Paradox Of Wildlife Conservation Essay

A paradox refers to a statement, proposition, or situation that seems to be absurd or contradictory, but in fact is or may be true. One of the more famous paradoxes when it comes to wildlife conservation is the Trophy Hunter’s Paradox. Hunting wildlife, especially endangered animals, seems antithetical to conservation. And yet, conservation hunting seems to be the next “big thing” in conservation. Why is conservation hunting so important to the climate of conservation today? I believe this is an important paradox to consider, and that there are no clear answers about the ethical dilemma of conservation hunting.
Conservation hunting can be seen all around the world, but is a greater issue in African countries where there is also a large risk …show more content…
For people living at the local level, large african animals are often considered a threat or a hindrance with their way of life. For example, I had experienced this when I lived in Tanzania. On Lake Babati in Tanzania, fishermen had trouble fishing because the fish began to swim near hippos to avoid being caught. The fishermen were fed up, because they had so much difficulty catching the fish, that they petitioned the government to kill the hippos so they could continue fishing. This is just one example, but demonstrates the difficulties of cohabitating with large animals. Both tourism and conservation hunting can offer income and job opportunities, but conservation hunting can also directly provide meat for consumption. The fishermen would not need to fish if they could earn money and food in another avenue. They also would not need to resort to illegal poaching. However, the problem arises that local communities, landowners, and the government could operate with short-term profits in mind. This means that too many animals could be killed, and that there may not be restrictions on the age of animals killed, so they don't get a chance to