Harvesting Wildlife

Greg Baxter

School of Geography, Planning & Environmental Management

The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus

Presentation at Geography Day

July 25th 2014

Wildlife includes living, wild harvested resources

Includes;

• animals and their products (e.g. skins, ivory)

• plants and their products (e.g. seeds, wax, natural pigments)

Each type of harvesting

• has different driver

• different aerial extent

• different mode of operation

Therefore different modes of control/enforcement are applicable

Types of harvesting

• Commercial

• Subsistence

• Bush Meat

• Cultural

• Collector

Areal Extent

International Trade

Drivers Economic Momentum

Endangered

Commercial Large Yes Econ. Imperative

Huge Taken, maybe not targeted

Subsistence Local but widespread

No Subsist-ence

Nil Taken

Bush Meat V. widespread

Yes &Increasing

Tradition, taste & econom.

Large & growing

Taken

Cultural Local but widespread

Yes Tradition & econ.

Small, except medicine

Often targeted

Collector Global Yes Desire/ fashion

Huge Often targeted

Different harvests require different controls

Mode of harvest variesMode

Commercial Firearms, live & lethal traps, mustering, lassoing

Subsistence Firearms, lethal traps, snares

Bush Meat Firearms, lethal traps, snares

Cultural Firearms, lethal traps, snares

Collector Live traps (transport), hand

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Photo: Ruben De Koch

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international• Policing and enforcement insufficient

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international• Policing and enforcement insufficient• Must address poverty

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international• Policing and enforcement insufficient• Must address poverty• Must address cultural issues

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international• Policing and enforcement insufficient• Must address poverty• Must address cultural issues• Understand there powerful vested

interests

Different harvesting requires different controls

• Must be international• Policing and enforcement insufficient• Must address poverty• Must address cultural issues• Understand there powerful vested

interests• Recognise economic and conservation

outcomes can be achieved

Controlling Harvest

• Quotas• Regulating effort• Spatial control

Quotas

Preselected proportion of population(s) taken

Requires;

• Accurate & precise population estimate EACH harvest

• Regular population monitoring (absolute abundance)

• Good control over non-quota (illegal) take

Obtaining an estimate of absolute abundance

• Time consuming• Costly• Complex

Regulating Effort

Limit how and/or when harvest can occur

e.g. nest mesh size, rifle calibre, closed season(s)

Requires;• Compliance with regulations• Appropriate effort is specified• Monitoring of population trend

Does Not Require;• Estimate of absolute abundance

Control is self-tracking with changes in population size

Spatial Control

Limit WHERE animals can be taken, not how many, or how

= places where animals can be harvested

Spatial Control

Harvest between 0 – 100% in black squares

Animals disperse into hunting areas

Then, monitor trend in non-hunted areas

Monitoring in Spatial ControlIf population in non-hunted areas is about constant, maintain situation

Monitoring in Spatial ControlIf population in non-hunted areas is decreasing, restrict hunting areas

Monitoring in Spatial ControlIf population in non-hunted areas is increasing, increase hunting areas

Spatial Control

Requires;

Estimate of relative abundance – easy, cheap, repeatable

Used;

Fisheries, marine parks e.g. GBRMPA

How is harvest set for quotas?

Must understand the link between harvest size and population size and know what population size is

Assumes sustainable harvest

Harvest

Population Size

How is harvest set

Population Size

Sustained Yield (SY)

There are two population sizes (A & B) that will deliver any given SY

Harvest at the higher one

A B

How is harvest set

Population Size

Sustained Yield (SY)

MSY

There is only one populations size (A) that will produce the maximum sustained yield (MSY).

A

Harvesting at MSY is dangerous

Population Size

Sustained Yield (SY)

MSY

Even a small error in population size estimate will lead to over-harvest

Population usually discounted by 15% and population harvested there

AA – 15%

Can harvest have a conservation benefit?

If the following conditions are met:

• Benefit accrues to the land owner/occupier

• Exploitation does not endanger the species (or look alikes)

• Populations are monitored and managed

• Exploitation enhances habitat

Questions ?