Ethical aspects and dilemmas of fertility control of unwanted wildlife: an animal welfarist’s perspective

1997 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenys Oogjes
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Fertility Control ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Myxoma Virus ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Animal Suffering ◽  
Welfare Implications ◽  
Genetically Manipulated ◽  
Selection Of

Proposals to manipulate the fertility of wild, free-living animals extend the domination humans already exercise over domesticated animals. Current lethal methods for population control include poisoning, trapping, hunting, dogging, shooting, explosives, fumigants, and deliberately introduced disease. Animal welfare interests are based on individual animal suffering, but those interests are often overshadowed by labelling of groups of animals as pests, resource species, national emblem or endangered species. Public concern for animal welfare and acceptance of new population control methods will be influenced by such labels. The animal welfare implications of new population control technology must be balanced against the existing inhumane lethal methods used. It will be difficult to resolve the dilemma of a mechanism for disseminating a fertility control agent that will cause some animal suffering (e.g. a genetically-manipulated myxoma virus for European rabbits), yet may reduce future rabbit populations and therefore the number suffering from lethal methods. An Animal Impact Statement is proposed as a tool to assist debate during development of fertility control methods and for decision making prior to their use. A comprehensive and objective Animal Impact Statement may introduce an ethic that moves the pendulum from attitudes that allow sentient animals to be destroyed by any and all available means, towards a more objective selection of the most effective and humane methods.

A review of chemical, biological and fertility control options for the camel in Australia

2010 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 95 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven J. Lapidge ◽  
Charlie T. Eason ◽  
Simon T. Humphrys
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Fertility Control ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Arid Ecosystems ◽  
High Morbidity ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
The One ◽  
Camel Pox Virus

Since their introduction to Australia in 1840 the one-humped camel, Camelus dromedarius, has gone from the colonist’s companion to a conservationist’s conundrum in the fragile arid ecosystems of Australia. Current management techniques are failing to curb present population growth and alternatives must be sought. This review assess the applicability of currently registered and developmental vertebrate pesticides and fertility control agents for camel control, as well as examining the potential usefulness of known C. dromedarius diseases for biological control. Not surprisingly, little is known about the lethality of most vertebrate pesticides used in Australia to camels. More has been published on adverse reactions to pharmaceuticals used in agriculture and the racing industry. An examination of the literature on C. dromedarius diseases, such as camel pox virus, contagious ecthyma and papillomatosis, indicates that the infections generally result in high morbidity but not necessarily mortality and this alone may not justify their consideration for use in Australia. The possibility exists that other undiscovered or unstudied biological control agents from other camilid species may offer greater potential for population control. As a long-lived species the camel is also not ideally suited to fertility control. Notwithstanding, anti-fertility agents may have their place in preventing the re-establishment of camel populations once they have been reduced through mechanical, biological or chemical means. Delivery of any generic chemical or fertility control agent will, however, require a species-tailored pathway and an appropriate large-scale deployment method. Accordingly, we put forward avenues of investigation to yield improved tools for camel control.

scholarly journals The Ethics of Laying Hen Genetics

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Fernyhough ◽  
Christine J. Nicol ◽  
Teun van de Braak ◽  
Michael J. Toscano ◽  
Morten Tønnessen
Keyword(s):  
Moral Responsibility ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Laying Hens ◽  
Laying Hen ◽  
Moral Legitimacy ◽  
Market Conditions ◽  
The World ◽  
Welfare Implications ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractDespite societal concerns about the welfare of commercial laying hens, little attention has been paid to the welfare implications of the choices made by the genetics companies involved with their breeding. These choices regarding trait selection and other aspects of breeding significantly affect living conditions for the more than 7 billion laying hens in the world. However, these companies must consider a number of different commercial and societal interests, beyond animal welfare concerns. In this article we map some of the relevant dilemmas faced by genetics companies in order to outline the scope of opportunities to improve welfare under current market conditions. This includes identifying cases where different animal welfare concerns conflict. We discuss the moral responsibility of laying hen genetics companies and the welfare implications that derive from the choices they make and the policies they follow. In addition to evaluating a selection of predominant current practices and breeding goals, we outline different angles from where to assess the moral legitimacy of various industry practices and policies. We discuss specific issues such as injurious pecking, bone health, induced moulting, chick culling and the circumstances of breeding stock.

Animal Welfare and Human Health: Rising Conflicts over Stray Dogs in Chandigarh

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-352
Author(s):  
Namita Gupta ◽  
Rajiv Kumar Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Population Control ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Animal Suffering ◽  
Control Laws ◽  
Rabies Control ◽  
Stray Dog ◽  
Laws And Policies

India’s large stray dog population, estimated to be about 25 million, poses substantial risks to human health, motivating some civic bodies to employ cruel methods to control dog populations. This article argues that while human health is certainly a priority, it is also important to consider animal welfare and to handle dog population control measures without causing unnecessary animal suffering. Triangulating the issues of rabies control, dog population management and state intervention, the article identifies recent practical difficulties in local management of dog population control laws and policies in India’s model city of Chandigarh. Based on a survey of local opinions, this shows how rising human–animal conflicts require new ways of handling existing challenges.

scholarly journals Is There a Wild Animal Welfare Emergency Facilitated by Negative Linguistic Framing in Wildlife Population Control Studies?

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Emma F. Randall ◽  
Nieky van Veggel
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Population Control ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Wild Mammals ◽  
Welfare Impacts ◽  
Wildlife Population ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
The Impact

As the world’s human population continues grow in number and mobility, and the impacts of climate change take effect, the opportunities for problematic relationships with non-human animals multiply. There are escalating threats to health from wild vectors of zoonotic disease, and so-called “invasive” species have been identified as a significant direct driver of an unprecedented period of global biodiversity loss. This brings a sense of genuine urgency to control problematic wild populations; in the UK alone, it is estimated that 38 million wild mammals and birds are killed as pests. However, the impact of these animals is not always objectively appraised. Control interventions are often ineffective, may be counterproductive and can cause severe suffering. Decisions about when, where and how to control animal populations can be affected by attitudes and philosophical perspectives, influenced by how language is used. A systematic review of wildlife population control studies was carried out to determine whether negative linguistic framing of animals was associated with poor welfare outcomes. Framework analysis of titles, abstracts and keywords was used, and assessments made of the welfare impacts of control methods. This analysis revealed language that framed target populations in terms of War, Threat, Place, Victim, Value, Sentience and Naturalness with a range of associated themes. There was a relationship between negative framing and methods with the most adverse welfare outcomes, but the effect was not consistent. It was clear that there are cultural conventions within the science that were reinforced or challenged depending on many factors including the status of the species and the context of the intervention. More work to explore and challenge cultural conventions in describing targeted animals, and robust reporting of the welfare impacts of control methods are needed to tackle this, often disregarded, animal welfare emergency.

scholarly journals Biological control of tick populations: review and reflections

1994 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma V. Labarthe
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Genetic Selection ◽  
Effective Vaccine ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

This study is concerned with aspects of the relationship between ticks and their hosts that have a bearing on biological control of tick populations. It proposes control methods based on a program that would combine development of an effective vaccine with genetic selection of hosts.

A systematic approach to evaluating and ranking the relative animal welfare impacts of wildlife control methods: poisons used for lethal control of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 553 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Beausoleil ◽  
P. Fisher ◽  
K. E. Littin ◽  
B. Warburton ◽  
D. J. Mellor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Management Decision ◽  
Pest Species ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Trichosurus Vulpecula ◽  
Welfare Impacts ◽  
Wildlife Control ◽  
Management Decision Making

Context Control of unwanted wildlife (‘pest’ animals) is undertaken for conservation and economic reasons, and when such animals are considered a nuisance. Such control should be undertaken using approaches that minimise, as far as possible, detrimental impacts on the welfare of the animals. Using a scientific framework based on the Five Domains model, the relative welfare impacts of pest control methods can be compared across methods and pest species. Aims We demonstrate the application of a modified version of this framework to evaluate the relative impacts of seven Vertebrate Toxic Agents (VTAs) used to control brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) in New Zealand. The evaluation is used to produce a ranking of the seven VTAs based on their relative impacts on possum welfare. Methods Scientific literature describing mode of toxic action, specific effects in possums or other animals and reports from human poisonings was collated as reference material for a panel of six experts. The panel produced a median welfare impact score (‘none’ to ‘extreme’) for each of the Five Domains. The ‘Overall Grade’ (1 to 8) reflected the intensity and duration of all impacts of a VTA on possums. Key results All VTAs evaluated have at least moderate impacts on possum welfare, lasting for at least minutes. Cyanide was assessed as having the lowest welfare impacts (median grade 4), and cholecalciferol and the anticoagulants the highest impacts (7.5 to 8). Zinc phosphide was assigned an intermediate grade (6) with high confidence. While the overall impacts of sodium fluoroacetate (1080) and phosphorus were also assessed as intermediate (6), the panel’s confidence in these scores was low. Conclusions From an animal welfare perspective, anticoagulant poisons and cholecalciferol should be the least preferred options for controlling possums in New Zealand, as VTAs with less severe welfare impacts are available. Implications The results of such assessments allow animal welfare impacts to be integrated with other factors in wildlife management decision-making and policy development, and are thus useful for managers, researchers, regulators and operators. Evaluation of welfare impacts aligns with the goals and mandates of ethical wildlife control and may also be valuable in wider wildlife research and management activities.

A Model for Evaluating Hunting and Contraception as Feral Hog Population Control Methods

2012 ◽  
pp. 133-150
Author(s):  
Jennifer L. Burton ◽  
Marina Drigo ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Ariane Peralta ◽  
Johanna Salzer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Control ◽  
Control Methods ◽  
Feral Hog

scholarly journals Eucalyptus variegated beetle: genetic diversity of New Zealand and Australian collections

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 352
Author(s):  
Aymee S.R. Lewis ◽  
Toni M. Withers ◽  
Helen F. Nahrung ◽  
Rebecca L. McDougal ◽  
Chris A.M. Reid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Biological Control Agent ◽  
Control Agent ◽  
Forestry Sector ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Plantation Species ◽  
C Subunit ◽  
Cluster 2 ◽  
Paropsisterna Agricola ◽  
Selection Of

Paropsisterna variicollis, the eucalyptus variegated beetle, was first detected in New Zealand in 2016. It threatens a growing eucalyptus forestry sector through larvae and adults causing significant defoliation to important plantation species. This work aimed to clarify the identification and origin of the New Zealand incursion to inform selection of suitable biological control agent(s). Australian and New Zealand specimens from the Paropsisterna obovata-variicollis-cloelia species complex were analysed by PCR and sequencing of two genetic loci, cytochrome c subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cyt b). Molecular analysis of both genetic regions showed three major clusters of diversity. Cluster 1, proposed as Paropsisterna variicollis, had maximum 1.3% genetic variation and was collected from New Zealand, Western Australia and from geographically diverse locations in eastern Australia. Taxonomic results identified distinctive phenotypes of other closely related beetle species, assisting in proposing Cluster 2 as Paropsisterna near decolorata and Cluster 3 as Paropsisterna agricola. Molecular results were compared to morphological structures on adult beetles.

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