Musical instruments are essential to musical traditions around the world and are often made from protected wood species. The international timber trade threatens the survival of some of these species, as evidenced by their inclusion in the UN Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES regulations can have a significant impact on traditions in musical instrument making through their influence on the timber trade. This has recently become apparent, for example, in the case of the wood species pernambuco (Paubrasilia echinata), which has become world-famous for its use in violin and cello bows.
In international negotiations on trade in protected timber species, it is crucial to consider and coordinate the protection of species and musical traditions beyond trade regulations. The publication presents new socio-ecological ways to overcome these challenges and reconcile the conflicting interests of the groups involved between species protection and cultural preservation.
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