The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife: Failures of Principle and Policy (Volume 9)

by Maxwell L. Foran

Hardly a day goes by without news of the extinction or endangerment of yet another animal species, followed by urgent but largely unheeded calls for action. An eloquent denunciation of the failures of Canada's government and society to protect wildlife from human exploitation, Max Foran's The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife argues that a root cause of wildlife depletions and habitat loss is the culturally ingrained beliefs that underpin management practices and policies. Tracing the evolution of the highly contestable assumptions that define the human–wildlife relationship, Foran stresses the price wild animals pay for human self-interest. Using several examples of government oversight at the federal, provincial, and territorial levels, from the Species at Risk Act to the Biodiversity Strategy, Protected Areas Network, and provincial management plans, this volume shows that wildlife policies are as much – or more – about human needs, priorities, and profit as they are about preservation. Challenging established concepts including ecological integrity, adaptive management, sport hunting as conservation, and the flawed belief that wildlife is a renewable resource, the author compels us to recognize animals as sentient individuals and as integral components of complex ecological systems. A passionate critique of contemporary wildlife policy, The Subjugation of Canadian Wildlife calls for belief-change as the best hope for an ecologically healthy, wildlife-rich Canada.

440 pages, Hardcover

Published April 10, 2018

Reviews

[Rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

An impassioned argument against wildlife policies that reflect the "abiding belief that humans stand outside nature and need to manage it like a department story by adjusting inventories, attracting customers, pushing big ticket items, and advertising its own merits" (p.285).

The book offers solid critiques of Canadian federal and provincial policies and practices and how they are failing.

[Karry · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book. Great information, well presented, well researched. I was able to use this book in a meeting with my MLA to discuss past action/inaction in relation to the proper concern given by provincial and federal governments towards wildlife. It took me a long time to finish the book because it impacted me personally and I had to take time and digest what I was reading. We should all know what Canada is doing in relation to wildlife. This book spells it out....and we have to improve.