Ch. 8 Discussion Questions International Wildlife Politics
Greenberg, Paul. Tuna’s end. New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/magazine/27Tuna-t.html?th=&emc=th&page
wanted=prin
Pew Foundation. ICCAT takes positive action to rebuild Atlantic bluefin tuna populations,
end illegal fishing, but ignores sharks.
www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/press-releases/iccattakes-positive-action-to-rebuild-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-populations-end-illegal-fishing-but-ignoressharks-85899522599
World Wildlife Fund. Atlantic tuna commission sticks to science on bluefin tuna, fails to
protect sharks. http://wwf.panda.org/?212655/Atlantic-tuna-commission-sticks-to-science-on-bluefin-tuna-fails-to-protect-sharks
Urbina, Ian. A renegade trawler hunted for 10,000 miles by vigilantes. New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/world/a-renegade-trawler-hunted-for-10000-miles-by-vigilantes.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150728&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=y&_r=0
Kaiman, Jonthan. Pirate fishing’s toll means high stakes on the high seas. Los Angeles Times
http://amestrib.com/news/piratefishing-s-toll-means-high-stakes-high-seas
3. Discuss how GATT and the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules have affected national attempts to preserve species. What, if any, steps has the WTO taken to find compromises in conflicts between GATT rules and national laws to protect species?
4. Discuss the role of CITES and its “Appendices” in protecting wildlife diversity. What are the weaknesses of the protections that CITES provides? What factors have made CITES effective in protecting biodiversity
5. Select some wildlife “product” that is “trafficked” across national borders. Read publications such as those available on the Internet or from other sources to learn about how the trafficking of this wildlife product occurs and then discuss the current system(s) employed to detect and curb this illegal trade. Finally, discuss alternative ways that could improve upon these controls to protect the wildlife at issue.
6. Read about the disputes over the harvesting of whales in the book as well as other sources such as Internet publications including those listed below. What are the underlying reasons why these disputes have been so difficult to resolve? What role has the International Whaling Commission played? What compromises have been sought? How well have these attempts worked? What steps would you recommend to resolve this dispute?
Fackler, Martin. Uncertainty buffets Japan’s whaling fleet. New York Times [Internet]. 2010
May 15. www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/world/asia/16whaling.html?pagewanted=print
Associated Press. Greenpeace changes tactic on whaling in Japan. www.nbcnews.com
2008 Dec 9. www.nbcnews.com/id/28141932/#.UuH5yxDnY0M
Economist. Obduracy in the face of hypocrisy. 2003 Dec 30. www.economist.com/node/2313082
New York Times. Editorial: A non-ban on whaling. 2009 Jun 28.Available from: www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28sun3.html?pagewanted=print
Dellios, Hugh. Intrigue and politics in world of whaling. Japan is accused of buying votes of
poor nations like Nicaragua to promote its pro-hunting agenda. Chicago Tribune. www.chicagotribune.com/news/yahoo/chi-0412010247dec01,1,399820.story
Spencer, Leslie, Bollwerk, Jan, Morais, Richard C. The not so peaceful world of Greenpeace.
Forbes. http://luna.pos.to/whale/gen_art_green.html
New York Times. Editorial: A ruling to protect whales. 2014 Apr 1 www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/opinion/a-ruling-to-protect-whales.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140401&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=y&_r=0
- Research a species that crosses national boundaries and discuss how it is affected by international wildlife politics.
- Read background material such as that below (and others that you can locate) and discuss why ocean fish are especially difficult to protect and then discuss what measures could be taken to improve protections for them.
Greenberg, Paul. Tuna’s end. New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/magazine/27Tuna-t.html?th=&emc=th&page
wanted=prin
Pew Foundation. ICCAT takes positive action to rebuild Atlantic bluefin tuna populations,
end illegal fishing, but ignores sharks.
www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/press-releases/iccattakes-positive-action-to-rebuild-atlantic-bluefin-tuna-populations-end-illegal-fishing-but-ignoressharks-85899522599
World Wildlife Fund. Atlantic tuna commission sticks to science on bluefin tuna, fails to
protect sharks. http://wwf.panda.org/?212655/Atlantic-tuna-commission-sticks-to-science-on-bluefin-tuna-fails-to-protect-sharks
Urbina, Ian. A renegade trawler hunted for 10,000 miles by vigilantes. New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2015/07/28/world/a-renegade-trawler-hunted-for-10000-miles-by-vigilantes.html?emc=edit_tnt_20150728&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=y&_r=0
Kaiman, Jonthan. Pirate fishing’s toll means high stakes on the high seas. Los Angeles Times
http://amestrib.com/news/piratefishing-s-toll-means-high-stakes-high-seas
3. Discuss how GATT and the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules have affected national attempts to preserve species. What, if any, steps has the WTO taken to find compromises in conflicts between GATT rules and national laws to protect species?
4. Discuss the role of CITES and its “Appendices” in protecting wildlife diversity. What are the weaknesses of the protections that CITES provides? What factors have made CITES effective in protecting biodiversity
5. Select some wildlife “product” that is “trafficked” across national borders. Read publications such as those available on the Internet or from other sources to learn about how the trafficking of this wildlife product occurs and then discuss the current system(s) employed to detect and curb this illegal trade. Finally, discuss alternative ways that could improve upon these controls to protect the wildlife at issue.
6. Read about the disputes over the harvesting of whales in the book as well as other sources such as Internet publications including those listed below. What are the underlying reasons why these disputes have been so difficult to resolve? What role has the International Whaling Commission played? What compromises have been sought? How well have these attempts worked? What steps would you recommend to resolve this dispute?
Fackler, Martin. Uncertainty buffets Japan’s whaling fleet. New York Times [Internet]. 2010
May 15. www.nytimes.com/2010/05/16/world/asia/16whaling.html?pagewanted=print
Associated Press. Greenpeace changes tactic on whaling in Japan. www.nbcnews.com
2008 Dec 9. www.nbcnews.com/id/28141932/#.UuH5yxDnY0M
Economist. Obduracy in the face of hypocrisy. 2003 Dec 30. www.economist.com/node/2313082
New York Times. Editorial: A non-ban on whaling. 2009 Jun 28.Available from: www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/opinion/28sun3.html?pagewanted=print
Dellios, Hugh. Intrigue and politics in world of whaling. Japan is accused of buying votes of
poor nations like Nicaragua to promote its pro-hunting agenda. Chicago Tribune. www.chicagotribune.com/news/yahoo/chi-0412010247dec01,1,399820.story
Spencer, Leslie, Bollwerk, Jan, Morais, Richard C. The not so peaceful world of Greenpeace.
Forbes. http://luna.pos.to/whale/gen_art_green.html
New York Times. Editorial: A ruling to protect whales. 2014 Apr 1 www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/opinion/a-ruling-to-protect-whales.html?emc=edit_tnt_20140401&nlid=10365419&tntemail0=y&_r=0