Wildlife policy and politics in Poland: Socio-political determinants of conservation policy concerning the European bison, the moose and the wolf
Dr Krzysztof Niedziałkowski
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences
Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences
Date: Wednesday, 08.05.2019, 13:00, Cent Lecture Theatre 0142 How to get there: Lecture theatre 0142 is c. ~15 meters to the right after entering CeNT
Recent years have witnessed heated discussions concerning the management of wildlife in Poland. They addressed the questions whether certain species should be lethally regulated, where, to what extent and by whom. They also engaged a number of social actors who tried to influence management rules according to their interests, beliefs and values. The outcome of these struggles depended on the arguments used, the resources of the social actors, and the wider socio-political context of the discussions. In my project I used social scientific theories and tools to analyse the management of three wildlife species: the European bison, the moose, and the wolf, since 1945. The first species has traditionally been a strictly protected symbol of nature conservation, but with its growing numbers it has also been increasingly perceived as too numerous and in need of lethal regulation, also in the form of trophy hunting. The second species has traditionally been classified as a game animal, but following the dramatic decline of the population in the late 1990s its hunting was suspended. The third species, persecuted after World War II and treated as a pest, over time became a game animal and, in the 1990s, a protected species. Based on the written sources and 46 interviews with people involved in the discussion concerning wildlife management I identify the main coalitions of social actors influencing policy changes, their arguments, and resources. I also show that decision-making concerning these species was strongly influenced by wider socio-political changes, such as democratization, the EU accession and changes of the government. I suggest that social scientific research can facilitate a better understanding of the determinants of population dynamics of wildlife.