Georgina Ferry interviews E. J. Milner-Gulland, Tasso Leventis Professor of Biodiversity, 26 January 2022.
Topics discussed include (00:00:24) E. J. M-G's early interest in science and conservation, undergraduate studies at Oxford, PhD in the wildlife trade; (00:02:30) work in Cambodia in collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society; (00:04:23) work on wild meat sustainability; (00:05:46) research programme in Asia, to understand the motivations of consumers in unsustainable wildlife use, including work on saiga antelope conservation; (00:13:10) transmission of disease through wild meat consumption, particularly Ebola; (00:15:15) emergence of COVID-19 in Wuhan, the narrative around wet markets and emergence of disease through the wildlife trade; (00:18:40) possible COVID-19 origins; (00:20:08) the response from conservation NGO's and animal welfare organisations, including a ban on the wildlife trade; (00:25:14) U.K. Government advice on the wildlife trade and wet markets, risks of disease, research papers including mitigation measures for COVID-19 and sustainable outcomes; (00:28:30) the impact of the pandemic on wildlife and the wildlife trade; (00:31:58) project funding; (00:33:17) collaborative research; (00:36:10) international mechanisms for improving conservation, wildlife and public health concerns; (00:37:42) pandemic preparedness in relation to conservation and the wildlife trade; (00:44:00) personal response to COVID-19; (00:44:40) working hours, community work, advisory roles; (00:46:00) reactive nature of COVID response work; (00:47:20) lack of ability to travel for work; (00:50:05) working remotely with teams internationally; (00:51:20) research questions of interest in the future; (00:51:45) work on 'Pledge for Our Future' website and Conservation Optimism; (00:56:54) changes to approach to work after the pandemic, remote working, reshaping Oxford as a global university.
