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Have you ever been confused by the many organizations that often seem to support the same causes and issues?
Let’s face it, there are a lot of non-profit animal welfare and environmental groups out there and sometimes
the names of the organizations themselves can even be misleading. At SORT, we know that every dollar counts,
but even more importantly, we know that when it comes to making decisions concerning our deepest passions,
to be misinformed can leave us feeling frustrated or even betrayed. Because our passions about animal
welfare and the environment can be very personal and uniquely our own, it’s important to know where an
organization stands on various issues before you join or send a donation.
,
some people who are concerned about protecting our wildlife may also view particular hunting activities as
practical and necessary. Others may believe that no animal should be hunted or trapped for any reason.
Although most organizations include their mission and policy statements on their web site, sometimes you
need to ask questions (sometimes even more than once!). So, we encourage you to contact the organization
directly to answer questions you may have about any policy that you deem important in your search for the
best organization(s) for you.
As for our example- "Organization Hunting/Trapping Positions," SORT gathered information about each of the
organizations below. In most cases, we contacted each organization for their position or policy on hunting
and trapping. While many replied to our requests, others did not.
Here's what we learned...
American Forests believes that wildlife and fisheries are a critical component of healthy forest ecosystems.
Hunting and fishing under proper regulation are valuable tools in the professional management of forest ecosystems.
Recreation on our forests is an important and growing use of the resource on both public and private lands.
Hunting and fishing under appropriate regulation are legitimate forms of forest recreation.
-Bob Ferris, Media
Here is our official position on hunting. We make no distinction for recreational, commercial, or management
purposes as long as the harvest is conducted in a sustainable and ethical manner.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. supports the sustainable use and harvest of renewable resources based on sound science.
We support hunting and trapping, when conducted in an ethical and sustainable manner, as a legitimate
and acceptable use of a renewable resource.
-Stephen E. Adair, Ph.D., Director of Conservation Programs
Friends of Animals oppose hunting in all its forms. Hunting is socially unjustifiable because it is an
unnecessary waste of life and of resources. There is a question of social ethics involving the
presumed "right" of hunters to turn what little wild areas are left into seasonal shooting galleries.
Hunting is ecologically disruptive. The concept of "natural selection" becomes meaningless among heavily
hunted wildlife populations, and hence evolution itself - the very foundation of life in all its diversity -
is undermined.
The Fund For Animals is unalterably opposed to the recreational killing of wildlife. Besides being a piteously
unfair and cruel slaughter of innocent animals, sport hunting is also ecologically destructive. ...And it's not
just an issue of animals' rights, but one of the public's rights as well. A mere seven percent
minority of the public - the hunters - has 100 percent control of our wildlife.
The Humane Society of the United States is strongly opposed to the hunting of any living creature for fun,
trophy, or for sport, because of the trauma, suffering and death to the animals which results. The HSUS
also opposes such killing because of the negative effect upon the young who may learn to accept and live
with needless suffering and killing. The HSUS believes that a civilized society should not condone the
killing of any sentient creature as sport.
Audubon supports hunting when sound scientific data indicates that it is necessary for the continued welfare
of a particular species. While we are not a hunting advocacy organization, and we do not actively promote
hunting, we do not oppose it when and where it is legal. The same goes for trapping, both commercial and sport.
- Linda Vanderveer, Press Department
The Society is a scientific and educational organization. As such, we do not take a stand for or against
legal hunting or trapping activities; we simply report on these activities and any consequences when appropriate.
When we report on any topic, we work hard to present it accurately and objectively. With hunting, we are careful
to differentiate between modern sport hunters, whose hobby supports conservation efforts, and poachers,
who kill animals—often endangered species—illegally.
- Dorothy G. Lerda, Research Correspondence
…Wildlife populations are a renewable resource and under scientific and professional management can safely
sustain hunting and fishing. In these situations and with public input into wildlife management
decisions, NWF supports providing opportunities for those whom choose to hunt or fish.
While many people would like us to spend considerable effort either promoting or opposing hunting, they
lose sight of the fact that the real and fundamental problem facing wildlife…is not hunting but habitat
degradation and destruction.
- Jon Hancock, Membership Services
…We do not encourage hunting or fishing on the majority of conservation sites that we own or manage…At many
of our sites…we sometimes employ carefully managed hunting as a tool to reduce populations [of native
and non-native animals] in order to reduce the damage that they cause, allowing natural communities to
recover…We sometimes allow the continuation of traditional hunting and fishing practices after we have
acquired new properties in order to avoid disrupting the local economy.
The Nature Conservancy’s policy for hunting and fishing also applies to trapping.
The Conservancy doesn’t have a policy or position on what people do for sport or recreation,
unless the action is taking place on one of our preserves. We would not allow hunting/trapping/or
fishing solely for sporting or recreational purpose on our preserves.
- Daniel Smith, Member Services
Sport Hunting and Fishing: Acceptable management approaches include regulated periodic hunting and
fishing when based on sufficient scientifically valid biological information and when consistent
with all other management purposes and when necessary total protection of particular species or populations.
- Stasea-Noelle, Member Services
…The Sierra Club opposes “game ranching” with non-native species and the use of captive wildlife for
sport hunting (“canned hunts”) or commercial products.
“Game ranching” of native species may be appropriate only when such activities will not degrade natural
ecosystems and endanger populations and when commercial activity will not encourage poaching…
The Sierra Club opposes the use of non-selective and often mis-used predator control techniques such
as poisons, bounties, and aerial shooting…
The Wilderness Society views hunting as a legitimate use in wilderness areas, national forests, lands
managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and certain wildlife areas, subject to appropriate regulation
for species protection. Because they provide such strong protection for wildlife habitat, wilderness
areas offer some of the highest quality hunting experiences found anywhere.
WCS does not have “official” stances on either hunting or trapping per se. However, WCS is against any
activity that is unsustainable for wildlife populations, or any activity that harms endangered or threatened
species. That said, WCS is in favor of human activity that does not harm wildlife populations over the long term…
As long as there is no threat, the WCS would not take a definitive stand against hunting or trapping for
sport, recreation, wildlife management or commercial purposes.
- Stephen C. Saunter, Manager of Conservation Communications
The Wildlife Society supports regulated hunting and trapping as legitimate management techniques of wildlife
conservation.
Regulated hunting and trapping are legitimate tools to be used to reduce abundant and overabundant populations.
The one point that may be confusing is that we don’t use a lot of modifiers such as recreational, sport,
commercial, subsistence, etc. to describe these tools. If we monitor populations that are being manipulated
(up and down) to be sure the numbers are moving in the proper direction and within desired population levels,
then the types of value-laden modifiers are unimportant.
- Harry E. Hodgdon, Executive Director
We are not opposed to recreational hunting, trapping or shooting preserves if they are managed
according to appropriate wildlife agency regulations.
- Thomas M. Franklin, Wildlife Policy Director
…While we do not support hunting and trapping, neither do we condemn the practice in all circumstances.
It is legal to hunt many non-endangered species in countries around the world. The decision to allow
trophy hunting is a sovereign one made entirely by the governments concerned…We will continue to monitor
governments’ enforcement of important trade laws to ensure that trophy hunting is done within legal
standards of that area.
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