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A review by intertidalkendy
Cull of the Wild: Killing in the Name of Conservation by Hugh Warwick
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
“Cull of the Wild” offers a thought-provoking dive into the ethical and ecological complexities surrounding the practice of killing in wildlife conservation. This is a contentious debate in wildlife management and the author does a great job bringing to light the multifaceted nature of the issue.
A theme throughout the book is the inherent complexity of ecology. Warwick challenges the notion that ecological problems have straightforward solutions (which I fully agree with), emphasizing that the balance of nature is intricate and often resistant to simple fixes. An example I think of for this is the introduction of mongoose in Hawai’i, in an attempt to control rat populations.
Warwick makes a great comparison in the book, likening conservation culls to the “trolly problem.” I much appreciated his statement on ethics panels as “places where decisions are made that are not necessarily correct but have at least been thought about” as this acknowledgment is often how I feel about many aspects of policy and and the issues inherent in wildlife management.
The book also highlights the connection between conservation and colonialism. How 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity is found on Indigenous people’s land , when they occupy ~25% of the earth's surface. Much of the land now preserved around the world in protected areas was taken from Indigenous people, who were already stewarding these places while colonial powers were causing the harm.
Though I do not agree with Warwick fully, I do think that this book is a compelling and fair exploration of the ethical dimensions of culling in conservation. The book’s diverse perspectives and real-world examples offer valuable insights that encourage readers to reflect on their own views and the broader implications of wildlife management practices. I think anyone working in environmental conservation, with any opinion on wildlife culling, would benefit from reading this. Again, I don’t agree with everything in these pages but the perspectives shared have given me much to reflect on and even re-evaluate some of the viewpoints I hold regarding conservation.
A theme throughout the book is the inherent complexity of ecology. Warwick challenges the notion that ecological problems have straightforward solutions (which I fully agree with), emphasizing that the balance of nature is intricate and often resistant to simple fixes. An example I think of for this is the introduction of mongoose in Hawai’i, in an attempt to control rat populations.
Warwick makes a great comparison in the book, likening conservation culls to the “trolly problem.” I much appreciated his statement on ethics panels as “places where decisions are made that are not necessarily correct but have at least been thought about” as this acknowledgment is often how I feel about many aspects of policy and and the issues inherent in wildlife management.
The book also highlights the connection between conservation and colonialism. How 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity is found on Indigenous people’s land , when they occupy ~25% of the earth's surface. Much of the land now preserved around the world in protected areas was taken from Indigenous people, who were already stewarding these places while colonial powers were causing the harm.
Though I do not agree with Warwick fully, I do think that this book is a compelling and fair exploration of the ethical dimensions of culling in conservation. The book’s diverse perspectives and real-world examples offer valuable insights that encourage readers to reflect on their own views and the broader implications of wildlife management practices. I think anyone working in environmental conservation, with any opinion on wildlife culling, would benefit from reading this. Again, I don’t agree with everything in these pages but the perspectives shared have given me much to reflect on and even re-evaluate some of the viewpoints I hold regarding conservation.