Wildlife management is also society management – this was the main conclusion of the 28th IUGB Congress, held from 13-18 August 2007 in Uppsala, Sweden. From the different session series the mostly attended and with the most presentations throughout the week was the topic „Human dimensions”.

 

The IUGB Congresses are the worldwide forum for game biologists – this year’s congress had more than 400 Participants from 35 countries, including South Africa, French Guiana and the United Arab Emirates – to exchange wildlife research and game management experience, and help other countries to bring their national wildlife management to international level, but these events are also a good source of new ideas and new contacts. International cooperation in research and management can be started in the formal and informal meetings.

 

 

Coexistence of humans and wildlife

 

Nowadays conservationists, such as game biologists and hunters have to consider that wildlife management cannot be made without asking the people, and social science has to grow further in the decision-making process. Habitats are destroyed and the remained nature shrinked and is surrounded by „civilisation”. Animals have the chance to survive if they adapt to the anthropogenic environment, but if so, the picture turns, and “problem animals” appear.

 

The speakers showed in some examples, how different species get in towns and what problems might occur with their presence. A German example of a wild boar living and breeding among houses showed how decision-makers were influenced by public pressure, not to move this animal from their neighbourhood. I wonder what residents would have decided in case of a wolf or bear on their backyards.

 

As it has growing importance, various studies were presented on the conflicts of humans and large carnivores. Results of the Swedish Grimsö Wildlife Research Station showed that human tolerance grew with distance to the nearest wolf territory, and that the very expensive proactive measures in Sweden against large predators (subsidized electric fencing) have a positive and significant effect on the general attitudes within wolf territories, however, it still leaves many people in a management situation that they strongly dislike.

 

Another resource of conflict between humans and large carnivores is the attacks on pets, especially on hunting dogs. Also a Swedish study was conducted by questioning the owners of attacked dogs. The results showed that 3% of the wolf population could get shot in connection to attacks on dogs. The new Swedish hunting legislation allows for a trial period of two years to shoot the wolf even if it is only approaching the dog with the intention to kill – researchers suggest that this could save one dog per year.

 

How to approach wildlife in the 21^st century?

 

The other important result of the presentations and discussion was that today’s wildlife research needs different approach. The main reason is again the human aspect, as we are, who changed habitats with agriculture and housing and species compositions with introductions.

The plenary speeches focussed on these important issues, which currently influence modern wildlife management.

 

The first day, E. J. Milner-Gulland (Imperial College London, UK) highlighted the human dimensions in wildlife monitoring, and stressed that monitoring methods should address management-relevant questions and on the other hand be cost-effective. She highlighted the need of the bottom-up approach: “If we think at the individual level and understand the heterogeneity inherent in human-wildlife systems, we can get the incentives right.”

 

Ilse Storch (University of Freiburg, Germany) explained the need of the metapopulation concept in the planning and decision, and how the previously used habitat concept can mislead and even bring unwanted results. For animal species the extinction in a small and isolated patch may be bad luck, but for the species itself not naturally. We need to conserve and may be create connectivity between the patches to get a large and viable population. She urged that management plans should be created on landscape scale, which means the metapopulation level. The challenge for the future is than to find indicators to measure the habitat quality of the patches or the particular species.

 

Jon Swenson (Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway) demonstrated the real consequences of harvesting bears. Each hunted specimen is taken out of a – quite recently discovered – social web, and has population consequences. The outtake of a dominant male causes infanticide on its offspring, but even the decision of hunting a female bear can have fatal effects. Protecting females with cubs can save less productive females, as they have their cubs longer (even 2 years) with them. Hunting influences also the reproductive strategy. In Europe 50 generation of bears were hunted and now females mate with males before reaching the maximum body size and have larger litters – this explains the rapid population growth in protected brown bear populations is suitable habitats.

 

James D. Nichols (Patuxent Wildlife Research Centre, USA) explained the importance of adaptive management in modern decision-making. Managers always want to have as small uncertainty as possible to make the right decision and scientists have to find out ways to reach this goal. Still, uncertainty is always there, but the research has to focus on the useful information. Adaptive management means to compare predicted and observed response of the system.

 

Robert G. Clark (Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Canada) addressed the issue of managing diseases of migratory waterfowl and presented a Canadian study, which found out that carcass clean-up had no influence on the spread of botulism.

 

 

Hot topics

 

Several presentations focused on the impact of introduced species and the genetic problems, which they might cause to related species – e.g. European and mountain hare in Sweden or Chukar and Rock Partridge in Greece. The establishment and habitat use of the introduced species and the hybrids show that these impacts can be fatal to the native species at least on local level.

 

A very interesting aspect for the CIC was dealt within a special workshop on African wildlife.

The Project NOAH in South Africa trains local hunters from different African countries for wildlife management, where applicants have to declare to return to their own community after the training. The “Chasse Libre” (Free Hunting) project in Cameroon helps in the marketing of wildlife products, which helps local people to feel real ownership and so responsibility. The CAMNARES project (Cameroon Natural Resources) organizes self-guided hunts in community hunting areas of Cameroon mainly on bongo, and their success reached overseas hunting operators already 18 months after the start. A similar project is running in Burkina Phaso, though they took the multiple resource approach using both animal and plant resources.

 

A very intense and active discussion arouse after several presentations on trophy hunting, game management, fire policies. Several international environmental and conservation NGOs are settled in Africa, and have great impact on the decision-making process and mostly with negative effect and so they cause major problems for future wildlife management in the area. Local people are simply not able to decide on their own resources. Severe problems are the result of the fact that nomadic tribes settle down and still breed cattle and turned to agriculture, where they have very little experience – the overuse and loosing of protected land on the other hand and faster growing human population on the other. And what will happen with the over numbered and still growing elephant populations if the climate change brings more and more dry years? If the huge amount paid for elephant “conservation” would go to the local communities, than people could think that it is worthwhile having these mega herbivores.

 

New Constitution

 

This years IUGB Congress was special, because after … years of organising “only” technical congresses, IUGB liaison officers created and decided upon the constitution of the IUGB, which was signed by the liaison officers present, having also a student representative. They will build up the membership in the first run. The future will show, what other development, change is needed in the organisational structure. The plan is still to have congresses every two year, and the next will be hosted by the Russians, therefore the president for the forthcoming period and the 27^th IUGB Congress will be our colleague, Vladimir Melnikov.

 

 

The newly created non-profit organisation with international membership is located at Stampa, Switzerland.

 

Aims

The International Union of Game Biologists aims at promoting the advancement of knowledge in game biology and skill in the field of wild animals, improving the management of wild animals populations, and wildlife habitat conservation, and contributing to the comradeship amongst its Members.

 

Objectives

The International Union of Game biologists shall

a) organize an international congress every two years;

b) promote the concept of sustainable use of wildlife resources;

c) stimulate research and international technical cooperation in the elaboration of new models of development and management of renewable resources, integrating the objectives of wildlife conservation, wise land use and economic decisions;

d) promote awareness and appreciation of wildlife values;

e) support and advance high standards of education and professional performance in the field of wildlife management;

f) contribute to the solidarity amongst its Members;

g) be committed to the protection of wild animals and the conservation of species;

h) exchange information and encourage other forms of collaboration between this and other associations in allied scientific disciplines.

 

 

 

CIC’s attendance at such events is particularly beneficial, both for CIC as an organization as well as for our highly valued reputation. By sponsoring expert scientific conferences such as the bi-annual IUGB congress as well as networking with our international colleges, CIC continues to lead the forward for the philosophy of sustainable use.

 

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References