War and Wildlife: The Clausewitz Connection

TY - JOUR

T1 - War and Wildlife

T2 - The Clausewitz Connection

AU - Humphreys, Jasper

AU - Smith, M.L.R.

PY - 2011/1

Y1 - 2011/1

N2 - Carl von Clausewitz might seem an unusual thinker to invoke in the name of wildlife protection but his insights into the nature of war provide a unique perspective into an arena that arguably poses more complex moral questions of responsibility to protect than with humans. The increasingly dangerous world of wildlife conservation offers a prism for examining many issues linked to sovereignty, especially in developing countries. This study highlights how the commercial rewards of the wildlife trade have fed into problems surrounding national security such as corruption, sub-state insurgency and state legality. These factors have led to the growing militarization of wildlife protection and, in turn, raise a fundamental question: is it ever right for an outside actor to ignore international convention to save a species from extinction?

AB - Carl von Clausewitz might seem an unusual thinker to invoke in the name of wildlife protection but his insights into the nature of war provide a unique perspective into an arena that arguably poses more complex moral questions of responsibility to protect than with humans. The increasingly dangerous world of wildlife conservation offers a prism for examining many issues linked to sovereignty, especially in developing countries. This study highlights how the commercial rewards of the wildlife trade have fed into problems surrounding national security such as corruption, sub-state insurgency and state legality. These factors have led to the growing militarization of wildlife protection and, in turn, raise a fundamental question: is it ever right for an outside actor to ignore international convention to save a species from extinction?

U2 - 10.1111/j.1468-2346.2011.00963.x

DO - 10.1111/j.1468-2346.2011.00963.x

M3 - Article

SN - 0020-5850

VL - 87

SP - 121

EP - 142

JO - International Affairs (London)

JF - International Affairs (London)

IS - 1

ER -