Reconceptualising conservation law enforcement in protected areas

Description

Urgency to save species from extinction has prompted increased investment in law enforcement in and around protected areas, with considerable conservation resource spent training enforcers and supporting efforts to increase detection, prosecution, and sanctioning. However, relatively little evidence for the effectiveness of these approaches exists, and in recent years, investments in conservation law enforcement have come under increasing scrutiny due to associations with human-right abuses. In response, there has been a shift amongst practitioner organisations, funders, and governments to embed rights-based approaches into protected area governance, with a specific focus on implementing social safe-guards to improve how laws are enforced. To date dominant models of law enforcement have focused on increasing the cost of offending and reducing opportunities for offending to occur. Yet, other models of enforcement highlight that procedural fairness, and the legitimacy of enforcers and the laws themselves, are important but overlooked factors which can influence compliance. This workshop will draw conservation practitioners and academics together to share expertise and explore the need, opportunities, and challenges of reconceptualising how laws are enforced around protected areas.

Period	22 Jul 2024 → 24 Jul 2024
Event type	Workshop
Location	Bangor, United KingdomShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International