Prized species such as sea cucumbers are increasingly being poached from Australian waters. But if foreign aid can give fishing crews alternative livelihoods, the problem could ease.
Ross Harvey, South African Institute of International Affairs
In the absence of trading ivory, other solutions have to be found to fund conservation and support communities living on the front line of the battle against poaching.
Ross Harvey, South African Institute of International Affairs
The focus of CITES is not solely on the protection of species. It also promotes controlled trade that is not detrimental to the sustainability of wild species.
South Sudan is a country where conflict is rife. This has had a knock-on effect on the country’s rich and varied fauna, and put conservation programmes in severe crisis.
There are very violent confrontations in southern Africa’s peace parks. This is partly due to a violent history dating back to the apartheid era that has never been adequately addressed.
Older matriarchs lead elephant society. But they’re also the primary targets of ivory poachers. When these socially critical individuals are killed, what happens to the rest of the group?
Conservationists are increasingly looking to translocating rhinos. This not only ensures their safety but also enables improvements to their genetic health.
The fact that people are still travelling thousands of miles to kill exotic animals and bring back trophies shows deeply rooted cultural problems in Western societies.
A company plans to flood the market with synthetic rhinoceros horn in an effort to slow poaching but these types of commercially driven conservation efforts are fraught with problems.
Using DNA testing, researchers find that most elephant poaching is happening in two spots – crucial information to stopping the flow of ivory out of Africa.
In 2014, 1,215 rhinos were killed in South Africa for their horns, which end up in Asia as supposed cures for a variety of ailments. An estimated 30,000 African elephants were slaughtered last year for…