Understanding stakeholder conflict between conservation and hunting in Malta

Veríssimo, Diogo; Campbell, Brian

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2015.07.018

Cited by 27 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Although several factors could be contributing to this lack of success, such as the absence of strong will on behalf of politicians [ 19 , 38 ] and insufficient law enforcement resources [ 36 – 38 ], we believe that the lack of understanding and trust between the trapping community and the conservationists is a key stumbling block inhibiting conservation success [ 39 ]. The communication gap between the two groups acts as a breeding ground for high stakeholder conflict [ 22 ] and allows for misunderstandings on the issue to persist, such us on why the practise is illegal and what the potential ecological impact is, especially on threatened species. This is illustrated by no trapper suggesting the indiscriminate nature of limesticks as a reason for their being illegal, despite the fact that this is a key part of the reasoning behind the prohibition of limesticks under national and international law (Protection and Development Game and Wild Birds Act of 1974 (No.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To date, only a handful of scientific studies have been published on this issue, most of them more than a decade ago, aiming mainly at assessing the extent of illegal trapping [ 6 , 16 , 18 ], and with the social dimensions largely omitted. Little effort has been paid to understanding the multifaceted inter-relations between stakeholders, which are so often pivotal to the conservation agenda [ 22 – 24 ]. This study, which aims at bridging this knowledge gap, is the first to interview local people in Cyprus who are trapping birds illegally and the first to provide key insights into the motivations, attitudes and beliefs of small-scale trappers, who use the traditional trapping method, known as limesticks.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring differences in stakeholders’ perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus

Jenkins

Mammides

Keane

2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundCyprus is recognised as a hotspot for illegal bird trapping in the Mediterranean basin. A consumer demand for the Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is driving the use of non-selective trapping methods, resulting in the indiscriminate killing of millions of migratory birds. Efforts to tackle the issue have so far been characterised mostly by a top-down approach, focusing on legislation and enforcement. However, trapping levels are not decreasing and conflict between stakeholder groups is intensifying.MethodsTo understand why efforts to stop illegal bird trapping have not been effective, we used semi-structured interviews to interview 18 local bird trappers and nine representatives from the pertinent environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the governmental agencies responsible for enforcing the legislation.ResultsWe found distinct differences between the views of the local trapping community and the environmental NGOs, particularly on why trapping is occurring and its impact on the avifauna. This disparity has contributed to misrepresentations of both sides and a high degree of conflict, which is potentially proving counterproductive to conservation interventions. In addition, it appears that trappers are a heterogeneous group, likely driven by various motivations besides profit.ConclusionWe argue that stakeholders interested in reducing illegal bird trapping need to develop anti-poaching strategies that aim at minimising the disparity in the views, and subsequently the conflict, acknowledging also that trappers are not a homogenous group, as often treated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring differences in stakeholders’ perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus

Jenkins

Mammides

Keane

2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…Managers should expand their view of pattern recognition to encompass not only patterns in ecological dynamics, but also in human behavior and human–wildlife interactions. This could include interactions among stakeholders, such as the alienation of certain groups, which may act as triggers for conflict emergence (e.g., Veríssimo & Campbell, ).…”

Section: Applying Wicked Approaches To Tackle Conservation Conflictmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wicked conflict: Using wicked problem thinking for holistic management of conservation conflict

Mason

Pollard

Chimalakonda

et al. 2018

CONSERVATION LETTERS

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Conservation conflict is widespread, damaging, and has proved difficult to manage using conventional conservation approaches. Conflicts are often “wicked problems,” lacking clear solutions due to divergent values of stakeholders, and being embedded within wickedly complex environments. Drawing on the concept of wicked environmental problems could lead to management strategies better suited to tackling conflict. However, it is unclear whether managers are embracing ideas from the wicked problems concept. There is currently a lack of guidance for applying strategies to tackle particular wicked problems, such as conservation conflict. We explored the suitability of wicked problems‐inspired management, using eight contemporary conflict case studies. Conservation conflict was managed predominantly using conventional approaches suited to tackling single objectives in simple environments, rather than balancing competing objectives in complex environments. To deal with different characteristics of wickedness, we recommend that managers develop strategies combining distributed decision‐making, diverse opinions, pattern‐based predictions, trade‐off‐based objectives, and reporting of failures. Recent advances in conservation conflict research have focused on improving interactions among stakeholders. We believe that such stakeholder‐focused approaches would dovetail with the whole‐system focus of a wicked problems framework, allowing conservationists to move toward a holistic strategy for managing conservation conflict.

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“…For instance, just a few weeks before the Front was established, Malta had held a referendum on a controversial environmental issue-bird hunting in the spring. The pro-hunting lobby won by a very narrow majority, despite being opposed by only one small, nonparliamentary political party, the Green Party (Briguglio 2015b;Veríssimo and Campbell 2015).…”

Section: Front Harsien Odz In Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Digital Activism, Physical Activism

Briguglio¹

2018

Contention

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This article analyzes the interaction between the digital (online) and physical (offline) activism of Front Harsien ODZ, a Maltese environmental movement organization. It looks into how Front activists perceive these forms of activism and verifies how important each form is to the organization. Consequently, the research presented herein is operationalized through interviews with Front activists and through participant observation from an insider's point of view. This article concludes that activists within Front Harsien ODZ feel that they are part of a social network. The organization's recruitment, mobilization and activism techniques are at once digital and physical. Most Front activists were already part of preexisting social networks before joining the Front, and the new Front network made good use of Malta's political opportunity structures, including the Zonqor controversy; Malta's small size; and the country's vibrant media landscape.

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Understanding stakeholder conflict between conservation and hunting in Malta

Cited by 27 publications

References 36 publications

Exploring differences in stakeholders’ perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus

Exploring differences in stakeholders’ perceptions of illegal bird trapping in Cyprus

Wicked conflict: Using wicked problem thinking for holistic management of conservation conflict

Digital Activism, Physical Activism

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