… or should private enterprise take over?

Sir

James et al.¹ call for the elimination of government subsidies that encourage ecologically harmful activities. This goal is admirable because it would remove government incentives that lead to resource abuse and would lessen the tax burden on the citizenry. However, proponents of this idea should be wary about redirecting the subsidies to protection of biodiversity.

Using subsidies to set aside a significant portion of a nation's land base in nature reserves can still have serious economic consequences if it means that other economic activities such as oil and gas development, timber production, or ranching are disallowed. Already suffering from impoverished conditions, Third World countries will not readily embrace the idea of reduced economic outputs. In addition, such a strategy ignores the possibility of creating a profitable land base of enhanced biodiversity, and may also intensify development pressures on lands not included in the nature reserve system. As a consequence, species residing on these lands are likely to suffer a loss of habitat².

Creating a land base that eliminates options for other economic activities does not necessarily protect species. Newmark found that national parks in western North America have lost 42 populations of mammals and are in danger of losing more³. Also in national parks, Wagner et al. found declines in “genetic diversity within species populations, species diversity, ecosystem diversity, and habitat of landscape diversity”⁴.

There are better options for enhanced biodiversity, without government spending. Non-government enterprises that protect biodiversity include the McIlhenny family's Avery Island and the National Audubon Society's Rainey Preserve in Louisiana, the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona, the Joint Venture Partners' preserve along the Kikori River in Papua New Guinea, and those run by Conservation Corporation Africa. They prevent trespass and generate funds from limited commodity development or from the wildlife itself. Such private options should be explored.