The Influence of Hidden Traps on the Decisions Made By Animal Rights Organisations and Sustainable Use Advocates

10 Pages Posted: 20 Feb 2018

Date Written: January 16, 2018

Abstract

In this paper I explore the relevance of The Hidden Traps in Decision Making to decisions made in wildlife conservation and management by Animal Rightists and advocates of Sustainable Use, treating the two diametrically opposed groups as persona. I argue that the Animal Rights groups have a great deal in common with political socialism insofaras they advocate strong government intervention in the (wildlife) economy. I liken them to ‘Big Men’ as described by Beinhocker and use his distinction between Big Man economies and market economies... in a Big Man economy, a business lives or dies by political favour: in a market-based economy, a business lives or dies by whether its customers like and are willing to pay for its products and services. The Animal Rightists lobby for CITES trade bans and this affects the viability of business and human livelihoods for those practising sustainable use. In examining the extent to which the two groups are vulnerable to the eight Hidden Traps, the Animal Rights groups are guilty of falling into most of them. Their flawed decisions have huge ramifications for devaluing the wildlife economy. Conservation is about land use and will not be successful if it ignores land use values: the pernicious influence of AR Big Men is to prevent society at large from developing an economy based on sustainable use of natural resources and to force people to adopt land use systems which are of lower economic value. Needless to say, conservation is the loser in such a process.

Keywords: Hidden Traps, Animal Rights, Sustainable Use

JEL Classification: A14, B52, Q01, Q27, Q28, Q57, Q58

Suggested Citation

Martin, Rowan, The Influence of Hidden Traps on the Decisions Made By Animal Rights Organisations and Sustainable Use Advocates (January 16, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3102846 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3102846

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