Conservation of Apex Predators

There isn’t one approach for conserving large predators that suits all. Many factors, such as environmental conditions, native species of flora and fauna, human invasion, etc., play a key role in wildlife conservation. Some conservationists believe the ‘top-down approach’ to be the most effective, while others favor the ‘collaborative approach’. Countries like USA and Europe have dedicated legislation and resources for a ‘top-down conservation approach’ with appropriate legitimate interventions. As for developing nations, collaborative or native-non-native approaches are significant in carnivore conservation. Coercive policies by the government can lead to non-compliance and a decline in political legitimacy. In contrast, the collaborative approach builds trust and improves learning and social outcomes.

Conservation Legislation

The legislation provides a strong and supportive framework for modulating the relationship between predators and people and addresses the conservation-related conflicts concerned with shared landscapes at local and intergovernmental levels. Many large national and international legal bodies have come together to present a functional legal approach for predator conservation and restore the ecological balance, among other interests.

In the United States, the state government handles more of the power for wildlife management and conservation as a public trust.

• And the Federal Government holds the power to manage wildlife in important matters under the ESA (Endangered Species Act) whenever any animal faces the issue of endangerment or extinction. 
• Once the species recover, the wildlife preservation management is returned to the state government. 
• ESA faces many issues from the local authorities as it prohibits considering the economic management of wildlife.

Habitat Directive is the principal management body for wildlife conservation in the European Union. Any species that are listed by the Directive’s aim to achieve ‘FCS’ (Favourable Conservation Status). 

• Member states of the Directive solely consider wildlife conservation’s social, economic, and cultural requirements.
• The policies of the FCS enforce a strict protection regime and non-negotiable control management.
• However, if the predator population is rising and there is a positive shift in the ecosystem, the rules can become flexible per the requirement.

It is observed that Developing nations face the most challenges in predator conservation and management. 

• Wildlife conservation is often considered low on the agenda due to other competing pressures, such as poverty, hunger, etc., faced by developing nations. 
• The poor management of limited resources and corrupt governance led to inadequate handling of wildlife land and their population outside protected areas.

Collaborative Approach

Ansell and Gash published an article, ‘Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice’ in 2008, which defined this approach as an ‘arrangement where one or more public agencies directly engage non-state stakeholders in a collective decision-making process that is formal, consensus-oriented and deliberative and that aims to make or implement public policy or manage public programs or assets’. This approach is particularly beneficial for predator management in wildlife. The principal task of the group participating in the collaboration includes adopting and developing management plans, determining local population goals, diminishing any conflict between wildlife and livestock resources, and fixing a quota for large carnivore predators. This approach builds trust, strengthens democracy, and mitigates problems arising due to governance and acceptance of the central management system of large carnivore predators.