Mapping attitudes on wildlife trafficking: Implications for management and governance

Illegal wildlife trade or wildlife trafficking is a problem that affects societies and ecosystems alike. However, it remains unclear which management strategies are suitable for addressing this issue, particularly when one considers the diversity of actors, interests, and nuances of the problem. We argue that better management strategies require multiple – and at times, even opposite – actors to coalesce around the fundamentals of the problem. An initial step towards formulating management strategies is to identify how the multiple actors involved understand the problem and its possible solutions (i.e. their subjectivities). Although previous studies have addressed actors’ subjectivities regarding wildlife trafficking, they have rarely evaluated how subjectivities vary between different actors. Against this backdrop, this study uses mixed methods to evaluate convergences in the subjectivities of multiple actors (e.g. poachers, authorities, police forces and academics, among others) in Colombia. Contrary to previously-held theories, this work has revealed that trafficking-related subjectivities are not necessarily shaped by contextual factors (e.g. social relations); instead, subjectivities are explained by actors’ experiences and preferred governance forms. We conclude this work by reflecting on the implications of our findings for the management and governance of complex problems that occur at the intersection of social and ecological systems.