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Wildlife Crime

A review of the

evidence on

drivers and

impacts in

Uganda

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Evidence Review

Mariel Harrison,

Dilys Roe,

Julia Baker,

Geoffrey Mwedde,

Henry Travers,

Andy Plumptre,

Aggrey Rwetsiba,

E.J. Milner-Gulland

Pro-Poor Responses

To Wildlife Crime in

Uganda

Funded by the UK

Government

Illegal Wildlife Trade

Challenge Fund

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What is wildlife crime?

“any harm to (or intent to harm or

subsequent trade of) non-domesticated

wild animals, plants and fungi, in

contravention of national and

international laws and conventions”

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Wildlife Crime and Poverty

Three key questions:

1. Is poverty a driver of wildlife crime?

2. What impacts does wildlife crime

have on poor people?

3. What impacts do responses to

wildlife crime have on poor people?

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Methodology

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Nature and extent of wildlife

crime in Uganda• Most common crimes: bushmeat hunting,

protected area incursions (land encroachment), firewood collection and timber harvesting

• “Serious crime”: less widespread in Uganda compared to many other African countries, BUT

• “Uganda, Ethiopia and Nigeria rarely supply ivory from local elephant populations, but frequently function as entrepôt and/or exit countries for ivory sourced elsewhere” (CITES 2013).

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WildlifecrimeAnyharmto(includingintenttoharmandsubsequenttradeof)non-

domes catedwildanimals,plantsandfungi,incontraven onofna onalandinterna onallawsandconven ons

Na onale.g.fromruralto

urbanareas

LocalWithin‘local’communityofsimilarsocialstatus

SubsistenceForuse/consump onpersonally/

withinhousehold

CommercialTogeneratemonetaryincomeorto

beusedascurrency

Injus ceDamagecausedwithoutmaterial‘use’,dueto

nega vea tudestowardswildlifeand/orconserva on,forexamplebecauseoflivestock

preda on,cropraidingorsocialinjus ce

Interna onal

Tomeetthedemandofthediasporacommunity

Tomeetforeigndemand

Pre-emp ve Reac ve

Tradi onalFortradi onalculturalpurposes

NB.Purposesofwildlifecrimeareoverlapping,sothesecategoriesshouldnotbeseenasmutually

exclusive.

1. Is poverty a driver of wildlife

crime?

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…toprovidetheresourcetheyneed

…toprovideasubs tutefortheresourcetheyneed

…togenerateincometomeetneeds

e.g.bushmeat,firewood,land

e.g.grassforthatchinsteadofironsheets

e.g. mber,bushmeat

Highandincreasingpopula ondensity

Householdsfailtosa sfybasicneeds,soconduct

wildlifecrime…

Environmentalstress,e.g.dryseason,

drought,cropdamage Conflict

Immigra onHighdependence

ra oandlowincome

Poaching for subsistence

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Perceivedinjus celeadspeopletotakema ersintotheirown

handsby….

Cropraiding Livestockloss Humaninjuryordeath

Inequityofbenefitsharing,includingrevenueandresourcesharing,lackofemployment

Lackofresponse,compensa onorsupport

fromauthori es

…killingindividualraidersorpredators

…killingraidersorpredators

indiscriminately

…disregardingrulesandregula onsofprotectedarea

Poaching in response to

perceived injustice

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2. What are the impacts of

wildlife crime on poor people?

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3. What are the impacts of

anti-crime interventions on

poor people?• Disincentives – eg law enforcement,

penalties and fines

• Incentives – eg jobs, rewards for intelligence, HWC mitigation

• Alternatives – eg improved agriculture, non-wildlife enterprises

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Intervention Positive Negative

Law enforcement Improved local security Abuse of power by officials

Reprisals on local informants

Penalties easier for wealthier to

pay

Imprisonment exacerbates poverty

Revenue sharing Income, social infrastructure,

new livelihood opportunities

Inequitable distribution

Corruption

Benefits do not exceed costs

Regulated

resource access

Access to subsistence

resources

Income opportunities

Cultural traditions maintained

Some elite capture

Reformed

Poachers

Associations

Some jobs

Income opportunities

Loss of access to hunted meat

Conservation

education

Improved relations with park

managers

Improved recognition

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RecommendationsDifferent responses needed for different

crimes and different drivers:

• Commercial/large-scale – strengthen law

enforcement

• Subsistence/cultural: improve revenue sharing

and resource access. Could there be a case

for regulated bushmeat hunting?

• Improve revenue sharing so those who bear

the cost receive the benefits

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THANK YOU

Funded by the UK

Government Illegal

Wildlife Trade

Challenge Fund