Saving a species threatened by trade : a network study of Bali starling conservation

Journal article

Saving species from extinction is a central tenet of conservation, yet success in this endeavour remains unpredictable and elusive especially where wildlife trade is involved. Influential conservation actors operating internationally favour and advocate strong regulatory and enforcement approaches to wildlife trade governance. However a broad body of evidence suggests that in some situations positive incentives for sustainable use may achieve better conservation outcomes. This contribution presents an analysis of efforts to avoid the extinction of the Bali starling – an iconic Indonesian species – over three decades. Drawing on network perspectives from environmental governance and geography it shows how an international project adopting traditional enforcement approaches generated a ‘prestige of ownership’ dynamic among local elites. This placed trade in the species ‘above’ the enforcement competencies of the relevant government authority leading to the species demise. Subsequently, two separate Indonesian initiatives created spaces of regulatory flexibility and embraced traits of the starling’s phenotype to construct identities for the species suited to the local context. This enrolled a wider range of actors into the species’ conservation, including bird-keeping elites, and led to significant successes in restoring captive and free flying populations. This case study highlights the potential of conservation networks that involve non-establishment actors. Further, whilst recognizing the appeal of generic enforcement approaches to politicians, funders and urban supporter publics, it adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests top-down prescriptive conservation frameworks may undermine the ability of situated conservationists to develop interventions appropriate to their political and cultural realities.

Authors: Jepson, P

• Publication status: In press
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Journal: Oryx
• Acceptance date: 2014-11-25
• DOI: 10.1017/S0030605314001148
• EISSN: 1365-3008
• ISSN: 0030-6053
• Language: English
• Keywords: conservation effectiveness; Indonesia; species conservation; governance; wildlife trade; networks; Bali starling; Leucopsar rothschildi
• Subjects: Endangered species