The Global Squirrel Hunting Status and Its Marginalized Governance and Law Enforcement

Abstract

For millennia squirrels are hunted, eaten, poached, traded for fur, killed as shooting targets, and trapped all around the world; they are an inherent part of bushmeat (Akinnifesi and Veloso 2014; Djagoun et al. 2018; Ripple et al. 2016; Wolfe et al. 2005). And unfortunately, almost everywhere it is unmanaged and far away from being harvested sustainably (Steiner and Huettmann 2021; see multiple chapters in Steiner and Huettmann 2023). Even the most basic demographic metrics for squirrels – as needed for conservation management in the public eye – are not well researched, e.g. annual harvest rates, reproductive rates, life expectancy, fecundity, etc. While they might be generically assumed, local estimates across meaningful scales are virtually left unresearched, carry no relevant confidence intervals, or remain totally unknown. Often even the taxonomic species status is also widely unclear and in great flux (Steiner and Huettmann 2021, 2023 - Chapter 1), leaving the essential question unresolved of what actually is managed? In this study, we are taking a closer look at the global squirrel hunting, poaching, fur-bearing, and trap** status. This is done by starting a global interview (inquiry done through written mailing letters) and subsequent email follow-ups to ask global governmental authorities on issues of (1) Assigned budget for wildlife conservation actions in each mandated area for all squirrel species present; (2) Laws and regulations regarding squirrel hunting, fur-bearing, and trap**; (3) Reports of known and documented poaching activities; and (4) Whether the current squirrel management is aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? The aim of this study consists of compiling for the first time, for squirrels, a consistent management status database, gathering the above-mentioned information that is usually not known or provided for the public nor well analyzed for most species. This study will help to fill that embarassing gap in a constructive fashion: it allows for the first time to start a synthesis on squirrel hunting, fur-bearing, and trap** regulations on a global scale. The responses to these mailings are analyzed with state-of-the-art data mining techniques. They are to determine to which extent the mailed information corresponds to the one published online, and even if responses are given (response rates were rather small, app. 44%). This is then discussed here to illustrate the importance of data transparency and repeatability for wildlife conservation, survival, the interactions between humans and animals, and the general well-being of nature (including resource extraction and associated climate change politics). It all seems to be interlinked on a global scale (sensu telecoupling). This study aims to set an example of the importance of data transparency with which we would like to invite the mandated governments and agencies to follow this approach online to enlighten the broad population with the necessary information to guarantee future sustainable conservation management for squirrels and other species.

I have already started the Squirrel Wars for the season. I’ll consider it even when the pile of squirrels equals the amount of damage they have been doing. Haven’t had a squirrel war for a few years, time to thin the herd!

Source: Anonymous Online