Conference Programme

Moderators: Darragh Hare & Bernd Blossey Communities in many countries are sharply divided over how to respond to deleterious impacts of large ungulate populations on biodiversity, livelihoods, and human safety. Proposed solutions include restoring populations of historically extirpated carnivores, whose return could bring ecological and economic benefits as well as new risks, distributed unequally among community members. We propose that such situations present opportunities for constructive dialogue among communities and organisations responsible for producing and conserving valuable ecosystem attributes and functions. Critical to this dialogue would be a framework that enables participants to clearly define management objectives, evaluate feasible (e.g. socially and culturally acceptable, legal, ecologically possible) outcomes, and co-design appropriate metrics and accountability mechanisms. In this symposium we will discuss the viability of this proposition among researchers, practitioners, and community representatives across socio-cultural and ecological contexts, exploring approaches that place the values of all community members at the centre of wildlife governance processes. Panelists: Bernd Blossey, Cornell University, USA Amy Dickman, WildCRU, UK, HWCCSG Member Darragh Hare, WildCRU, UK & Cornell University, USA Hannah Kirkland, Cornell University, USA Alan McDonnell, Trees for Life, UK Hanna Pettersson, University of York, UK Lovemore Sibanda, WildCRU, UK