Whales as Political Subjects: Wildlife Conservation in Coastal Ecuador

Abstract

This paper examines the policies for whale conservation in the Republic of Ecuador, identifying anthropomorphism and biopolitics as the political practices which transform nonhuman animals into political subjects. Since 2008, the Republic of Ecuador has enshrined the Rights of Nature in its constitution, but the implementation of nature conservation policies brings conflict between stakeholders and conservation managers. On the coast of Ecuador, politics of wildlife conservation involves negotiation between government ministries and various stakeholders: environmental NGOs, ecotourism enterprises, and fishing fleets. Although ecosystem health is measured by the abundance of individual species, the conservation of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Ecuador has involved the political use of anthropomorphism, the portrayal of animals as having human-like characteristics and social relations analogous to those of humans. Turning to the case study in the municipality of Puerto López, anthropomorphic discourse has emerged through a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism, environmental NGOs, ecotourist businesses, and the municipal government. Through this case study, it is argued that whales have been ontologically transformed into political subjects through Ecuadorian practices of governance, but nevertheless they remain trapped in an anthropocentric paradigm. The study concludes with suggestions for a more fundamental transformation of the political subjecthood of nonhuman animals in the interest of conservation policies.