The ocean is the world’s largest and arguably most important ecosystem. Oceans cover 71% of the world’s surface, produce half of the oxygen we breath and absorb about 30% of carbon dioxide emissions. It is estimated to be home to over 1 million species, many of which are yet to be discovered and described by science.

Each year, these ocean…

Strict protectionism or ‘fortress’ has long been a popular approach towards protecting Africa’s wildlife in the face of multiple pressures, such as land-use change, or bushmeat hunting. However, from the late 1980s, conservationists began to realise that ‘fortress’ conservation does not always effectively safeguard biodiversity and can raise serious ethical issues. Loss of…

This blog was originally posted by the International Institute for Environment and Development blog found here. 

The age-old tradition of hunting wild meat has, in many cases, become unsustainable. Efforts to change local habits have had little effect. Ahead of this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity, guest blogger Stephanie Brittain argues that to protect biodiversity,…

The wildlife trade event in London last year was definitely the highest profile meeting that I have ever attended. From security badges to strict rules on arrival times, to the presence of the Duke of Cambridge, it was certainly a most exhilarating experience. The dignitaries present made me feel that as professional and aspiring conservationists, we are not alone…

The international legal wildlife trade involves thousands of species of plants, animals and fungi. Ensuring that this trade remains sustainable is the role of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and it does so through the listing of species in one of its three Appendices, with corresponding trade…

In the past few weeks there has been a flood of news coverage about human rights abuses in the name of conservation. Some of these abuses may be due simply to a lack of adequate selection, training and supervision procedures for armed park guards in parts of the world where the rule of law is weak. Others, however, go deeper: they are related to the continued dominance in conservation of a…