Killing Game: International Law and the African Elephant

In 1989 the international community banned the international trade in elephant ivory; three years later the ban was renewed. Dr. Harland believes the ivory ban is the most controversial--and most misunderstood--piece of international wildlife law ever made. His book, Killing Game, seeks to unravel some of the misunderstandings, and it attempts to determine if international law can be an effective tool for the conservation of wildlife and if international law has served the African elephant well.

Part I is an extended investigation of how and why international law is used so badly by the conservation community, and how it could be used better. Here Dr. Harland focuses on the problem of which laws are complied with and which are not; in the process he shows the importance of factors of compliance in determining the degree to which laws will be followed. In Part II he examines the status of the African elephant in international law in light of these factors. This book will be of interest to those involved in formulating international law, as well as the conservation community in general.