Understanding stakeholder preferences for managing red foxes in different situations

Abstract

Background: Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have historically been interacting with human societies, thus being an important component of socio-ecological systems. In Greece, farmers and hunters have been increasingly complaining about predation of red foxes on livestock and game, and the recurrence of rabies incidents has raised concerns about human and animal health. Understanding public preferences about management is necessary for successful wildlife management. This study aimed at investigating the preferences of north Greece residents for managing the negative impacts of red foxes and also at understanding variation between stakeholder groups: farmers, hunters, farmers-hunters, and the general public. Data were collected from on-site face-to-face surveys (n = 746), between March and May 2017. Respondents were asked to rate their acceptability of management strategies under three impact scenarios: red foxes attack livestock, reduce game, and carry rabies. Results: Stakeholders preferred nonlethal management strategies, with generally high consensus, both between and within groups. Fencing and compensation were the most acceptable strategies for protecting livestock and vaccination and the removal of sick animals for eliminating rabies. Acceptability and consensus for lethal strategies were lower, with hunting being the most acceptable lethal strategy for hunters, especially when foxes threatened game or carried rabies. Doing nothing was becoming more unacceptable and lethal control more acceptable with increasing severity of the impacts, i.e., livestock and game predation versus rabies transmission. Conclusions: Variation in the acceptability of and consensus for management strategies was considerable among scenarios, and both between and within stakeholder groups. Research implications could be used as a guide for reaching consensus for proper management strategies during the conservation conflict management process in the study area. As similar studies are scarce, findings might also prove useful elsewhere, especially in the northern hemisphere where native populations do occur. Findings about managing rabid red foxes would be particularly useful for countries where rabies has not been eliminated, particularly for neighboring Balkan and Asia Minor countries. Findings about managing red fox impacts on livestock and game would be most useful for European countries and especially Mediterranean countries with social and ecological conditions similar to Greece.