Fortress conservation

Fortress conservation is a conservation model based on the belief that biodiversity protection is best achieved by creating protected areas where ecosystems can function in isolation from human disturbance.^[1]

An electric fence surrounding a conservation area in West Virginia

Economic aspects

Ecotourism money is argued to drive the eviction of indigenous people.

Poaching is a billion dollar industry that is sometimes organized by criminal gangs that prey on endangered species and, in 2018, 50 park rangers were killed globally.^[2] In response, conservation charities, the biggest of which is the World Wildlife Fund, have increasingly militarized the campaign against poaching.^[2] African Parks has been at the forefront of militarization with training from South African, French and Israeli military personnel.^[3] Veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have been recruited to teach forest rangers counterinsurgency techniques and ex–special forces operatives promote their services at wildlife conferences. This has often involved recruiting paramilitary groups who are then supplied with military grade weaponry.^[2]

Ecotourism

Main article: Ecotourism

Money generated from ecotourism has been a motivating factor driving indigenous inhabitants off the land.^[4][5] The organization African Parks, whose President is Prince Harry, has as its motto "a business approach to conservation" and had at its outset that tourism is its key in making their parks financially sustainable.^[6]

Carbon credits

Forests can be preserved for carbon offsets and credits that can be sold to companies to offset the carbon dioxide they produce. While there are national programs for this, it can be part of a voluntary market as well such as on the international market. Indigenous groups who live in such forests, such as in Peru, have alleged that it leads to abuses against them.^[7][8] Notably, the company Blue Carbon of the UAE has bought ownership over an area equivalent to the United Kingdom to be preserved in return for carbon credits.^[9]