Crimes Against Biodiversity: A Framework for Addressing Ecological Harm

Presented by Dr Stefanie Fishel (University of Sunshine Coast) 

Given the urgency of the global biodiversity crisis, member states of the United Nations need to develop and adopt a new statute of international criminal law: Crimes Against Biodiversity. This project aims to develop an understanding and description of this crime, along with proposals to legislate, investigate and prosecute such crimes in practice. It aims to establish the key elements of the crime and develops a legal, governance and philosophical framework as a tool for the protection of biodiversity.

Stefanie Fishel is a Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at the University of the Sunshine Coast. Her research engages political ecology and environmental humanities, using feminist approaches to theorize biodiversity and earth system governance. She is co-author of “Planet Politics’ in Millennium: Journal of International Studies. Dr. Fishel’s book, The Microbial State: Global Thriving and the Body Politic, is available through the University of Minnesota Press.