By attempting to re…

ERO number

019-3685

Comment ID

87993

Commenting on behalf of

Individual

Comment status

Comment approved More about comment statuses

Comment

By attempting to re-establish the process of hunters capturing wildlife to be used in fenced in areas for means of "training" or "sport" is doing much more harm than good. I have provided 3 reasons as to why:

1. Habitat Fragmentation and Loss: Training and trialing areas often require the development of infrastructure and the modification of natural landscapes. This can lead to habitat fragmentation, where wildlife habitats are divided into smaller, isolated patches. Fragmentation disrupts wildlife movement, gene flow, and access to essential resources like food and shelter. It can negatively impact wildlife populations, especially species that rely on large, contiguous habitats or have specific habitat requirements. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act aims to protect and manage habitats, and the creation of training and trialing areas could conflict with these conservation goals.

2. Disturbance and Disruption of Wildlife: The establishment of training and trialing areas can introduce additional human activities and disturbances into natural habitats. Frequent noise, presence of people, and other activities associated with training and trialing can disturb wildlife and disrupt their natural behaviors. This disturbance can cause stress, alter feeding and breeding patterns, and even lead to the abandonment of important habitats. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act seeks to ensure the conservation and well-being of wildlife, and activities in training and trialing areas may not align with these objectives if they cause significant disruptions to wildlife populations.

3. Increased Human-Wildlife Conflicts: Training and trialing areas often attract human visitors and increased foot traffic, which can lead to human-wildlife conflicts. These conflicts arise when wildlife populations are disturbed or habituated to human presence, resulting in negative interactions or safety risks for both humans and wildlife. Such conflicts can have detrimental effects on wildlife populations, including increased stress, habitat avoidance, or even the necessity for lethal wildlife control measures. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act promotes the responsible management and conservation of wildlife, and training and trialing areas that contribute to conflicts with wildlife can be inconsistent with these conservation principles.