By Richard B. Primack
“The most constant phenomenon when men or women come together is talking.” Henry David Thoreau in his Journal.
The International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) brought together over 1200 scientists, managers, and students from 91 countries at its 31st biennial meeting held in Kigali, Rwanda this summer. Notably, this was just the second time the ICCB meeting has been held in Africa. Of the attendees, 41% were from African countries, with large contingents from Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Cameroon.
 |
| Figure 1. The modern conference center lit up at night. |
 |
| Figure 2. A high proportion of the attendees were from Africa. |
Many international conservation organizations and universities—including the Wildlife Conservation Society, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, and Jane Goodall Institute—made unprecedented efforts to ensure that their African staff members were able to attend, participate, and present their work at the meeting.
 |
| Figure 3: The Wildlife Conservation Society brought their African staff members to the conference. |
 |
| Figure 4: At the meeting, Johnny Wilson, Eric Nana, and I had a table where we told people about the upcoming second edition of the book, “Conservation Biology for Sub-Saharan Africa” and the new French edition. |
Many of the symposia at the ICCB meeting focused on the conservation and management of wildlife in protected areas, especially protected areas in Africa, and emphasized the human context of this work including the legacy of colonialism and the role of collaborative conservation.
Another symposium was devoted to the illegal bushmeat trade, which is decimating wildlife populations across much of Africa. Speakers described efforts to provide alternative employment for market traders, publicize the value of consuming domestically raised meat instead of bushmeat, and change laws to allow the police to regulate, control, and eventually reduce the movement of bushmeat.
No comments:
Post a Comment