Conservation designations protecting large carnivores have been a success in terms of a strong increase in carnivore numbers and an extension of their range in Europe after 100 years of near extinction. This conservation success raises dilemmas and challenges. In their absence, agriculture have adapted to a more or less carnivore-free environment with lifestyles, livestock and economies dependent on a low degree of carnivore pressures.
The dilemmas involve questions of rural sustainability, indigenous aspects such as Sámi reindeer herding; it involves ideologies and policies concerning the rural as wilderness and arena for rewilding processes, versus the rural as countryside, cultural and worked landscapes, and the potential of developing rural economies. Foremost it involves how conservation strategies, management and attached conflicts are played out locally, and how to maintain or develop legitimacy for policies, management, and trust. Legitimacy and trust relate closely to issues of knowledge production, and acknowledgement of the different life worlds and ways of life that are challenged or vigorated in the situation of increasing numbers of carnivores. In a European context bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines, and also eagles, are the focus, but the related conflicts, dilemmas, governance and management issues are relevant across many contexts.
The session is divided into two subtopics: a) Local Dimensions and b) Solutions through management and governance, and encourages a variety of methodological approaches and aspects such as:
a) Local Dimensions, focusing on controversy and local experience of living with large carnivores
What are the experiences of living with the majority’s decision making and international obligations on the local level? What adaptation strategies do varios actors choose? How do local conflicts relate to place, identity and power relations? Threats, heated public speech and harassment is part of conflicts related to large carnivores. What role does local or collective psychological ownership play, what is their importance for resistance? How could they be understood and how could they possibly be handled to develop constructive strategies for communication, co-existence, cooperation and management? We also welcome papers that investigate connections between carnivores and overall development patterns, structural changes, spatial effects, and future perspectives of land use and local communities in carnivore affected communities.
b) Solutions through management and governance. Experiences with how to handle conflicts and solution outcome
Experiences of central versus combined, local governance and management approaches. Governance as top-down or collaboration strategies? What may transboundary approaches to population management and stakeholder engagement imply, and what are the impacts?
What are effectiveness and perceived legitimacy of various forms of adaptation and mitigation measures applied in different countries and contexts when it comes to eg adaptive capacity of livestock owners, and potential for co-existence between people and wildlife?
How can different knowledge systems – local/indigenous/experience based knowledge along with scientific knowledge be better integrated in both management and research? Mapping, conservation designations and borders, are often powerful tools, empowering the dominating worldviews. How can we improve methods for doing so? Best practices on large carnivore management and conflict resolution – what do they entail?
Topics: Management of Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Large Carnivores in Europe
