Nature Crime

In this impressively researched, alarming book, Rosaleen Duffy investigates the world of nature conservation, arguing that the West's attitude to endangered wildlife is shallow, self-contradictory and ultimately very damaging. Analysing the workings of the black-market wildlife industry, Duffy points out that illegal trading is often the direct result of Western consumer desires, from coltan for cellular phones to exotic meats sold to Londoners. She looks at the role of ecotourism, showing how Western travellers contribute – often unwittingly – to the destruction of natural environments. Most strikingly, she argues that the imperatives of Western-style conservation often result in serious injustice to local people, who are branded as 'problems' and subject to severe restrictions on their way of life and even extrajudicial killings.