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Presenters: Marr, Mead, Muller, Ng
Peter will discuss the up and coming activity of wildlife watching and how it can be used to reduce and eventually terminating certain types of wildlife abuse. Click here for Peter's handout.
Précis:
In the past decade, a dramatic shift has taken place with
respect to how Americans engage in the recreational enjoyment
of wildlife. State agencies have maintained that their
mission statement requires them to provide for the recreational
enjoyment of wildlife – and that mandates them
to provide hunting opportunities. Traditionally, “recreational
enjoyment of wildlife” has meant hunting, and that
was the interpretation given it under law.
The economic and moral shift that has occurred has given new meaning to the term “recreational enjoyment of wildlife.” It requires a new interpretation of such legal mandates and a re-examination of the commercial opportunities that are provided by the recreational enjoyment of wildlife.
The shift has seen wildlife watching as a recreational activity far outstrip hunting in the number of participants, population percentages of participants, and in the amount of money spent on the activity.
We would expect the government agencies that are charged with providing opportunities for the recreational enjoyment of wildlife to develop programs to accommodate this numerically larger population whose purchases far exceed those of hunters. But, perhaps even more importantly, we would expect alert businesses to shift their attention from accommodating hunters to capturing this exciting new market of wildlife watching – especially since the two markets often make irreconcilable demands on resources. It won’t be long before the wildlife watching programs will come into conflict with the more poorly funded hunter programs that cater to only a fraction of the population. Both programs in most places can not be accommodated simultaneously.