Stakeholders perspectives on sport hunting, conservation, and ecosystem sustainability in British Columbia, Canada

Hunting as a wildlife conservation tool has been the centre of much debate as climate\nchange, the decline of carnivores, and increased pressure from human encroachment threaten\nwildlife species globally. There has also been increases in the popularity of sport hunting and\nheightened editorial coverage of conservation stories. This has led to polarizing views on\nhunting for wildlife management. This thesis takes a critical look at these issues from the\nperspective of hunting stakeholders. The objective was to emphasize the importance of\nacknowledging diverse stakeholders in these discussions as they have unique knowledge of\nland and wildlife systems that are integral to sustainability. A community-based participatory\nresearch (CBPR) methodology was utilized in order to access the complex relationships\nwithin the hunting industry. This methodology enabled the effective engagement of hunting\ncommunities in order to identify their key concerns and recognize the knowledge and\nabilities of participants. Data was collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with\nresident hunters, conservation officers, wildlife biologists, guide outfitters, hunting suppliers,\nand Indigenous hunters. Topics of stereotyping, sustainability, inclusion, stakeholder\nrelationships, and the power of social influence within the hunting industry were\ninvestigated. The findings were divided into four distinct chapters. Chapter one identifies the\ncurrent gaps in literature that exist regarding hunting and wildlife management as well as\nprovides an overview of the methodology utilized. Chapter two, establishes an overview of\nB.C.’s hunting industry from the perspective of resident hunters. There is specific focus on\nthe lack of consultation of stakeholders in decision-making and policy development and\nstereotypes created in the media. In the third chapter, the complexity of relationships between\nhumans, wildlife, and contemporary stakeholders within B.C.’s hunting industry are\nexamined. Additionally, the role of humans within ecosystem structures are contemplated by\nthe participants. How contemporary issues associated with hunting in B.C. relate to larger\nconcerns regarding land-use within the province are discussed in the final chapter. This\nresearch provides insight into the current state of the hunting industry, hunting’s role in\nwildlife management, and the sensitive needs of stakeholders in their efforts to promote the\nhealth and conservation of wildlife populations. The results inform inclusive policies that\nbalance the needs of local peoples, communities, and ecosystem conservation. The findings\nalso educate the general public on the role of hunting in B.C. in an effort to produce solutions\nthat ensure the long-term health of both regional ecosystems and hunting economies within\nthe province. This research contributes to the further development of sustainable sport\nhunting and conservation economies as well as to the broader discussions surrounding landuse\nin the province. As climate change, ongoing land-use conflicts, natural resource\nextraction, and the expansion of the global human population threaten ecosystems, leaders\nare facing a growing dilemma around how to balance sustainable use of B.C. lands while\nsupporting provincials and federal economies. Amidst this crisis, it is even more imperative\nto consider stakeholders in decision-making processes because their unique perspectives on\nwildlife and ecosystems, could be critical to evaluate and eventually determine the future of\nprovincial land-use management.

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