conservation science | Raincoast Conservation Foundation

Supporting resurgent Indigenous-led governance: A nascent mechanism for just and effective conservation

Published on 2020 01 06 | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

Three maps of human populations especially Indigenous communities, overlaid on a photo of mountains and waters of the Great Bear Rainforest.

A new publication discusses how conservation actions to halt biodiversity declines will increasingly be impossible to implement without Indigenous consent and leadership. It also finds that in many cases a resurgence in Indigenous governance can increase both the scale and effectiveness of biodiversity protections. In addition to the imperative of recognizing Indigenous rights, title, and […]

Finding communities in salmon conservation

Published on 2019 10 07 | by Kristen Walters, Lower Fraser River Salmon Conservation Program Coordinator | in Conservation update

A salmon splashes in a shallow stream, surrounding by the vibrant colours of autumn.

As I crouch on the riverbank taking measurements of the salmon carcass, the ever-telling sensation of being watched creeps up my neck. I look up to see a mother black bear and her two cubs across the river, staring right at me. Our eyes meet, and time slows. In this moment of connected eyes and […]

Research: Differentiating between regulation and hunting as conservation interventions

Published on 2019 02 11 | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

A giant pile of bison bones loom over a person standing beside it.

Wildlife conservation literature and public discourse, too often gloss over the important difference between hunting and the regulation of hunting. This is so common that there is a persistent, misinformed idea that extinctions have been avoided through the act of hunting. Historically, the regulation of hunting, not hunting itself, has averted extinction…

B.C.’s approach to wildlife management needs major ethical reform

Published on 2018 08 31 | by Kyle Artelle, Paul Paquet, Faisal Moola, Chris Genovali, & Chris Darimont | in For the coast

A bighorn sheep close up on face and eye.

British Columbia has begun an ambitious effort to review the province’s approach to managing wildlife, with $14 million committed so far. The Province’s interest in reform is encouraging. As explained in a letter we recently published in the journal Science…

Confronting the elephant (head) in the room – researchers challenge the conservation community on the ethics of trophy hunting

Published on 2018 05 16 | by Chris Darimont, Raincoast Director of Science | in Inform

A grizzly bear meanders in the Great Bear rainforest.

Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists is challenging the conservation community to fully consider the ethics of trophy hunting and think critically about endorsing the practice as a key funding mechanism for wildlife protection. Read our new paper, “The elephant (head) in the room: A critical look at trophy […]

Conservation Letters: The elephant (head) in the room: A critical look at trophy hunting

Published on | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

A lion head is attached as a trophy to a post overlooking a large expanse of desert, and several University logos on the right hand side.

Writing in the scientific journal, Conservation Letters, an international team of conservation scientists argue that trophy hunting – hunting that involves the collection of animal body parts, or “trophies,” – is morally wrong. Led by Chelsea Batavia from the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University, the authors identify trophy hunting as […]

On the hunt for science in ‘science-based’ hunts

Published on 2018 05 14 | by Kyle Artelle, PhD | in Inform

A bear stands in the distant grass and fog to get a better look or maybe smell.

For years, British Columbia’s wildlife management practices, especially its wolf cull and grizzly bear hunt, have been controversial. In 2015, then-Premier Christy Clark defended the province’s wildlife policies, stating they were grounded in sound science. That, at least, was the claim. And not one unique to British Columbia. In fact, hunting in Canada and the […]

New study casts doubt on scientific basis of wildlife management in North America, offers a way forward

Published on 2018 03 07 | by Kyle Artelle, PhD | in For the coast

Wolf stands in the intertidal zone amidst the rock and seaweed, looking at the photographer, Kyle Artelle.

A new study, “Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, released today in the AAAS Open Access journal Science Advances, identified four key hallmarks expected of science-based management: clear objectives, use of evidence, transparency and external review. Combined, these hallmarks provide the checks and balances that give rigour to science-based approaches…

Applied Ecology: Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management

Published on | by Raincoast | in Scientific Literature

A map of North America and then in text it says, An assessment of 667 wildlife management systems across Canada and the USA found that key hallmarks of science were missing...

A new study, “Hallmarks of science missing from North American wildlife management”, published by Science Advances , challenges a widespread assumption that wildlife management in North America is science-based. Scientists from Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Simon Fraser University, University of Victoria, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison examined management documents relating to most hunted species across […]