Abstract
International regulations for wildlife trade have been in place since the 1980s to prevent the unsustainable exploitation and extinction of wildlife plants and animals.
These are implemented by national bodies through their domestic policies and governance interventions. These regulations have had varying success ecologically and have not stopped illegal wildlife trade.
The regulations have also caused social, political and economic impacts for different stakeholders, including local communities on the receiving end of these governance interventions.
This project investigates governance interventions against the illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines, one of the world’s 18 megadiverse countries and a source, transit and destination country for illegal wildlife trade.
Using a political ecology framework, the study will unpack the complex interplay of social, political and economic factors and power dynamics affecting natural resources management, particularly contestation in the utilisation and conservation of marine wildlife identified as endangered, and reasons why the trade continues.
The project has a particular focus on marine species in the island province of Palawan.
Meet the researcher – Farah Sevilla
Qualifications: BA Communication, Dip Urban and Regional Planning, M.Sc. Natural Resources Management
Farah is an early career researcher and development worker who has been involved in the areas of environmental and natural resources planning and management, indigenous peoples and local communities’ rights, and good governance.
If not on assignment, Farah is either lost in her books, spending time with loved ones or exploring the underwater world. As a divemaster, she leads recreational dives and assists her mentor-instructor in SCUBA diving classes. Farah is also part of a team developing a mobile marketplace app for bamboo products called Bamboost.