Focusing on islands and protected areas, we seek to examine biodiversity conservation programs' cultural and political dimensions by addressing these questions:
- How can science-for-policy solutions in the field of biodiversity protection be developed from a social sciences perspective?
- How do animal mobilities (translocation, assisted migration, invasive species, etc.) challenge the paradigm of nature conservation based on bounded territorial models?
- How is the same species conceived differently by stakeholders involved in human-animal relations?

Keywords: Anthropology of conservation; Human-animal studies (HAS); Political ecology

Relevant publications:
• Pons-Raga, F. [in peer-review]. "Pets and Pests? Framing human-cat moral ecologies in the Canary Islands, Spain". Journal of Contemporary Ethnography.
• Pons-Raga, F. 2024. "A political ecology of shifting commons in the Pyrenees: Shepherds on the edge of production and amenity-based capitalism after the reintroduction of bears". Journal of Political Ecology. https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.5864.
• Pons-Raga, F.; Ferrer, Ll.; Beltran, O.; and I. Vaccaro. 2021. "When the State imposes the 'commons'. Pastoralism after the reintroduction of the brown bear in the Pyrenees". Conservation & Society 19(2): 101-110. https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs_20_112.
• Alonso González, P. 2013. Cultural Parks and National Heritage Areas: Assembling Cultural Heritage, Development and Spatial Planning. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle

Anthropology and ethnology
Biogeography
Conservation Biology
Ecology
Ethnobiology
Landscape ecology
Sociology of Science and Technology
Sociology of the Environment
Veterinary science

Cultural Dimensions and the Political Ecology of Biodiversity Conservation on Islands.

We propose two potential and transversal lines of action, one focusing on conservation in protected areas, and another on islands, with both themes potentially intertwined.

Our project seeks to engage with the cultural and political dimensions of biodiversity conservation with a specific geographical focus on islands and/or protected areas. Under the aegis of climate change, island habitats are more sensitive to the overarching socio-ecological changes we are currently facing. Islands often have unique ecosystems and cultural practices, making them critical areas for biodiversity conservation. This is especially so when we examine the effects assisted migration, wildlife translocation, and the arrival of alien invasive species have on protected and endemic species.
By understanding how cultural values, practices, and beliefs shape human interactions with animals, the project seeks to develop culturally appropriate conservation strategies that promote coexistence and biodiversity preservation. By exploring how the politics and power relations unfold among different stakeholders, the project seeks to understand the social conflicts that may hamper biodiversity conservation efforts. The aim is to offer societal solutions for biodiversity conservation problems and to enhance the potential of biodiversity conservation for societal benefit.

anthropology of conservation, biodiversity conservation, climate change, endemic/invasive species, human-animal studies (has), human-wildlife conflicts, social sciences, political ecology, socio-environmental conflicts

- 18th EASA (European Association of Social Anthropologists) 2024; Barcelona, 23-26th of July.
- Pathways Europe 2024: Human Dimensions of Wildlife Conference; Córdoba (Spain), 13-16th of October.