Hunting's contribution to biodiversity conservation in Europe

Hunting is a highly popular form of nature recreation, an activity enjoyed by approximately 7 million people in Europe. It is one of the oldest forms of consumptive use of renewable natural resources and provides significant... [ view full abstract ]

Hunting is a highly popular form of nature recreation, an activity enjoyed by approximately 7 million people in Europe. It is one of the oldest forms of consumptive use of renewable natural resources and provides significant social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits in different regions of Europe. In order to gain an understanding of the contribution of hunting to biodiversity conservation in Europe, the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation (FACE) established the Biodiversity Manifesto (BDM). Along with promoting FACE’s position or ‘manifesto’ on sustainable hunting and conservation, the BDM relies on an online survey to gather information on hunting related-conservation projects throughout Europe. This presentation aims to provide an overview of the 300+ hunting-related conservation already captured in the BDM in terms of their geographic distribution, the types of actions undertaken, the habitats and species engaged with, and the stakeholders involved. It will attempt to demonstrate how these projects contribute to current EU and international policy goals including by discussing, for example, the types and quantity of projects undertaken within protected areas and those which contribute to the conservation of threatened species. The paper will conclude with a set of recommendations on how to better understand and promote the contribution of hunting to biodiversity conservation in Europe.