Sustainable Wildlife
EnterprisesTrials of the Commercial
Value of Wildlife as an Incentive to Restore On-Farm
Habitat
See also report:
A Strategic Plan for
Trialling Sustainable Wildlife Enterprises Guidelines for conservation-based
enterprises as an incentive to restore on-farm habitat
(PDF 266k)
Australia’s landscapes are under
increasing pressure of degradation. Loss of species, dryland salinity, soil
erosion and water quality have generated heightened concern amongst farmers,
government and conservationists alike as their impact threatens the
productivity and health of Australia’s ecosystems.
Our national reserve system alone is not
adequate to conserve the diversity of ecosystem functions required to protect
the viability of Australia’s agricultural and natural resources. A dramatic
shift in the way we perceive and utilise our natural resources is required.
However, government alone can not meet this cost. Collaborative strategies
between landholders, governments and communities are required to bring about
the broad scale change required.
Sustainable Wildlife Enterprises (SWE) is an
initiative of the Rangelands and Wildlife Program designed to trial innovative
strategies including;
- supporting the concept of giving landholders
on the rangelands more responsibility and rights over wildlife as an
incentive to use the resource sustainably
- testing the notion that commercial value is
an incentive for restoring habitats, reclaiming degraded areas, maintaining
landscapes and encouraging biodiversity conservation
- comparing overseas experience that
‘ownership’ of native animals allocated to landholders within strict rules
conserves habitat of wild resources and increases biodiversity
Through support provided from the Natural
Heritage Trust and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, SWE
seeks to develop first a strategic and then an implementation plan that will
promote government research priorities for sustainable management and use of
soil, water, air, vegetation and fauna resources in the rangelands through
integrating sustainable wildlife enterprises into existing land use systems.
The plans will focus on developing an integrated approach to production,
processing and marketing of wildlife including;
- management guidelines, organisational and
alternative governance arrangements
- rates of sustainable use
- changes in biodiversity and the natural
resource base, enhancement of landscapes and reductions in land
degradation
- commercial viability of sustainable wildlife
enterprises, particularly those that integrate with tourism and aboriginal
aspirations
- markets for produce from enterprises that
lead to a net conservation gain
- options for resource ownership and tenure,
financial systems, alternative capital structures.
The project provides opportunities for all stakeholders
to contribute to the development of the strategic and implementation plans
that will guide on-ground trials.
For an outline of the concepts and how
organisations and individuals can participate, please download the attached brochure
(PDF, 1meg - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader).
Register your
interest
|