are among the highest in the world. By… read more
Gaps in China’s Wildlife Laws
China’s recent efforts to control the trade of illicit animal products both into the country and within its borders are a positive development. As I mentioned in a previous post on Chinese wildlife enforcement measures, China has one of the best track records in Asia when it comes to border enforcement… read more
Infrastructure and Guns May Curb Wildlife Trafficking
As I discussed in my previous blog post, the US attempts to curb wildlife tracking through foreign assistance. Specifically, FWS provides $10 million annually to enhance and support wildlife conservation throughout Africa and Asia. The funds support essential wildlife protection activities in 25 African countries, including improving capacity to carry… read more
Plan your summer to protect wildlife and promote sustainable development
Bartolome, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Source: WWF, Natural Habitat Adventures Have you already planned your summer trip? Do you want to enjoy wildlife watching? Do you know how your visit will impact the local economy? If your answers are yes, keep on reading. Here is some basic information on the ecotourism… read more
Call 1-800-NO-POACH
We can all agree: poaching is a problem that needs to be addressed. However this is a complicated issue with many facets. One major problem with combatting poaching stems from the fact that many feel that there is nothing that they can do when they see poaching occur. Engaging ecotourism… read more