This is a small book on a big subject. The subject of international treaties (such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention, the Bern Convention) may not sound gripping but it is important if one wants to understand why governments must behave in certain ways and can be brought to account if they do not. To understand why so many of us are worried that Brexit will lead, inevitably and in some ways deliberately, to a reduction in environmental protection, read this book.
The authors are a knowledgable bunch, having worked in this specialised area for some or most of their working lives – they are experts. And that comes through in the easy, accessible way in which they explain things in these pages. There are only 94 pages including references, a glossary and some good photographs, tables and graphs. The brevity is to be welcomed as it results from clear, concise paragraphs which explain and illustrate but don’t go on and on. I think a book twice the length would be half as good.
You would have to want to understand international treaties to buy this book – there aren’t really any other reasons for having it. I can imagine that it will be a valuable reference book for those who ever have to write essays on such matters and it will appeal to those who want really to get into the nuts and bolts of nature conservation policy.
The typeface is small – you need good eyes or good reading glasses. I cannot find another book within reach of me now, about 400 books in all, which has such small print.
International Treaties in Nature Conservation: a UK perspective by David A. Stroud, Ruth Cromie, Max Finlayson, Melissa Lewis, Taej Mundkur, Dave Pritchard, Chris Spray, Mark Tasker, Niall Tierney, Rachel Tierney and Jeremy Wilson is published by Biodiversity Press (tomorrow, 31 May).
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This sort of book can be a bit dry to read. However it sounds useful and one of which people wanting to protect nature should be aware so as to limit as far as ever possible the damage and destruction that the current Westminster Government will no doubt inflict on nature. It might be useful to Wild Justice.
I’m in the middle of reading “A Vanishing Kind” ,a book partly by and about John Wamsley in Australia.
He was in front of the game with rewilding and conserving native fauna and flora.
I’d like to see it reviewed here.
The front cover picture will upset some but sums up the problems of native wildlife in Australia.
Sorry if this has nothing to do with the above article (which I admit I haven’t read yet!) but I just wanted to get the book and John Wamsley out there.
I recently gave up on an interesting book because the font used was so small, even under a reading light. I assume the publishing company is staffed by the young! Very frustrating indeed.
Mark, your comment on the font size should be noted by other reviewers.
“the publishing company is staffed by the young”
Yes that would be the same bunch of sadistic nerds that develop the software applications for paying for parking via my mobile telephone
I bought this immediately because international treaties are something I know far too little about – I’ve used the outcomes for management planning, but really don’t know where it comes from -m it’s always struck me as something very difficult, crossing language & attitude barriers, so I’m really looking forward to finding out how it actually works – or doesn’t.