Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives
Abstract Management of invasive vertebrate species often requires the use of lethal control tools such as toxins, traps, or shooting. However, because these pest species are sentient and have the capacity to suffer, the application of such tools raises concerns about welfare impacts. To address such...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600004553 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 2024-05-12T08:10:23+00:00 Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives Warburton, B Tompkins, DM Choquenot, D Cowan, P 2012 http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600004553 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Animal Welfare volume 21, issue S1, page 141-149 ISSN 0962-7286 2054-1538 General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology journal-article 2012 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 2024-04-18T06:54:12Z Abstract Management of invasive vertebrate species often requires the use of lethal control tools such as toxins, traps, or shooting. However, because these pest species are sentient and have the capacity to suffer, the application of such tools raises concerns about welfare impacts. To address such concerns, research, policy and regulation have focused most often on the welfare impacts (humaneness) of the tools at the individual animal level (ie the ‘quality’ of the impact) with no attempt to assess welfare at the population level (ie the ‘quantity’ of the impact). Because control programmes often target large numbers of animals, we suggest that when the welfare costs of pest control operations and strategies are being evaluated, the numbers of individuals involved should be considered in addition to the intensity and duration of individual suffering. We explore this concept using a modelling framework and three New Zealand case studies (brushtail possums [ Trichosurus vulpecula ], ship rats [Rattus rattus] , and Bennett's wallabies [Macropus rufogriseus]) to assess the extent to which typical control strategies used by land managers influence the numbers of animals killed. We test whether a predicted relationship between numbers killed and position on the population growth curve holds across these scenarios, and identify whether it would be economically viable for end-users to adopt more welfare-friendly control strategies (ie those that kill fewer individuals to achieve the required management outcomes) for these pest species, or whether some form of incentive would be required. Computer modelling showed that for four simulated brushtail possum control strategies, the number of animals killed on a 1,000-ha area over 30 years ranged from approximately 13,000 to 26,000. Similarly, for two ship rat control strategies, numbers killed over a 20-year period were 977 for an aerial strategy versus 1,517 for a ground-based strategy. For both species, the strategies that killed fewest animals generally also cost the ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Rattus rattus Cambridge University Press New Zealand Animal Welfare 21 S1 141 149 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology |
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General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology Warburton, B Tompkins, DM Choquenot, D Cowan, P Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
topic_facet |
General Veterinary General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Animal Science and Zoology |
description |
Abstract Management of invasive vertebrate species often requires the use of lethal control tools such as toxins, traps, or shooting. However, because these pest species are sentient and have the capacity to suffer, the application of such tools raises concerns about welfare impacts. To address such concerns, research, policy and regulation have focused most often on the welfare impacts (humaneness) of the tools at the individual animal level (ie the ‘quality’ of the impact) with no attempt to assess welfare at the population level (ie the ‘quantity’ of the impact). Because control programmes often target large numbers of animals, we suggest that when the welfare costs of pest control operations and strategies are being evaluated, the numbers of individuals involved should be considered in addition to the intensity and duration of individual suffering. We explore this concept using a modelling framework and three New Zealand case studies (brushtail possums [ Trichosurus vulpecula ], ship rats [Rattus rattus] , and Bennett's wallabies [Macropus rufogriseus]) to assess the extent to which typical control strategies used by land managers influence the numbers of animals killed. We test whether a predicted relationship between numbers killed and position on the population growth curve holds across these scenarios, and identify whether it would be economically viable for end-users to adopt more welfare-friendly control strategies (ie those that kill fewer individuals to achieve the required management outcomes) for these pest species, or whether some form of incentive would be required. Computer modelling showed that for four simulated brushtail possum control strategies, the number of animals killed on a 1,000-ha area over 30 years ranged from approximately 13,000 to 26,000. Similarly, for two ship rat control strategies, numbers killed over a 20-year period were 977 for an aerial strategy versus 1,517 for a ground-based strategy. For both species, the strategies that killed fewest animals generally also cost the ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Warburton, B Tompkins, DM Choquenot, D Cowan, P |
author_facet |
Warburton, B Tompkins, DM Choquenot, D Cowan, P |
author_sort |
Warburton, B |
title |
Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
title_short |
Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
title_full |
Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
title_fullStr |
Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
title_full_unstemmed |
Minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
title_sort |
minimising number killed in long-term vertebrate pest management programmes, and associated economic incentives |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0962728600004553 |
geographic |
New Zealand |
geographic_facet |
New Zealand |
genre |
Rattus rattus |
genre_facet |
Rattus rattus |
op_source |
Animal Welfare volume 21, issue S1, page 141-149 ISSN 0962-7286 2054-1538 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7120/096272812x13345905674123 |
container_title |
Animal Welfare |
container_volume |
21 |
container_issue |
S1 |
container_start_page |
141 |
op_container_end_page |
149 |
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1798853824381714432 |