Framing the Songbird Trade : A Comparison of How Global Experts and Local Actors inTürkiye Frame Illegal Songbird Trade

Sammanfattning

One of the main causes of the loss of biodiversity in the world is the illegal wildlife trade. The "Silent Forest" syndrome is an ecological catastrophe brought on by the overexploitation of songbirds. This illegal trade has moved more and more to online platforms in recent years, developing into a sophisticated network of cybercrime. Traditional macro-level interventions often fail because they ignore the micro-level socio-cultural incentives driving local demand, even in the face of improved international regulations and digital monitoring. In order to close this gap, this study examines illegal wildlife crime and its associated cybercrimes. This qualitative study compares how various stakeholders understand the issue using social construction theory. The study looks at how different groups describe the problem, its causes, its morality, and its potential solutions via the prism of social construction theory. By allowing a systematic comparison of how local actors and international experts define the same environmental crime through various socio-cultural and experiential circumstances, this theoretical lens directly supports the study's goal and research questions. The data was gathered through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 global wildlife experts and 8 male bird enthusiasts in Türkiye. The results show a significant ontological gap between the two groups. The songbird trade is framed by international experts as an ecological disaster, an animal welfare issue, and a cybercrime risk brought on by insufficient regulation and economic desperation. On the other hand, local Turkish actors see the same issue as the decline of traditional master-apprentice birdkeeping culture, tainted by ignorant, self-serving opportunists who take advantage of the anonymity of the internet. In order to defend their conduct, local actors also use neutralization strategies, portraying the capture of wild birds as a moral obligation based on aesthetic appreciation and care. The study concludes that going beyond technological surveillance and prohibitionist measures is necessary for preventing the cyber-enabled songbird trade. International conservation initiatives must be in line with local sociological realities by including behavior-change tactics adapted to the cultural narratives of particular target groups.