WILDS

Wildlife: Loss, Damage, & Sanctions

Illegal wildlife trade is a leading driver of biodiversity loss and causes many different types of harm. The WILDS Project, focuses on conceptualising this harm in order to seek legal remedies.  It proposes an alternative legal pathway to the weak fines and sanctions typically levered against the perpetrators of wildlife crimes.  It explores conservation litigation - the use of civil lawsuits to hold those responsible for illegal wildlife trade  liable for the harm they cause, and thus responsible for providing remedies (akin to the "polluter pays principle"). WILDS provides the conceptual, technical and legal clarity needed to enable the world’s first civil liability suit for illegal wildlife trade.

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The WILDS team is a diverse group of ecologists, lawyers, economists, communicators and activists - across many countries and sectors, with a particular focus on Indonesia. We actively invite new collaborators and co-authors.