Relationship between perceptions toward wildlife values and opinions about wildlife management policy in rural areas of central Japan

Abstract

An important aspect of managing wildlife is understanding local residents' perceptions toward wildlife. We surveyed the perceptions of various residents toward wildlife values and their opinions about wildlife management in rural eastern Aichi, central Japan. Of 250 respondents, 64% raised "ecological" value of wildlife for society, while 76% raised "psychological" value for themselves, and both values were positively correlated. Only 16% raised "consumptive" value for themselves. The ecological value of wildlife was most frequently cited in young women and middle-aged men, and there wae no difference between farmer and non-farmer. Factor analysis of the 24 animal statements identified 3 scales of definition of wildlife ; domestic, naturalistic and totalistic. The preferred approaches to alleviate wildlife-caused damage were "population control" (43%), "protecting by fences" (39%) and "tolerating damages" (36%). Those individuals who preferred "protecting" and "tolerating" were more likely to raise ecological and psycological value. This study has provided evidence that there is the necessity to incorporate public perceptions into management policy to cope with a diversity of values and opinions shared by the public in Japan.