News & Commentary
A Bear Hunt is not the Answer, Governor Murphy
Article by Elissa Frank, Insider NJ
“Last January, a Humane Society of the United States poll found that 76% of Americans disapprove of black bear trophy hunting. Most people, including New Jersey voters, enjoy photographing and viewing black bears, while less than 1% of New Jersey residents hunt—and there are even fewer who hunt bears. Every year, there are millions of interactions with black bears in North America, with very few incidents. Bears tend to avoid people.”
“We need to resolve human-bear conflicts using sound science, and we humans must adopt common sense behaviors…Trophy hunting has no role to play in mitigating the kind of human-bear conflict characteristic of our state.”
New poll suggests Washington wildlife management is out of touch with the public
Article by Eli Francovich, The Spokesman-Review
In a poll of Washington state residents recently conducted by Washington Wildlife First, “a majority of Washington voters believe state wildlife managers’ goal should be ‘preserving and protecting fish and wildlife,’ while only 20% believed that WDFW’s goal should be maximize hunting and fishing opportunities.
“Respondents also had strong views on carnivore management with 80% opposing spring bear hunting. In households with active hunters, 69% opposed the spring bear hunt. That opposition was spread around the state with 81% opposing spring bear hunting in King County and to 77% in Eastern Washington.”
Wildlife conference braces for discord after including advocacy groups
Article by Eli Francovich
A key component of Wildlife For All is our belief that wildlife management should be democratic and inclusive of the public’s values and interests. The controversy over being included at The Wildlife Society conference this week in Spokane exemplifies the dominance the sporting and gun industry has in wildlife management.
“A well-respected wildlife conference taking place this week in Spokane is getting flak from some in the hunting community after two advocacy groups focused on revising how state wildlife management is conducted were included.”
Read more at the Spokesman Review
Read more at The Seattle Times
Wildlife For All “Celebrating Species” Photo Contest Winners
“Celebrating Species” Wildlife for All’s inaugural photo contest
Thank you for helping us celebrate the diversity of our native wild lives by entering a photo or voting for your favorite images in our first photo contest! It was a great success, and we are eager to share the winners with you. We received nearly 200 entries representing a wide range of species native to the U.S. and all of them were amazing! Winners will be featured in our 2023 wall calendar alongside some of our coalition partners. Check back for ordering information.
We are so grateful that all the participating photographers are able to share their love of wildlife through the art of photography. This gift allows those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to see these unique, beautiful creatures a chance to view them through the photographer’s eyes. We believe that by providing this perspective, viewers will find connections that will help them grow as advocates for the wild lives with whom we share this land, sea and air.
Congratulations to our winners:
The Free Agent Beaver
The language we use about wild animals both shapes our relationships with the wild and reflects it. Acknowledging that non-humans are sentient beings, has the power to drastically alter our interactions.
“Beavers are not beholden to the human-caused issues of our planet, and it’s time to adjust our language to reflect that simple but profound fact.”
From The Revelator op-ed by Adam Burnett and Debra Merskin
Montana killing generates moral outrage and casts spotlight on our speciesism
Recently in Montana, a woman posted on social media that she “smoked a wolf pup” while out hunting bear. The problem began when readers pointed out she didn’t – instead, she’d killed a domestic husky who’d been dumped in the area earlier that week. The outrage that followed centered around the fact she killed a dog, implying that if it had been a wolf puppy, it would have been “justified.” Though wolves and dogs may share the same wolf ancestors, our intense love for domestic canines contrasts sharply with a hatred of Canis lupus – speciesism that has resulted in a decline in the safety and health of Montana’s wolf populations.
While the event has renewed questions over why Montana’s wolves can be hunted at all, in sharing this graphic story, we seek to point at our fear of the wild and willingness to look the other way when wild pups are regularly killed in the same manner as this pet.
Lessons of a Fish & Wildlife Commissioner
In this article for The Wild Felid Monitor, former Washington State Fish and Wildlife Commissioner, Fred Koontz, discusses the looming issue facing wildlife commissions across the U.S.: whose values count most in determining fish and wildlife priorities, regulations, and policies?
By Fred Koontz
Wildlife Conservation: Does it Have a Heart?
By Don Molde
In this opinion piece, Molde explores the definition of conservation and the importance of expanding that definition to recognize the sentient nature of wildlife. “Fish and wildlife agencies do have a challenge ahead if they want greater public involvement and financial support for their important activities. There are many ways their management techniques could be improved. It is a matter of attitude and commitment which recognizes the public’s growing recognition and appreciation of the sentient nature of wildlife.”
Report: Animal populations experience average decline of almost 70% since 1970
By Patrick Greenfield, The Guardian
Earth’s wildlife populations have plunged by an average of 69% in just under 50 years, according to a leading scientific assessment, as humans continue to clear forests, consume beyond the limits of the planet and pollute on an industrial scale.
“In order to see any bending of the curve of biodiversity loss … it’s not just about conservation it’s about changing production and consumption…”
Don’t leave wolf hunting up to experts
By Francisco J. Santiago-Ávila, Renee Seacor, and Michelle Lute
This article explores the ethical considerations of coexisting with wolves, and exposes the agencies that are biased towards domination instead of “reciprocal, caring relationships to wildlife that benefit us all.”
“Hunting’s remaining goal seems to be to manage the humans that want to experience killing wolves, whether it’s called ‘trophy hunting’ or ‘management.’ But, many studies also document how allowing humans to kill wolves does not appease or mitigate them.”