Cultural Values: a Forgotten Strategy for Building Community Support for Protected Areas in Africa

Poverty, poaching and trafficking: what are the links?

“…Enforcement can erode trust between conservation authorities and local people by restricting access to resources that have an irreplaceable role in the lives of local people (Infield 2001). Indeed, evidence indicates that trust and legitimacy between protected area staff and local people are key factors related to voluntary compliance where general agreement with regulations does not necessarily exist (Stern 2008).…”

The Role of Traditional Taboos and Custom as Complementary Tools in Wildlife Conservation Within Mount Cameroon National Park Buea

“…For some time now, efforts to integrate rural people into biodiversity conservation programs have been in place (Hulme and Murphree, 1999). However, these efforts were largely based on economic incentives (Hulme and Murphree, 1999;Infield and Adams, 1999;Infield, 2002), with little or no attention paid to the role of traditions and taboos in building support for conservation, even though such roles are recognized (Negi, 2010). Traditional knowledge systems play an important role in developing species conservation and management strategies because of the close relationship that exists between cultural diversity and biodiversity (Caldecott et al, 2005;Hens, 2006).…”

A Social Survey of Demography and Attitudes of Residents Regarding the Marine Protected Area in Puerto Morelos, Mexico

“…Traditional management allows for the development of protected areas to be flexible and easily managed. It provides an effective way to reach conservation goals and for governments to justify the support of protected areas to various communities (Infield, 2001). Indigenous cultures have been practicing marine resource management before the implementation from western cultures by using limited entry, closed seasons and areas, size limitations for catch, and gear restrictions.…”

“…Non-compliance can also be reduced through education, outreach, and inclusion into the process (Kritzer, 2004). Encouraging locals to become part of the conservation efforts is possible by making an economic link between local communities and the protected area (Infield, 2001). In the Apo Island, Philippines, a study was conducted to analyze the differences between the livelihoods of diverse village populations on the island.…”