Dear ECOLOG-L subscribers, We are pleased to announce a new publication in press with the online journal Global Ecology and Conservation [ http://www.journals.elsevier.com/global-ecology-and-conservation/]
Weber DS, T Mandler, M Dyck, PF van Coeverden de Groot, D Lee, DA Clark. Unexpected and undesired conservation outcomes of wildlife trade bans – An emerging problem for stakeholders? *In Press: Global Ecology & Conservation*. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2015.01.006. *Abstract:* CITES regulates international trade with the goal of preventing over-exploitation, thus the survival of species are not jeopardized from trade practices; however it has been used recently in nontrade conservation measures. As an example, the US proposed to up-list polar bears under CITES Appendix I, despite that the species did not conform to the biological criteria. Polar bears were listed as ‘threatened’ under US ESA in 2008, in response to loss of sea-ice and warming temperatures. In Nunavut, where most of Canada’s polar bears are harvested, the resulting trade ban did not decrease total harvest after the ESA listing but reduced US hunter participation and the proportion of quotas taken by sport hunters from specific populations. Consequently, the import ban impacted livelihoods of Arctic indigenous communities with negative conservation - reduced tolerance for dangerous fauna and affected local participation in shared management initiatives. The polar bear may be the exemplar of an emerging problem: the use of trade bans in place of action for non-trade threats, e.g., climate change. Conservation prospects for this species and other climate-sensitive wildlife will likely diminish if the increasing use of trade bans to combat not-trade issues cause stakeholders to lose faith in participatory management. The article is open access and may be found at the link below: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989415000074 The journal's site lists a technical error but the PDF can still be downloaded. Alternatively you can email me for a PDF at [email protected] Kind regards, Diana -- Diana S. Weber, Ph.D. [email protected] +1 646 652 9428 "Properly trained, a man can be dog's best friend." *- Corey Ford*
