Aguirre, A.A. and W.J Nichols (2020) The Conservation Mosaic Approach to Reduce Corruption and the Illicit Sea Turtle Take and Trade. Targeting Natural Resourc Corruption Project. World Wildlife Fund.
Read the full article here.
Key Takeaways
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Grupo Tortuguero de las Californias (GTC – the Sea Turtle Conservation Network of the Californias), a sea turtle conservation effort in Baja California, is an example of a “conservation mosaic” approach to address declining turtle populations, poaching and related corruption.
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GTC is an example of using “soft power” approaches as an alternative to “hard enforcement,” which was unlikely to be successful due to the complex of community dynamics, institutional weaknesses, and criminal factors that drive sea turtle take and related corruption in the region.
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“Soft power” included community-based monitoring, an extensive education and communications strategy to enhance environmental literacy and cooperation between communities and authorities, and community-based research.
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Though reducing corruption was not an explicit objective of the initiative, the case highlights how community involvement in conservation efforts, alongside the state’s policy-setting role, can address some of the conditions that encourage corruption and endanger conservation outcomes.
