Human need in rural developing areas: perceptions of wildlife conservationexperts

'Sustainable use' and 'community-based conservation' are two contemporary c oncepts in wildlife conservation policy. Their rise represents a shift away from traditional conservation techniques, and a merging of narratives abou t conservation and development. While policy statements by major conservati on organisations emphasise the necessity of the shift, evidence to date sug gests that, in practice, implementation of these concepts has been limited. This paper considers the extent to which sustainable use and community-base d conservation have been accepted (or not) by a specific group of conservat ion experts, and what this level of acceptance implies for conservation in practice. Based on in-depth interviews with experts in marine turtle biolog y and/or conservation policy the paper considers the willingness and abilit y of such experts to incorporate human development needs and issues into co nservation activities. The suitability of conservation organisations as pro moters of rural development, and implications of their further involvement as such, are discussed.