Principles for the Conservation of Wild Living Resources

Abstract

We describe broadly applicable principles for the conservation of wild living resources and mechanisms for their implementation. These principles were engendered from three starting points. First, a set of principles for the conservation of wild living resources (Holt and Talbot 1978) required reexamination and updating. Second, those principles lacked mechanisms for implementation and consequently were not as effective as they might have been. Third, all conservation problems have scientific, economic, and social aspects, and although the mix may vary from problem to problem, all three aspects must be included in problem solving. We illustrate the derivation of, and amplify the meaning of, the principles, and discuss mechanisms for their implementation. The principles are: Principle I. Maintenance of healthy populations of wild living resources in perpetuity is inconsistent with unlimited growth of human consumption of and demand for those resources. Principle II. The goal of conservation should be to secure present and future options by maintaining biological diversity at genetic, species, population, and ecosystem levels; as a general rule neither the resource nor other components of the ecosystem should be perturbed beyond natural boundaries of variation. Principle III. Assessment of the possible ecological and sociological effects of resource use should precede both proposed use and proposed restriction or expansion of ongoing use of a resource. Principle IV. Regulation of the use of living resources must be based on understanding the structure and dynamics of the ecosystem of which the resource is a part and must take into account the ecological and sociological influences that directly and indirectly affect resource use. Principle V. The full range of knowledge and skills from the natural and social sciences must be brought to bear on conservation problems. Principle VI. Effective conservation requires understanding and taking account of the motives, interests, and values of all users and stakeholders, but not by simply averaging their positions. Principle VII. Effective conservation requires communication that is interactive, reciprocal, and continuous. Mechanisms for implementation of the principles are discussed.

How seals divide up the world: environment, life history, and conservation

“…The growth and expansion of pre-human and human populations displaced species and led to extinctions throughout the Pliocene and Holocene (Klein 2000;Alroy 2001;McKee 2001McKee , 2003. To ensure effective conservation, human interventions should not perturb ecosystem components beyond the natural boundaries of variation (Mangel et al 1996).…”

Efficiency, costs and trade-offs in marine reserve system design

“…All conservation problems have scientific, social and economic aspects [1], yet it is generally considered to be the socio-economic aspects that ultimately determine a reserve's success or failure, regardless of how sound it is scientifically [2Y13]. Agreement on how social, economic, cultural, management and biological interests are integrated is therefore a key consideration for conservation planning, with the potential to deliver benefits such as community Fownership,_ Fstewardship,_ greater acceptance of the outcome and willingness to comply with regulations.…”

Tilapia (Teleostei: Cichlidae) status in Nicaraguan natural waters

“…Principle II of the Principles of Conservation of Wild Living Resources (Mangel et al 1996) states: ''The goal of conservation should be to secure present and future options by maintaining biological diversity at genetic, species, population, and ecosystem levels; as a general rule neither the resource nor other components of the ecosystem should be perturbed beyond natural boundaries of variation''. In Nicaragua and in many other developing countries, tilapia aquaculture is not consistent with this principle, given that tilapia are known to colonize tropical lacustrine and estuarine ecosystems with great ease, to cause marked changes in vegetation structure where they colonize, to accompany important changes in ecosystem structure and to depress local fish populations (Canonico et al 2005).…”