Honorary Professor George Wilson ‘Can vulnerable animals find new homes on private land?’
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Thursday, 18 October 2018 - 12:30pm
Expenditure by governments to address threatened species conservation is falling short of achieving objectives. In some parts of the world, price incentives, proprietorship and devolved responsibility for management, accompanied by effective regulation, have increased wildlife and protected habitats, particularly for iconic and valuable species.
Is it time for Australia to trial if commercial value and markets can attract private sector investment to compensate for government underspend on threatened species? Landholders, community groups, and investors would have a form of wildlife ownership by leasing animals on land outside protected areas. They would be able to acquire threatened species from locally overabundant populations, breed them, innovate and assist further colonisation/range expansion while potentially profiting from the increase. The role of government would be to regulate, as is appropriate in a mixed economy, rather than be the (sole) owner and manager of wildlife.
Wide application of market-based incentives would not answer all biodiversity-loss problems, but it could assist in the restoration of degraded habitat and connectivity and free up government funds so enabling support for less charismatic species and ecosystems.
Biography
George Wilson is an Honorary Professor at the ANU, Fenner School of Environment and Society. He focuses on developing wildlife industries and tourism opportunities that support conservation and integrating traditional knowledge and wildlife science into the management of Indigenous and Aboriginal land.
His qualifications are Master Veterinary Science (University of Sydney) and PhD in Zoology (University of Aberdeen). He is also a commercial pilot and aircraft owner. He has conducted extensive aerial surveys of wild animals and has over 4000 hours aeronautical experience.
He has continuing interest in kangaroo and threatened species management and population ecology, survey techniques and modelling.
