Ethics in biodiversity conservation : The meaning and importance of pluralism
Addressing the global extent of the current biodiversity crisis requires engaging with the existence of multiple equally legitimate values, but also with diverse ethical perspectives underpinning conceptions of right and wrong actions. However, western monist positions have mostly explicitly or implicitly directed conservation strategies by defining the space of legitimate arguments, overlooking solutions that do not fit neatly the chosen approaches. As ignoring diverse ethical positions leads to injustices and reduces the potential of conserving biodiversity, there is a need to recognise and navigate the ethical landscape. Ethical pluralism may provide opportunities to do so. However, the …
Assessing preferences and motivations for owning exotic pets : Care matters
Understanding drivers of demand for exotic pets may help inform adequate conservation strategies to address unsustainable trade. Here, we used a best-worst scaling approach to understand the variety of preferences and motivations for owning exotic pets. Respondents (316 from 33 countries) preferred exotic pets that were captive-bred, had rare aesthetic features, and were common in the wild and abundant in the market. Species that were at risk of extinction, in short supply, sourced from the wild, and under trade restrictions were the least favoured by respondents. Feelings of care, such as attachment, affection, nurture, as well as curiosity and being passionate about the species, were domi…
A literature review of legal hunting practices
Humans have always hunted for food, recreation, sport or cultural reasons. However, legal hunting practices are increasingly being challenged on sustainability and animal welfare grounds, even if hunting can contribute to reach biodiversity objectives (Di Minin et al. 2016). Previous reviews have especially focused on illegal hunting (Benítez-López et al. 2016). In order to collect information on the sustainability of hunting we reviewed the peer-reviewed English language literature on legal hunting. We used 26 hunting related terms to search for all the literature on legal hunting on WebofScience. We focused on terrestrial ecosystems and species, therefore excluding fishing and whaling. Th…
Uncovering Illegal Wildlife Trade on Social Media: Automatic Data Collection, Deep Learning Filters and Identification
Illegal wildlife trade is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity conservation, as many species, including iconic species such as rhinoceros and elephant taxa, are targeted for their meat, trophies and other body parts. Over the last years, the scale and nature of illegal wildlife trade has changed dramatically. The Internet is becoming a major market for wildlife products, as it provides cost-effective solutions, vast outreach and anonymity for illegal wildlife traders. A 2014 study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare found 33 000 items for sale on 280 online marketplaces. More recent findings suggest that the illegal market for wildlife has moved to social media and, to a less…