Misinformation About Trophy Hunting Threatens Conservation
Catherine E. Semcer, Dr. Amy Dickman, Adam Hart, Brian ChildBanning trophy hunting without viable alternatives would imperil biodiversity and undermine local communities.
Amy Dickman is a senior research fellow with the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at the University of Oxford. She is a member of the IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, the IUCN Cat Specialist Group, the IUCN Task Force on Human-Wildlife Conflict and the African Lion Working Group.
Dr. Dickman is a conservation biologist with a particular interest in the maintenance of threatened wildlife populations on human-dominated land and how to resolve human-wildlife conflict. Her work focuses mainly on understanding the drivers of conflict between humans and large carnivores, and how those issues can best be addressed. She works mainly on lions, and on understanding how to ease coexistence between lions and traditional communities. She also has an interest in wider aspects of carnivore ecology and conservation.
Banning trophy hunting without viable alternatives would imperil biodiversity and undermine local communities.
We must take the time to separate facts from propaganda and listen to scientists and stakeholders to avoid prioritizing emotions over evidence.