‘Bang for your buck:’ Predation reimbursement supports land preservation

Jan 23, 2018

Study shows compensation program offsets conservation costs

Staff Writer

Farms.com

Alberta’s rancher compensation program for livestock killed by predators offsets the cost of conserving wildlife habitat on private lands, according to a University of Alberta (UAlberta) study.

The province does not have a system that provides producers with incentives to preserve wildlife habitat on their properties. However, “this (program) compensates for losses due to wildlife and I think it tends to appease farmers who are essentially providing habitat for wildlife,” Mark Boyce, a UAlberta professor and the Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife, said to Farms.com yesterday.

“While compensation programs don’t prevent the death of livestock, they do effectively support the maintenance of wildlife habitat on private lands,” Boyce said in a university release on Wednesday.

Researchers looked at 4,500 claims between the years 2000 and 2016. The distribution of livestock predators on private lands is highly correlated with compensation claims, the study showed. Thus, depredation occurs on private lands that are home to various wildlife species, according to the release.

“Our research shows that private ranchlands provide important habitats for carnivorous wildlife, including wolves, cougars, bears and eagles,” said Boyce.

In the event that livestock is killed by wolves, cougars, eagles or bears, the compensation program provides the rancher with a payment for the market value of the animal.

The Alberta Conservation Program contributes most of the funds. Some money also comes from revenue of hunting and fishing licences, according to the release.

“Predation compensation requires a sustainable, forward-thinking funding model,” Boyce said in the release.

Video: Four Star Pork Industry Conf - Back to Basics: Fundamentals drive vaccine performance

At a time when disease pressure continues to challenge pork production systems across the United States, vaccination remains one of the most valuable and heavily debated tools available to veterinarians and producers.

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