Pictures debate
Presentation Büscher
The struggle against poaching: a problem of enforcement?
Debate Tuesday 21 November 2017
- From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- University of Antwerp - Stadscampus - Rodestraat 14 - R.014 - 2000 Antwerpen (how to reach the city campus?)
About the lecture
Today, the multi-billion-dollar wildlife industry has become one of the largest forms of international illegal trade, after drugs, arms and human trafficking. And still, the illegal hunting of wild animals is on the rise. But on how poaching needs to be combatted, diverse actors such as conservation NGO’s, researchers and national governments, disagree. On the one hand, there is a need for stronger armed responses to avoid the extinction of certain animal species. On the other hand, it is argued that these approaches do not adequately take into account the broader political, social and economic context and hence, would undermine long-term goals. What is the best way to combat illegal wildlife trade? An answer on this question will be sought during this debate on ‘poaching’.
Keynote Bram Büscher is Professor and Chair of the Sociology of Development and Change group at Wageningen University, The Netherlands. He also holds visiting positions at the Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies of the University of Johannesburg and the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology of Stellenbosch University, in South Africa. From 2008-2015, he was Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainable Development at the Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University, the Netherlands. His research interests revolve around the political economy of conservation and development, the politics of energy and extraction, ecotourism, new media and social theory. Bram has extensively published in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. He is also the author of several books such as Transforming the Frontier. Peace Parks and the Politics of Neoliberal Conservation in Southern Africa (Duke University Press, 2013). More about Bram Büscher. Twitter: @brambuscher
Discussant Kami Mainkar is the Senior Strategic Partnerships Officer of the Wildlife Justice Commission in The Hague. Kami has over ten years of experience in advocacy for animal welfare and wildlife conservation, and management of multi-stakeholder projects. She has worked on a large number of wildlife rehabilitation and reintroduction projects of iconic species such as elephants and rhinos and inclusion and active role of local communities in conservation and wildlife management projects. Kami was part of the first elephant re-introduction in the Manas National Park, UNESCO world Heritage site. For more information: wildlifejustice.org
