CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2015
| Author | Sándor, Anna Sarolta |
|---|---|
| Title | Mapping the Conflict of Raptor Conservation and Recreational Shooting in the Batumi Bottleneck, Georgia |
| Summary | Illegal resource use is an increasing global problem that threatens biodiversity and often leads to conservation conflicts between affected parties. Such a conflict is emerging in the Batumi Bottleneck, the Republic of Georgia, where every autumn more than one million birds of prey funnel above a handful of villages. This spectacle attracts not only birdwatchers and ornithologists from all around the world, but also local people with shotguns. The tradition of autumn hunting of raptors—which is illegal according to the relevant legislation—has long been a widespread practice in the region, but our understanding of its role as a social activity is still limited, and there is no appropriate policy and practice in place to manage the situation. As a first step towards a mutually acceptable resolution, the present thesis explores the context of this conflict through the identification of the affected stakeholders and the mapping of their values and goals associated with raptors migrating in the bottleneck. The results show these values are multifaceted and range on a broad scale from seeing them as a mere food source to appreciating their existence and beauty. While most of the parties are on common ground and consider the shooting unacceptable, they show different preferences about the solution, ranging from no intervention to immediate strict enforcement. It was also found that the most urgent issues to be dealt with are the lack of awareness of the situation; the potential loss of species; and the risk of the escalation of the conflict. |
| Supervisor | Anthony, Brandon |
| Department | Environment Sciences and Policy MSc |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2015/sandor_anna.pdf |
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