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Traditional Bird Trader Families: Towards a New Approach

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Green Crime in Mexico

Part of the book series: Palgrave Studies in Green Criminology ((PSGC))

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Abstract

In Mexico, there is an important group of people who have historically kept birds in their homes and in cages to enjoy the birds singing. In this essay, I review and discuss the subject of capture, care, and legal sale of live birds within the framework of green criminology and present some elements and problems this trade faces based on research consisting of 75 interviews with aviaries and public officials as well as an ethnographic immersion in 22 locations in eight states in Mexico. The traditional use of birds, allowed through a system of subsistence permits, guarantees the human rights of the people who participate in this activity. However, as with other issues related to the use of wildlife, the use of birds continues to be a controversial issue. It is essential to promote a fair debate to ensure a constructive understanding between all the actors involved.

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Acknowledgments

The author acknowledges the aid of PhD and post-doctorate advisors Ileana Espejel, Victor M. Toledo, Nelly Calderón de la Barca, Claudia Leyva Aguilera, and Xavier López Medellín. Special acknowledgments are given to the leaders of pajarero trade unions and to all the families of the pajareros that offered their hospitality, their willingness to collaborate, and their time for interviews to share their knowledge. Special thanks to Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), where the author completed her PhD.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Mazatlán, Mexico

    Blanca Roldán-Clarà

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  1. Blanca Roldán-Clarà
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Regional de Investigaciones Multidisciplinarias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    Ines Arroyo-Quiroz

  2. Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

    Tanya Wyatt

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Roldán-Clarà, B. (2018). Traditional Bird Trader Families: Towards a New Approach. In: Arroyo-Quiroz, I., Wyatt, T. (eds) Green Crime in Mexico. Palgrave Studies in Green Criminology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75286-0_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75286-0_11

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-75285-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-75286-0

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