Tragedy of the Commons
A phrase coined by Garrett Hardin, this involves a situation where many individuals, when acting independently based on a cost-benefit analysis will choose to act out of their personal self-interest, resulting in the eventual depletion of the shared finite resource. This situation occurs despite it not being in the long-term interest of these individuals. This theory explains two aspects of the situation that the pangolins are facing now.
1. Tragedy of the commons describes the situation directly when taking into account the hunting of these Asiatic pangolins.
2. Tragedy of the commons describes the situation indirectly when taking into account the rapid urbanisation and the destruction of the pangolins’ natural habitats.
Asian pangolins are trafficked illegally in large volumes, with China being the largest source of demand for these scaly mammals. As scarcity increases the price of these animals, the rise in price increases the appeal for increased poaching activities in Southeast. The perceived benefit, in the form of increased profits, provides these poachers and illegal wildlife traders with little incentive to limit or even end these illegal wildlife trade activities. This is due to the perceived individual benefit is far larger than the perceived costs involved as the costs is divided across the large number of individuals involved in the illegal wildlife trade.
On an individual scale, these poachers and traders may not fully comprehend the damage that they are contributing to when they hunt/poach these animals. However, when this translates to a global level, the pangolin is the largest illegally traded mammal and this results in a cause for concern as some species of the Asian Pangolins are critically endangered.
Human activities such as deforestation for development of properties, expansion of human activity area, logging of forest to obtain natural resources and environmental pollution damage and destroy the habitats of Asian pangolins. These human activities are occur as humans tend to rationalise their own self-interest and needs before further considering the impacts that these actions have on the environment and discounting the shared costs of a loss of biodiversity as they place more emphasis on the benefit gained over the divided costs which is shared amongst many stakeholders and individuals.
Routine Activities Theory
This theory, proposed by Marcus Felson and Lawrence E. Cohen, provides an environmental, place-based explanation of crime, where the behavioral patterns and intersections of people in time and space influence when and where crimes occur. Substantial financial incentives alongside a lack of robust enforcement and punishments by the authorities and officials can motivate individuals to carry out these offences. This may explain why Asian pangolins are still highly poached and the pangolin products still being highly trafficked worldwide. A breakdown in authorities’ ability to carry out proper enforcement in Southeast Asia can drive individuals towards poaching and trafficking pangolins.