Economics of migrating birds: Market creation for the protection of migratory birds in the inner Niger delta (Mali)

This article contributes to the discussion of protecting migratory birds from the perspective of economic efficiency. So far, most conservation measures are implemented in developed rather than developing countries where migratory birds reside during the wintertime. Economic rationality, however, would call for interventions at all locations along the migration route, and focus on places offering the highest cost efficiency. This study develops a conceptual framework to determine the economic feasibility of an international market for migratory bird protection. The argument is that migratory birds can be protected at a much lower cost in West Africa than in Western Europe. Moreover, a contingent valuation survey among Dutch citizens proves that taxpayers who indirectly pay for the conservation measures also support the protection of migratory birds in their wintering areas in African countries for about the same amount as in the Netherlands. The results of the study justify the creation of an international market for migratory bird protection in which biodiversity services are supplied by West African communities to beneficiaries in Western Europe. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC