Using Peoples’ Perceptions to Improve Conservation Programs: The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Venezuela

Sánchez-Mercado, Ada; Blanco, Oriana; Sucre-Smith, Bibiana; Briceño-Linares, José Manuel; Peláez, Carlos; Rodríguez, Jon Paul

doi:10.3390/d12090342

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Using Peoples’ Perceptions to Improve Conservation Programs: The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Venezuela

Ada Sánchez-Mercado

^1,2,*

Oriana Blanco

¹,

Bibiana Sucre-Smith

¹,

José Manuel Briceño-Linares

¹,

Carlos Peláez

¹ and

Jon Paul Rodríguez

^1,3,4

Provita, Calle La Joya, Edificio Unidad Técnica del Este, Piso 10, Oficina 30, Chacao, Caracas 1060, Venezuela

School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia

Centro de Ecología, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Apdo. 20632, Caracas 1020-A, Venezuela

⁴

IUCN Species Survival Commission, 28 rue Mauverney, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Diversity 2020, 12(9), 342; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12090342

Received: 31 July 2020 / Revised: 28 August 2020 / Accepted: 29 August 2020 / Published: 5 September 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Conservation of Parrots in Their Native and Non-Native Ranges)

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Abstract

The perceptions and attitudes of local communities help understand the social drivers of unsustainable wildlife use and the social acceptability of conservation programs. We evaluated the social context influencing illegal harvesting of the threatened yellow-shouldered Amazon (Amazona barbadensis) and the effectiveness of a longstanding conservation program in the Macanao Peninsula, Margarita Island, Venezuela. We interviewed 496 people from three communities and documented their perceptions about (1) status and the impact of threats to parrot populations, (2) acceptability of the conservation program, and (3) social processes influencing unsustainable parrot use. Approval of the program was high, but it failed to engage communities despite their high conservation awareness and positive attitudes towards the species. People identified unsustainable use as the main threat to parrots, but negative perceptions were limited to selling, not harvesting or keeping. Harvesters with different motivations (keepers, sellers) may occur in Macanao, and social acceptability of both actors may differ. Future efforts will require a stakeholder engagement strategy to manage conflicts and incentives to participation. A better understanding of different categories of harvesters, as well as their motives and role in the illegal trade network would provide insights to the design of a behavior change campaign. View Full-Text

Keywords: conservation management; conservation threats; drivers of extinction; illegal wildlife trade; parrot conservation; Psittacidae conservation; threatened species; unsustainable use of wildlife

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sánchez-Mercado, A.; Blanco, O.; Sucre-Smith, B.; Briceño-Linares, J.M.; Peláez, C.; Rodríguez, J.P. Using Peoples’ Perceptions to Improve Conservation Programs: The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Venezuela. Diversity 2020, 12, 342. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12090342

AMA Style

Sánchez-Mercado A, Blanco O, Sucre-Smith B, Briceño-Linares JM, Peláez C, Rodríguez JP. Using Peoples’ Perceptions to Improve Conservation Programs: The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Venezuela. Diversity. 2020; 12(9):342. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12090342

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sánchez-Mercado, Ada, Oriana Blanco, Bibiana Sucre-Smith, José M. Briceño-Linares, Carlos Peláez, and Jon P. Rodríguez. 2020. "Using Peoples’ Perceptions to Improve Conservation Programs: The Yellow-Shouldered Amazon in Venezuela" Diversity 12, no. 9: 342. https://doi.org/10.3390/d12090342

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