Space-time patterns of poaching risk: Using the near-repeat hypothesis to inform compliance enforcement in marine protected areas

Illegal fishing and compliance management in marine protected areas: a situational approach

“…In an effort to operationalize the generalized findings that poaching tends to be concentrated in time and space, these researchers apply empirical models to unpack the opportunity structures found in a wide variety of wildlife crimes (Moreto & Pires, 2018). Critical to the goal of increasing the relevance of social science in conservation management, many of these studies also provide guidance on applying opportunity-based prevention management strategies (Lemieux, 2014;Moreto & Pires, 2018;Petrossian, 2019;Weekers, et al, 2020). For example, studying the opportunity structure of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in West African waters, Petrossian (2018) identified proximity to landing ports and the availability of target fish species, as key micro-spatial risk factors, where motivated offenders converge with desirable targets in the absence of capable guardians.…”

“…Most studies examining the temporal variations of illegal recreational fishing have consistently found strong temporal patterns associated with these activities. For example, Weekers et al (2020), in their analysis of spatio-temporal concentrations of poaching in the GBRMPA found that the risk of this activity peaks on weekends (and, to some, extent Fridays). Similarly, Davis & Harasti (2020), in their analysis of illegal fishing in notake areas in New South Wales, Australia, found a significantly higher number of vessels fishing in these areas on non-working days that included both weekends and public holidays.…”

“…To prevent the illegal take of target species, these strategies should ensure that limited enforcement resources are allocated to the right places at the right times (Critchlow et al, 2015). Inherent in this approach is an understanding of the spatial and temporal risk patterns associated with specific poaching activities (Kyando et al, 2017;Weekers et al, 2020).…”

“…Wildlife crime research has consistently demonstrated that a wide variety of poaching types concentrate in space and time (Cowan et al, 2020;Kurland et al, 2018;Maingai et al, 2012;Nyirenda & Chomba, 2012;Petrossian, 2018;Weekers, Mazerolle & Zahnow, 2020). While much of this literature has successfully described the spatial and temporal risk factors associated with poaching, environmental criminologists analyzing wildlife crime problems have sought to explain these patterns through human-ecological theory (Moreto & Pires, 2018;Peterossian, 2019).…”

Understanding spatial patterns of poaching pressure using ranger logbook data to optimize future patrolling strategies

“…Finally, proximity to protected area borders, villages, or roads can be a crucial factor for poaching prevalence (Moore et al, 2018; Plumptre et al, 2014). Despite the urgency of the biodiversity crisis, few studies have assessed proxies of site characteristics to identify poaching determinants (Critchlow et al, 2015; Marescot et al, 2020), especially in the context of the boost and flag hypotheses (Weekers et al, 2020). This is unfortunate, because understanding where poaching occurs in landscapes would allow for a more evidence‐based allocation of ranger patrols (Keane et al, 2008; Plumptre et al, 2014).…”