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The International Politics of Bird Conservation: Biodiversity, Regionalism and Global Governance

The International Politics of Bird Conservation: Biodiversity, Regionalism and Global Governance.—Robert Boardman. 2006. Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, Massachusetts. x + 265 pp. ISBN 1 84542 403 4. Hardcover, $110.00.—Robert Boardman, McCulloch Professor of Political Science at Dalhousie University, approaches bird conservation from the perspective of a political historian rather than that of an ornithologist or practicing conservation biologist. His book’s eight chapters are wide-ranging, covering the history of bird conservation on all continents and discussing awide variety of avian conservation issues.Thismaterial is used by the author to delve deeply into the causes of, and possible solutions for, our most pressing conservation problems. After the first chapter (“Framing Birds”), which is somewhat difficult to follow, the second chapter (“The Biodiversity Project”) addresses topics in bird ecology and conservation—especially interactions between birds and people—that are referred to later in the book. Boardman discusses the origins of bird conservation, describing 1870–1970 as the “early years.” He includes events and developments around the world while emphasizing those in the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America. He then discusses three trends that became prominent in the 1970s: international conventions (e.g., CITES, RAMSAR), the environmental movement, and the rise of national and international bird-conservation groups. The chapter ends with a discussion of why controversies arise over bird conservation.The author focuses on the diversity of the organizations usually involved and on the political differences among them. Here, as elsewhere in the book, Broadman’s expertise in political science lets him identify underlying causes of conflict that may not be apparent to biologists. The next two chapters discuss bird conservation in North America and Europe. Boardman discusses bird conservation in North America using four themes: migratory birds; species at risk; trade liberalization, especially under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA); and what he calls “multi-actor/multilevel linkages.” His comments on the first two will be familiar to most biologists, but his emphasis on NAFTA may be surprising