Number: 1999-04
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation has long recognized that scientifically based and professionally managed hunting, trapping, and fishing are effective and legitimate methods of controlling and maintaining healthy wildlife populations; and
WHEREAS, contraception has not been demonstrated to be a feasible method of controlling free-ranging populations of game animals; and
WHEREAS, more study is needed of contraception of free ranging wildlife to determine the potential implications including impacts to the long-range health of treated wildlife, behavioral changes of treated wildlife, genetic changes in treated populations, secondary impacts to humans or non-target species including domestic species from exposure to treated wildlife or carcasses, and impacts to non-target species including domestic species through direct contact with baits containing contraceptives; and
WHEREAS, contraception of free-ranging wildlife is not an appropriate substitute for conservation of habitat to maintain healthy wildlife populations; and
WHEREAS, contraception could conceivably be used for reduction or elimination of native populations of wildlife; and
WHEREAS, contraception could be misused if applied indiscriminately to control predators and non-game species; and
WHEREAS, contraception could potentially be a useful wildlife management tool where other options are not appropriate; and
WHEREAS, further research could establish contraceptives as a safe and effective method of population control in selected and targeted situations, thereby expanding the range of options and tools appropriate state and federal agencies have to properly manage wildlife; and
WHEREAS, contraception techniques may be especially applicable to the control of non-indigenous nuisance species;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in its Annual Meeting assembled March 18-21, 1999, in Houston, Texas, generally opposes the use of contraception in free-ranging native wildlife populations, including predators, where hunting, fishing, trapping, and/or food shelving are appropriate options as determined by appropriate state and federal agencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports continued education that the underlying cause of human/wildlife conflicts is habitat destruction and alteration.