Stakeholder characterization in a human-carnivore context

The return of the wolf (Canis lupus) in Germany is leading to conflicts between humans and large carnivores that result in contesting views on conservation management actions. Successful conservation management depends on a... [ view full abstract ]

The return of the wolf (Canis lupus) in Germany is leading to conflicts between humans and large carnivores that result in contesting views on conservation management actions. Successful conservation management depends on a profound understanding of human-carnivore relations to increase acceptance and reduce conflicts. One of the first steps required to understand human-carnivore relations is to determine and characterize those social actors having a stake or interest in carnivore management or may be affected by carnivore populations and by current policies regarding carnivores.

In this study, we aim to identify and classify relevant social actors involved in human-carnivore relations by conducting semi-structured interviews and following a data saturation approach. The study-site, Lüneburger Heide in Northern Germany, is a densely populated region facing recent return of wolves. This leads to numerous conflicts, such as attacks to livestock and pets. In this work-in-progress, we apply the importance-influence matrix commonly used in business-oriented research of actor analysis to a human-carnivore context. In doing so, we consider not only ‘influence on wolf management actions’, but also attitudes towards wolves, personal affection, related emotions and cross-scale patterns. The results are expected to shed light on actors’ opinions as well as behaviour and decisions regarding existing wolf management.

Preliminary analysis has revealed that the different social actors identified in Lüneburger Heide have contested attitudes towards the return of wolves. The unequal influence distribution in shaping wolf management as well as across spatial scales increase the tensions to be reduced by policies and dialogue. Structured results from stakeholder analysis in human-carnivore research can contribute to improved carnivore management, by providing new insights for conflict resolution and support for the design of management actions, that equally account for contested interests.