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This study attempts to understand how domestic CITES policies are translated into action and what effect actions and processes have on compliance. In doing so, this study provides insight into the implementation and enforcement pitfalls of national legislation that explain CITES violations in Nepal. Primarily, I used key informants interviews to learn opinions of experts, and the grounded theory approach for further qualitative data analysis. In addition, I used Najman’s (1995) policy implementation analysis framework to explain gaps. Many interrelated variables in the content of the policy, commitment and capacity of the agencies, the roles of clients and coalitions and contextual issues were observed. Variables that emerged suggest pitfalls in the regulatory policy represented by low probability of detection, arrest and punishment. Moreover, redistributive policies in buffer zones of protected areas are needed into perpetuity to benefit locals. Also, conservation organizations’ support for building public and political salience is imperative.

In the course of the 20th century the un-sustainability of international wildlife trade became apparent. European countries play a major role in wildlife trade. One third of total wildlife imports is destined to the EU which makes EU responsible for the protection of world wildlife and should motivate the EU to be a model in biodiversity protection. Regulation of wildlife trade in the EU is discussed in chapter 1. Trade in wildlife and its derivatives is among the most profitable branches of the international trade. Animals are traded in different forms. Birds are usually traded live (for the pet trade), mammals are traded for their fur, butterflies for their bodies, reptiles for their skins, the highest value is attained by trade in fish. In some categories (live birds, caviar) EU imports more than the rest of the world combined. The EU plays a major role as an importer in other categories as well. The magnitude, value and trends of international wildlife trade are discussed in chapter 2. Profitability of the wildlife trade, strong demand for some products and imperfect implementation of CITES result in the development of illegal trade. Illegal wildlife trade is dominated by organized criminal groups that also deal in drugs and human trafficking. Illegal wildlife trade is linked to severe risks and dangers to both the source country and the recipient. More on illegal wildlife trade in chapter 3. EU imports one third of all legally exported wildlife products. It is also the importer of a majority of illegal wildlife products. Having one of the highest standards of living and seeing that the care of environment cannot be limited by political borders, the author of this thesis concludes that it is logical and imperative that the EU engages in improvement of wildlife protection in less developed countries of the world. The last chapter deals with conservation of Cameroonian Dja Biosphere Reserve and with the attempt of large EU's environmental programs to improve conservation in Cameroon.

This thesis deals with legislation with the task of dealing with environmental crime in the area of illegal trading of flora and fauna in the Czech Republic. Of key importance for this thesis is the examination of domestic criminal legislation, it is supplemented by an excursion into related regulations of international law and European Union law. Introduce also the actual phenomenon of illegal trading of fauna and flora, its characteristic features, historical development, the articles most frequently traded, and other specific features that are typical of this type of illegal human activity. The theoretical bases of the thesis are enhanced by an examination of related practice in the form of practical examples, court rulings, and statistical data. Finally, this thesis also contains a few proposals for improving the existing legislation and raises some objections to practical application.

The non-game wildlife trade poses a risk to our natural landscape, natural heritage, economy, and security. Specifically, the trade in non-game reptiles and amphibians exploits native populations, and is likely not sustainable for many species. Exotic amphibian and reptile species pose risk of invasion and directly or indirectly alter the native landscape. The extent of non-game amphibian and reptile trade is not fully understood and is poorly documented. To quantitatively describe the trade in Texas, I solicited data from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Law Enforcement Management Information System (LEMIS) and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's (TPWD) non-game dealer permits. I surveyed amphibian and reptile pet owners, breeders, Internet sites, pet shops, and meat and seafood establishments by visits, electronic surveys, and observations. The trade in exotic species of amphibians and reptiles in the state of Texas was found to be popular in two ways; the importation of wildlife products and sale of live specimens for pets. Persisting in the pet trade were species known to be exotic, a problem made worse by lack of regulations governing the import, export, and keeping of exotic species. Trade in wild collected native species was primarily for export to foreign countries. Collection of turtles from the wild in Texas was heavy until 2008, when TPWD restricted collection to private waters. Collection of other species from the wild was minimal, with the exception of the Western Diamond-backed Rattlsnake (Crotalus atrox) for rattlesnake roundups. Native species were found to exist in the pet trade, but primarily as genetic color variants that do not occur in the wild, an indication that captive breeding may be relieving pressures on wild caught specimens. Minor changes in reporting requirements and permitting systems at the state and federal level would improve the management of exotic and native amphibians and reptiles that persist in the trade. Changes that include standardized taxonomic reporting requirements at state and federal level, streamlined permitting system for individuals wishing to collect from the wild in Texas, bag limits and seasons for wild collection, increased reporting requirements for owners of exotics, and enforcement of reporting errors would aid in management of exotic and native amphibians and reptiles in the trade.

This study provides a critical comparison of the leading strategies to mitigate illegal wildlife trade across Southeast Asia, designated in the paper as Enforcement and Awareness initiatives. The purpose of this comparison is to determine the differences and similarities of those initiatives regarding their respective approaches, effectiveness to tackle illegal wildlife trade and influential parameters. In the first part, the paper examines Enforcement and Awareness initiatives based on the initiatives’ underlying theories, literature and case studies. It reveals the presence of common characteristics summarised under four thematic points: (1) the complexity, (2) velocity, (3) adaptability and (4) scope of an initiative. In a second stage, the study provides an analysis of the empirical findings collected according to the thematic area previously presented. Evidence for this study was obtained from interviews and observations made in the context of an internship. Thanks to the thematic analysis, the paper approves the presence of specificities and similarities between Enforcement and Awareness initiatives and suggests the consideration of two parameters essential for the success of the initiatives: (1) the governmental authorities’ commitment to participate in the conduct of Enforcement or Awareness-related activities and (2) the involvement of non-governmental actors ensuring an efficient conduct.

Wildlife poaching is directly associated with illegal wildlife trade. Although poaching is recognized as a major threat to wildlife in India, it has not been analyzed quantitatively, because of a lack of data. Thus, the understanding of poaching or illegal wildlife trade and its true implications on conservation has not been considered by policymakers. The deficiency of data on poaching in the public domain also hampered scientific research on poaching. The lack of a scientific approach to analyze poaching creates a gap between reality and an effective solution to reduce its implications on wildlife conservation. Poaching has also been affected by fast economic development in India and the region, which has given rise to increased demand of wildlife. Protected areas, created to conserve wildlife, face pressure from poaching and demographic growth. Economic developments affect poaching and demographic changes and affect conservation.Analyzing this trend at the country and the global level can help predict future scenarios and develop effective strategies to reduce loss to biodiversity.We examined stakeholders' perspectives on wildlife policy development in India(Part 1) and analyzed poaching and other emerging threats to 3 different protected areas in India (Part 2). This analysis is based on the perceptions of the village communities living inside and on the fringe of the protected areas. We also conducted a temporal and spatial analysis of poaching in India from 1992-2006 (Part 3). This period sees the transformation of Indian economy following an economic liberalization process, which increased the development process. Finally, we analyzed the relationship between growth in the economy and wildlife conservation in India from a historical and statistical perspective(Part 4). This part also develops system feedback loop diagrams to determine possible10relationships between variables that are connected to conservation. The relationships are then assessed at the global level to understand the impact of economic growth on wildlife conservation and understand how it influences the endangered mammals and birds.

The issues raised in this thesis concern the adverse effects of EU's wildlife trade regulations, mainly the unequal treatment of captive and wild-born endangered animals. The nature of these regulations is analyzed from an animal law perspective. The purpose of the analysis is to determine whether the regulations are anthropocentric and, if so, what issues arise from it. Previous research has studied the legal personhood of animals in relation to animal welfare. This thesis continues that discussion by examining legal animal rights as a potential solution to the issues of wildlife trade. The analysis is pragmatic and employs a non-formalistic view of law. Consequentially, it uses a doctrinal and legal philosophical approach, meaning that sources outside of law are integral to the discussion. The results of the analysis show that EU’s wildlife trade regulations are anthropocentric and that this has led to severe issues regarding the welfare of endangered animals. In addition, the practical enforcement of the regulations has proven defective. Legal rights for animals seem to provide a viable solution to these issues, yet their practical implementation is complicated. The reasons for this are primarily financial and opinion-based. Therefore, a step-by-step approach, starting with limited fundamental rights and resulting in full legal personhood for animals, is recommended for this approach to be successful.

Contexte : Le commerce illégal d’espèces sauvages implique d’importants enjeux sociétaux, mais à ce jour peu d’études s’intéressent au commerce illégal de succulentes qui sont des plantes connues pour transformer l’eau en suc leur permettant ainsi de survivre dans des régions arides (ex. cactus, aloès, etc.). S’intéresser à ce commerce est d’autant plus crucial que la passion des consommateurs pour les succulentes ne cesse de croître, poussant alors certains à adopter des comportements illégaux. Le manque de contrôle de la part des autorités compétentes et l’adoption de ces comportements illégaux favorisent le développement d’un commerce illégal de succulentes. De plus, ce commerce s’est numérisé, posant donc de nouveaux enjeux liés à l’utilisation des nouvelles technologies. Ainsi, le mémoire vise à comprendre le choix des consommateurs à importer illégalement des succulentes à l’aide de plateformes numériques. Méthodologie : Les données analysées sont issues de 14 entrevues semi-dirigées menées auprès de consommateurs ayant importé au moins une fois illégalement une succulente à l’aide d’une plateforme de commerce en ligne. Durant les entrevues, plusieurs thèmes ont été abordés tels que le contexte d’achat, les connaissances des participants concernant les lois et enjeux environnementaux et leur perception vis-à-vis de leur comportement. Résultats : Les consommateurs sont initialement motivés à importer illégalement des succulentes au nom de leur passion et/ou pour des raisons économiques. Le marché illégal de succulentes en ligne représente alors une véritable opportunité pour eux de le faire, puisqu’ils considèrent que les succulentes y sont facilement accessibles, diversifiées et à des prix concurrentiels. Parallèlement, les risques de se faire appréhender par les autorités ou de se faire frauder sont perçus comme faibles. En revanche, ces derniers naviguent dans une zone grise alimentée par leur manque de connaissances concernant le processus légal ainsi que par l’asymétrie d’information du marché. Cette dernière les empêche alors de bien évaluer la source du produit et les risques associés. Face à cette incertitude, les consommateurs recourent à plusieurs justifications permettant de se persuader, mais également de convaincre autrui que leurs comportements sont acceptables. Implications : Ce mémoire fournit une meilleure compréhension du comportement illégal des consommateurs de succulentes, puisqu’il apporte à la fois des explications théoriques et empiriques afin de comprendre ce phénomène. Finalement, cette étude offre des pistes d’interventions intéressantes à l’élaboration de campagnes d’éducation et de sensibilisation visant la réduction de cette demande qui suscite d’important risques environnementaux. / Context: The Illegal wildlife trade (IWT) raises important environmental issues. However, up to now, few studies have focused on the illegal trade in succulents. Succulents correspond to a type of plant which are known for transforming water into juice, enabling them to survive in arid or semi-arid regions. Furthermore, consumers' passion for these plants is growing all the time. But this passion leads some individuals to engage in illegal behaviour. The lack of control by the competent authorities and the adoption of these illegal behaviours encourage the development of an illegal trade in succulents. What's more, this trade has gone online, raising new issues linked to the use of new technologies. This master’s thesis aims to understand consumers' choice to import succulents illegally using digital platforms. Methods: The data analyzed come from 14 semi-structured interviews conducted with succulent consumers who had illegally imported a succulent at least once using an online trading platform. During the interviews, several themes were addressed, such as the purchasing context, participants' knowledge of trade laws and environmental issues, and their perception of their behavior. Results: Consumers are initially motivated to illegally import succulents in the name of their passion and/or for economic reasons. The illegal online succulent market then represents a real opportunity for them to do it. Indeed, they consider succulents to be easily accessible, diversified and competitively priced. At the same time, the risk of being caught by the authorities or defrauded is perceived as low. However, consumers navigate in a grey zone fuelled by their lack of knowledge of the legal process and the asymmetry of market information. The latter prevents them from properly assessing the source of the product and the associated risks. Faced with this uncertainty, consumers use several justifications to persuade themselves and others that their behaviors are acceptable. Implications: This master’s thesis provides a better understanding of the illegal behaviour of passionate succulent consumers, since it offers both theoretical and empirical explanations for this phenomenon. Finally, this research offers interesting avenues of intervention for the development of education and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing this demand, which gives rise to significant environmental risks.

Os Passeriformes compõem a maior ordem de aves do mundo. No Brasil, representam 55,52%, sendo os animais mais envolvidos no tráfico da fauna silvestre. Só no município de São Paulo são registradas aproximadamente 150 espécies. Embora componham um grupo importante e bem representativo, pouco se sabe sobre as causas de morbidade e mortalidade de Passeriformes de vida livre da fauna nacional. O presente estudo teve como objetivo identificar, caracterizar e comparar as causas de morte de Passeriformes de vida livre residentes na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo e Passeriformes oriundos do tráfico apreendidos na mesma localidade. Foram estudadas 149 aves, sendo 42,3% de vida livre e 57,7% oriundas do tráfico. As causas de morte nas aves provenientes de tráfico e de vida livre foram respectivamente iguais a 51,17% e 24,42% decorrentes a processos infecciosos; 34,92% e 42,86% a processos não infecciosos; 10,46% e 12,70% à suspeita de processos infecciosos e 13,95% e 9,52% à causas indeterminadas. Óbitos devido a processos infecciosos foram os mais predominantes entre os animais de tráfico, caracterizados principalmente por infecções mistas por agentes bacterianos e fúngicos, enquanto os processos não infecciosos, principalmente traumatismos, se destacaram entre aqueles de vida livre. Os resultados obtidos permitem atuar como importante ferramenta auxiliando e direcionando o atendimento clínico, diagnóstico e tratamento, além de gerar informações que contribuam com os programas de conservação in situ, como as solturas, hoje amplamente realizadas e ainda muito controversas. / Passeriformes are the largest and most diverse avian order in the world. In Brazil, they are around 55,52% and most aimed in the illegal wildlife trade. There are 150 species in São Paulo city and surroundings. Although passerines are an important and very representative group, morbidity and mortality of brazilian free-living birds are unknown. The goal of this work was to identify, characterize and compare the causes of death of free-living Passeriformes in the São Paulo Metropolitan area and those from illegal wildlife trade in the same area. In the total of 149 birds studied, 42,3% was free-living and 57,7% from illegal trade. The causes of death of passerines from illegal wildlife trade and free-living are: infectious diseases (respectively, 51,17% and 24,42%); non-infectious diseases (34,92% and 42,86%); suspicious infeccious diseases (10,46% and 12,70%) and indeterminate causes (13,95% and 9,52%). Deaths due to infectious diseases were the majority among birds of illegal trade, mainly concomitant bacterial and fungic infections, while non-infectious diseases, specially trauma, were more predominant among the free-living ones. Obtained results play as an important tool helping and guiding clinic assistance, diagnosis and treatment, besides to contribute with conservation programs in situ, like releases, that are very frequent nowdays, but they are still controversial.