Private Conservation Examined

The private sector can complement conservation activities by the public sector, both by adding to the resources for biodiversity conservation and by freeing up government resources for other purposes.

However, arrangements such as wildlife legislation, land tenure and the limited application of the competitive neutrality framework to wildlife sanctuaries can restrict the scope for private firms to conserve biodiversity.

These are among the findings of a Staff Research Paper, Private Conservation of Biodiversity: A Case Study of Earth Sanctuaries Ltd, which examines the activities and operations of the first publicly listed company in Australia with wildlife conservation as its primary goal.

All Australian jurisdictions have legislation restricting trade in, and the property rights to, native species which impacts significantly on private sector conservation activities. There also does not appear to be a consistent and coordinated approach across jurisdictions towards private conservation, amplifying uncertainty for organisations which operate in several jurisdictions.

The Commission's paper will be included in a forthcoming international report by the OECD/World Bank on creating markets for biodiversity.