ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the most common characterisations of the threat posed by poaching and wildlife trafficking to human security, questioning the extent to which they reflect available evidence of the range of threats that play out on the ground. Increasing attention to the intersections between human security and environmental change has resulted from the realisation that environmental degradation affects the ability of people to meet their basic needs and to live well. Taking a human security approach, poverty is more than just a matter of economic deprivation. Many conservation agencies and supporters of military-style conservation point to the need for increased use of force in encounters with heavily armed poachers prepared to shoot to kill both animals and rangers that get in their way. In cases where poaching is an important part of subsistence or income-generating strategies for poorer communities, policymakers must provide alternatives that genuinely address the aspirations of communities, rather than simply providing income or employment opportunities.
