CieszkoGoFixIt

Wildlife Conservation: The Ultimate Irony In an effort to conserve and preserve the native wildlife and habitat of one of the greatest landscapes known to man, many African countries have implemented Wildlife Management Areas throughout the continent. Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) are protected areas set aside for the conservation of natural habitat and wildlife and provide a place for recreational activities involving wildlife. However, due to economic, social, and environmental pressures, these WMA’s have become increasingly less effective and in some cases obsolete. By granting local communities usage rights over wildlife in these WMA’s, African countries hoped to both allow these communities to economically benefit from their wildlife while also engaging in conservation. However, as is seen in Tanzania, where 16 WMA’s encompass over 135 villages, regulation of these areas is overwhelmingly difficult. Economic crisis and political power has driven many villages to expand their rights to their designated areas and put many populations of a diverse group of animals on the brink of existence. Game hunting by tourists and subsistence hunting of several species is grossly unregulated, however for the communities involved provides a means of feeding their families as well as bringing in a source of revenue; assuming that the government doesn’t take this revenue and funnel it back into itself. At first these WMA’s have shown improvement in the way of life around the communities. So much so that the communities have become self-sustaining. However, much like the communities in industrialized countries, the sources used to create economic booms are being misused and may quickly disappear. A study outlined in Tropical Conservation Science finds that in WMA’s where population density increases, the conservation efforts are greatly challenged, and environmental pressures become much more significant. Increased agriculture, grazing of domesticated animals, and growing settlements have all contributed to habitat loss and fragmentation. Economic insecurity in these areas has also led many to partake in the bushmeat trade and the exploitation of natural resources; including Ivory from elephants which is a highly illegal trade. Because of the relatively young nature of these issues, many of these problems can be eradicated and reversed if several measures are to be taken. Frequent monitoring of the wildlife populations is key, knowing the population of animals for each species will help reduce over harvesting and prevent a collapse in the biodiversity. Because the WMA’s were originally designed for conservation, promotion and outreach programs throughout the communities would be beneficial as well. Many of the inhabitants are unaware of the conservation efforts simply due to the fact that generations have passed since the WMA’s were implemented and the knowledge was not passed down. To counter the effects of expanding communities, low capacity buildings should be built to ensure the sustainable use of natural resources. Because the WMA’s are initially government funded and provide a safe haven for wildlife and the communities if managed correctly, there is a high demand for some communities to become WMA status. However due to a complex and cumbersome process, it may take up to 10 years for some areas to reach this level. This means 10 extra years that these communities must endure the unregulated hunting of their land, mismanagement of their natural resources by others, and unprotected control by corporations looking to earn a buck. Finally, as a hunter, I look to what makes wildlife conservation efforts in the United States prosper so well. Using the knowledge I have, I believe that the most effective way to govern the unregulated hunting, poaching, and illegal trade of animals would be to implement a hunting license. In the U.S., it is required that any hunter must possess a nationally recognized hunting license. To attain this, each hunter must attend a class which not only consists of hunting safety, techniques, and laws, but also stresses the idea of conservation of natural habitat and wildlife populations. Hunters must always carry their license when hunting and abide by hunting laws and ethics; including seasons where only certain species can be hunted during specific times of the year. These laws are very strictly regulated and immense fines and sometimes imprisonment may occur if they are not followed. Just as important as conserving the environment, is making sure the communities are economically stable enough to support conservation efforts. The Pittman-Robertson Act is a fund set up for the restoration and conservation of wildlife and habitat in the United States. Respective to each state, money brought in by the sale of seasonal licenses, animal tags, weapons, and most notably, ammunition. Many states use up to 75% of this money to provide free hunter safety/conservation programs to anybody who wants to attend. The rest of the money is often used to purchase land for conservation and regulated hunting, or used for the restoration of land already owned. If such an act were used in Africa and regulated with the authority that it is in the United States, not only would the communities be better set up for economic and environmental prosperity.

http://www.nrahq.org/shootingrange/pitmann.asp http://www.africahunting.com/section/hunting-2/index15.html http://fragilewilderness.com/conservation.html http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/16/g912/sustdevafrica.html http://www.mlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2010/10/jessica_pociask_sustainable_to.html