Opinions on mitigating measures intended to reduce human carnivore conflicts

Abstract

Large carnivore conflicts in Norway is a result of carnivores returning after years of extinction, and this reestablishment results in more frequent encounters with large carnivores and livestock, and humans. There are several measures intended to mitigate large carnivore conflicts today, but people’s opinions towards these measures have had a minimal focus in previous research. As conflict mitigating measures are intended to reduce livestock loss, they also intend to mitigate conflicts with people. The controversy and dissatisfaction among parts of the Norwegian population show that taking people’s perceptions on large carnivore-related issues is necessary to reduce the conflict. By investigating opinions towards mitigating measures, it may show which measures that are less controversial to people, and which measures people in different groups of the population prefer. The focus of this study is to investigate people’s opinions on measures intended to mitigate large carnivore conflicts using survey data. The survey was sent out in 2018 to people living over a wide geographical area, and a sample of people living inside the wolf zone. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to analyze the data. Age, gender, educational level, population size at residents’ home place, and living in relation to the wolf zone (inside vs. outside) were used as explanatory variables. The findings in this study suggests that people in general is most positive towards the use of electric fences, and positive information work. The majority were negative towards the use of GPS collars, moving large carnivores, funding for farmers to change husbandry practice, and carnivore zones. These results can be useful management authorities when prioritizing the use of mitigating measure.