Making the Nēnē Matter: Valuing Life in Postwar Conservation.

Area of Science:

• Conservation Biology
• Environmental History
• Political Ecology

Background:

• Post-WWII conservation efforts aimed to establish new organizations.
• The nēnē (Hawaiian goose) faced extinction, prompting international intervention.
• Historical context reveals complex motivations behind conservation projects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To scrutinize the 1950s nēnē restoration project.
• To analyze how endangered species value is historically contingent.
• To explore the biopolitical dimensions of modern conservation.

Main Methods:

• Historical case study analysis of the nēnē restoration project.
• Examination of documents linking conservation to political and economic interests.
• Analysis of disputes surrounding the reintroduction of captive-bred geese.

Main Results:

• The nēnē project was motivated by organizational legitimacy and economic benefits (tourism, statehood).
• Valuation of the nēnē was complex, contradictory, and influenced by external interests.
• Transnational restoration efforts had unforeseen consequences for the species and project.

Conclusions:

• Modern conservation is inherently biopolitical, not solely driven by ecological need.
• The value assigned to endangered species is shaped by historical, social, and political factors.
• There is no direct path from a species being endangered to it being valued.