Why does illegal wildlife trade persist in spite of legal alternatives in transboundary regions?

Both the characteristics of the value chains and the social-ecological context within which they exist are important to uncover motivations for engagement in legal and illegal value chains. Bêche-de-mer (dried sea cucumbers), shark fins, and fish maw (dried swim bladders) are valued products in the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Human dimensions of wildlife Vol. 27; no. 1; pp. 51 - 68
Main Authors:	Busilacchi, Sara, Butler, James R. A., van Putten, Ingrid, Cosijn, Michaela, Posu, Joseph, Fitriana, Ria, Slamet, Archie
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Philadelphia Routledge 02-01-2022 Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects:	borderlands Bêche-de-mer Fins fish maw illegal wildlife trade livelihoods Pricing shark fin Sharks Swim bladder transboundary value chain analysis Wildlife Wildlife trade
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Summary:	Both the characteristics of the value chains and the social-ecological context within which they exist are important to uncover motivations for engagement in legal and illegal value chains. Bêche-de-mer (dried sea cucumbers), shark fins, and fish maw (dried swim bladders) are valued products in the South Fly region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). We applied value chain analysis (VCA) to map the 'vertical' characteristics of trade and 'horizontal' contextual issues driving the trade. Vertical VCA showed that both legal and illegal value chains end in the same Asian cities, but using different routes. Prices offered by illegal middlemen to PNG fishers were significantly lower than those offered by legal buyers. Horizontal analysis showed five drivers (lack of information, obligatory dependencies to middlemen, kinship ties, need for cash, inaccessibility of legal markets) for accepting lower prices. We recommend interventions necessary to tackle these systemic drivers of illegal trade.
ISSN:	1087-1209 1533-158X
DOI:	10.1080/10871209.2021.1876963