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Author name

Date

Dilys Roe

Project Overview

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Pro-poor responses to

wildlife crime

• 3 year project (April 2014 –

March 2017)

• Funded by the UK Govt Illegal

Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund

• Implemented by UWA, WCS,

IIED, Oxford

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Two Key Objectives

1. Build national (Ugandan) capacity to

deliver pro-poor responses to wildlife

crime

2. Draw out lessons learned that have

international applicability.

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Three main components

• Research : 3 key questions

1. What are the drivers and impacts of

wildlife crime?

2. What are the socio-economic profiles

of individuals who participate in

wildlife crime?

3. Which interventions are most

effective in reducing wildlife crime?

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Three main components

• Research

• Capacity development – Wildlife

crime database

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Three main components

• Research - who undertakes wildlife

crime and why, what interventions

work and why

• Capacity development – Wildlife

crime database

• Changes in policy and practice –

redesigned policies and new wildlife

crime interventions at key sites

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Changes in policy and practice

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Anticipated outcomes 1. at least one improved or new intervention to tackle wildlife crime is

implemented at each study location, based on local people’s perceptions,

2. the wildlife crime mitigation policies in at least one of the two National Parks have been re-designed to ensure fairness and are being implemented.

3. a functioning wildlife crime database is in routine use by UWA together with improved reporting processes for monitoring wildlife crime, for adaptive management and for better targeting of interventions in response to offender profiles.

4. Lessons learned are disseminated widely (including UWA-led side event at the 2016 CITES CoP.)

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A: Research

1. What are the drivers and impacts of

wildlife crime?

2. What are the socio-economic profiles

of individuals who participate in

wildlife crime?

3. Which interventions are most

effective in reducing wildlife crime?

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Evidence Review

Evidence review of extent to which poverty is a driver of wildlife crime. Focussing on Uganda but bringing in international evidence as well.

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Wildlife Crime and Poverty

Key questions:

1. What is the nature and extent of wildlife crime in Uganda?

2. Is poverty a driver of wildlife crime?

3. What impacts does wildlife crime have on poor people?

4. What impacts do responses to wildlife crime have on poor people?

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Methodology

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1. Nature and extent of

wildlife crime in Uganda • Most common crimes: bushmeat hunting,

protected area incursions (land encroachment), firewood collection and timber harvesting

• “Serious crime”: less widespread in Uganda compared to many other African countries, BUT

• “Uganda, Ethiopia and Nigeria rarely supply ivory from local elephant populations, but frequently function as entrepôt and/or exit countries for ivory sourced elsewhere” (CITES 2013).

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WildlifecrimeAnyharmto(includingintenttoharmandsubsequenttradeof)non-

domes catedwildanimals,plantsandfungi,incontraven onofna onalandinterna onallawsandconven ons

Na onale.g.fromruralto

urbanareas

LocalWithin‘local’communityofsimilarsocialstatus

SubsistenceForuse/consump onpersonally/

withinhousehold

CommercialTogeneratemonetaryincomeorto

beusedascurrency

Injus ceDamagecausedwithoutmaterial‘use’,dueto

nega vea tudestowardswildlifeand/orconserva on,forexamplebecauseoflivestock

preda on,cropraidingorsocialinjus ce

Interna onal

Tomeetthedemandofthediasporacommunity

Tomeetforeigndemand

Pre-emp ve Reac ve

Tradi onalFortradi onalculturalpurposes

NB.Purposesofwildlifecrimeareoverlapping,sothesecategoriesshouldnotbeseenasmutually

exclusive.

2. Is poverty a driver of wildlife

crime?

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…toprovidetheresourcetheyneed

…toprovideasubs tutefortheresourcetheyneed

…togenerateincometomeetneeds

e.g.bushmeat,firewood,land

e.g.grassforthatchinsteadofironsheets

e.g. mber,bushmeat

Highandincreasingpopula ondensity

Householdsfailtosa sfybasicneeds,soconduct

wildlifecrime…

Environmentalstress,e.g.dryseason,

drought,cropdamage Conflict

Immigra onHighdependence

ra oandlowincome

Poaching for subsistence

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3. What are the impacts of

wildlife crime on poor people?

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4. What are the impacts of

anti-crime interventions on

poor people? • Disincentives – eg law enforcement,

penalties and fines

• Incentives – eg jobs, rewards for intelligence, HWC mitigation

• Alternatives – eg improved agriculture, non-wildlife enterprises

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Intervention Positive Negative

Law enforcement Improved local security Abuse of power by officials

Reprisals on local informants

Penalties easier for wealthier to

pay

Imprisonment exacerbates poverty

Revenue sharing Income, social infrastructure,

new livelihood opportunities

Inequitable distribution

Corruption

Benefits do not exceed costs

Regulated

resource access

Access to subsistence

resources

Income opportunities

Cultural traditions maintained

Some elite capture

Reformed

Poachers

Associations

Some jobs

Income opportunities

Loss of access to hunted meat

Conservation

education

Improved relations with park

managers

Improved recognition

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Recommendations Different responses needed for different

crimes and different drivers:

• Commercial/large-scale – strengthen law

enforcement

• Subsistence/cultural: improve revenue sharing

and resource access. Could there be a case

for regulated bushmeat hunting?

• Improve revenue sharing so those who bear

the cost receive the benefits

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THANK YOU

Funded by the UK

Government Illegal

Wildlife Trade

Challenge Fund