To ban or not to ban, seeking the middle path: a response to Gilardi

RABINOVICH, J. E.

ORYX

Año: 2006 vol. 40 p. 3 - 4

0030-6053

In the January Forum, Gilardi (Oryx, 40, 24–26) and Roe(Oryx, 40, 27–28) added valuable observations to thearticle by Cooney & Jepson (Oryx, 40, 18–23) on therelationship between blanket bans and biodiversityconservation. However, in my opinion, neither focusesadequately on the issue from the perspective of thosedeveloping countries that struggle to simultaneouslyconserve biodiversity and overcome their burden ofpoverty and underdevelopment. Neither author fullyrecognizes the difficulties such countries face in tryingto avoid the classic confrontation between reckless business and fundamentalist conservation approaches,or the efforts they make to maintain the delicate balancebetween development and sustainability. While Roedoes not, perhaps, fully acknowledge the existence ofthe tension, Gilardi’s response clearly illustrates theconflations, confusions, and misconceptions that faceand frustrate such countries, much to the detriment ofeffective conservation.