The University has congratulated former Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology (DICE) PhD student Amy Hinsley on the publication of her research paper on orchid smuggling.
The research identified that orchid growers had very negative views of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), and that those with more knowledge of CITES were more likely to break the rules set out in the Convention.
Amy Hinsley’s research, published in a paper entitled Estimating the Extent of CITES Noncompliance among Traders and End-Consumers; Lessons from the Global Orchid Trade, was conducted at Kent under the supervision of Dr David Roberts and is published in the journal Conservation Letters.
The international wildlife trade is a lucrative market involving thousands of species. CITES regulates trade in over 35,000 species, over 70% of which are orchids. The researcher surveyed orchid growers on their knowledge and opinions of, and compliance with, CITES.
The research recommended targeted enforcement, focusing on both online trade and at the point of import, coupled with efforts to encourage traders and end-consumers to engage with discussions on CITES rule implementation.
DICE, which is part of the University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, is the largest academic institute dedicated to conservation in the UK. It has a long tradition of high-quality research among its members which makes for a strong research culture and a buoyant postgraduate community. The breadth of expertise within DICE enables it to provide research supervision on a very wide range of topics across the full spectrum of the disciplines of conservation biology, conservation social science, biodiversity management, sustainable tourism and sustainable resource use.
To discuss research opportunities with Dr David Roberts, please contact him by email.