16: Sustainable use of wildlife (conservation hunting) Flashcards
Example of hunting as a social-cultural activity
Fox hunting
- control foxes as livestock/poultry pests
- killing was replaced by thrill of the chase
Is hunting acceptable or offensive?
When a wildlife population is threatened, deliberate killing of individuals seems perverse
Some argue well-related hunting benefits wildlife populations, and may be the only way to ensure their persistence
Success stories of conservation measures with substantial regulated harvests
Beaver, white-tailed deer, wild turkey
Is fox hunting cruelty?
Hunters say fox is either killed relatively quickly or escapes uninjured
3,000 foxes/year
Hunt supporters say it is more humane to kill foxes than allow them to suffer malnourishment and mange
What are the three social benchmarks for judging extractive use
- Leopold criteria (does it promote biodiv)
- Time frame (sustainable out to at least 5 future gens)
- Social acceptability (acceptable to a reasonable portion of the public?)
What are the cornerstones of consumptive wildlife use in North America***
- Public ownership and access to wildlife
- No market for wild-killed game
- Regulation of harvest within constraints of conservation
- Wildlife is not allocated on social status or wealth
- Sustainable use; management & data
What is the egg of sustainability
People are part of the ecosystem: stressed and benefits flow both ways
What is the happy planet index
Experienced wellbeing x life expectancy of a country divided by ecological footprint
What was contemporary conservation related to hunting
19th century colonial sports hunting
but hunters alarmed at unregulated destruction of game habitats and populations
Establishment of parks and reserves in the US
What is modern conservation
Reducing extinction risks, maintaining essential ecological processes, sustainable use of species and ecosystems
What is sport hunting
Primarily for leisure (thrill of chase)
Commercial element - hunters willing to pay for it (guns, boats, outfitting)
Subsistence element - kill for food
Cultural and spiritual importance for some people
How can sport hunting benefit local communities?
Local employment, traditional skills, meat donation, outfitting
Social and biological problems with shooting farms
Bad image, disease, habitat fragmentation
Four case studies
- Botswama Safari hunting
- Yukon Wood Bison Community Development
- Fenced elk harvest
- Nunavut polar bear harvest quotas
The question of ‘is hunting acceptable’ needs to deal with whether… and not…
Whether hunting can aid wildlife at the population level, and not with the important but different question of whether hunting has welfare implications for individual animals
What is the Alberta Land and Wildlife Stewardship Project?
develop recommendations for wildlife management programs in AB that:
- enhance + values of wildlife to private landowners
- provide incentives and rewards to private landowners for wildlife on their lands
Potential direct and indirect negative effects of wildlife watching
Direct: feeding patterns, social structure (e.g. mother abandons cub), communication (e.g. noise pollution in whales)
Indirect: species introductions, roads/facilities, pollution
How is hunting beneficial in controlling bison numbers
Bison compete with moose and woodland caribou for habitat and food
Growing at fast rate so harvest some to slow down rate
Change predator-prey relationships
How many polar bears killed each year? What percent killed by Inuit hunters? How much do polar bear tags cost? How much does a polar bear hunt cost?
Around 480
85-95% killed by inuit
tags cost $1400
hunt costs $20,000-80,000
How do polar bear hunts benefit local people?
Must be guided by inuit (outfitters), meat stays in community
54% of money goes to guides, helpers, tag holders
