A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
A history of organized persecution and conservation of wildlife: species categorizations in Finnish legislation from medieval times to 1923
Authors: Mykra S, Vuorisalo T, Pohja-Mykra M
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
Publication year: 2005
Journal: Oryx
Journal name in source: ORYX
Journal acronym: ORYX
Volume: 39
Issue: 3
First page : 275
Last page: 283
Number of pages: 9
ISSN: 0030-6053
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605305000797
Abstract
Attitudes towards wild animals are reflected through history in various categorizations of species. For example, changes in the useful-harmful dichotomy of species have affected policy decisions during the long history of organized pest persecution as well as during the much more recent rise of nature conservation. The first hunting legislation in Finland dates back more than 650 years, to times when the country belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden. From those times to the early 20th century various acts of law exhibited a marked variation in placing species into useful and harmful categories. The dichotomy seems to be based upon fundamental ecological interactions between humans and other species. We show that the varying interest in pest persecution as well as important conservation milestones have been associated with contemporary human-animal relations such as the attitudes of decision makers and laymen towards wild animals, and the public awareness of species conservation issues.
Attitudes towards wild animals are reflected through history in various categorizations of species. For example, changes in the useful-harmful dichotomy of species have affected policy decisions during the long history of organized pest persecution as well as during the much more recent rise of nature conservation. The first hunting legislation in Finland dates back more than 650 years, to times when the country belonged to the Kingdom of Sweden. From those times to the early 20th century various acts of law exhibited a marked variation in placing species into useful and harmful categories. The dichotomy seems to be based upon fundamental ecological interactions between humans and other species. We show that the varying interest in pest persecution as well as important conservation milestones have been associated with contemporary human-animal relations such as the attitudes of decision makers and laymen towards wild animals, and the public awareness of species conservation issues.
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