Fur seals and fisheries in Tasmania: an integrated case study of human-wildlife conflict and coexistence

摘要: Cultivating more harmonious ways of interacting with top predators is a major challenge in sustainably managing and developing fisheries. In-depth, interdisciplinary case studies represent important tools for highlighting emergent properties complex human-predator relationships. In this study we integrate original social research detailed secondary historic natural-scientific information on long-standing human-wildlife conflict: the relationship between fur seals fisheries Tasmania. Stakeholders were targeted surveyed via anonymous questionnaire about their experiences perceptions seal-fishery interactions ecosystem. The most frequently cited outcomes both commercial recreational fishers damaged gear, lost catch, catch. Most indicated that they believed population-level controlled culling or removal problem individuals would be effective strategies to manage reduce interactions. contrast, general public resource/environmental managers strong preferences non-lethal forms management, lowest ranked strategy terms perceived effectiveness. Perceptions ongoing rapid population increase evident fishing sub-groups contrast available seal data. Such discrepancy suggests reported increasing may reflective behavioural change, becoming habituated certain activities. Areas promise identified future management focus on: technical mitigation minimise direct interactions, building tolerance communities, ecological disentangle effects pinniped abundance, distribution (including seasonal flux breeding regions), habituation Documenting contemporary status an integral step such conflicts.