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The presented
concept grew in my mind since visiting
South Africa in 1991: The
Game Parks thoroughly impressed me and I
could not understand why, as a European, I
had to travel half way round the globe to
enjoy a degree of nature which historically
would be present at our doorstep.
In addition the
funding streams for state owned Game Parks
in South Africa enforced the government to
double all funds the parks raised
independently. But it also dawned on me that
money is the real issue with any
conservation project. After reading a quote
in
Wilbur Smith’s novel “Elephant
Song” “If the game can pay then the game
can stay” the suggested concept took shape.
I certainly do
not conduct this project for personal
financial gain! I just feel strongly that if
we are serious about conservation we must
change our attitude towards conservation in
order to allow for the realities of the 21st
century.
The United
Kingdom is a signatory to the
European Union's
'Council
Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation
of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and
Flora' (also called the Habitats
Directive); the
United Kingdom basically agreed to
further and aspire the preservation and
indeed reintroduction of formerly native
species to its lands. Unfortunately apart
from the
reintroduction of
beavers, with the first project
privately funded but finally also with
public support, very little headway has
been made.
The
reappearance of
wolves in Germany for example was a
natural affair after the
German reunification and the fall of the
iron curtain. In Britain, due to the
island status , apart from a new breed of “Channel
swimming water wolves”, the reappearance of
wild wolves depends entirely on human
intervention.
Mr.Paul Lister
of
Alladale follows the dream of an
African style
game park on private land
north of
Inverness. Other
organisations also follow narrow aspects of
similar visions, e.g. the
Scottish Wildlife Trust , the
Caledonian Partnership or the
Woodland Trust and others. Their ideas
and goals are honourable and important and
many have re-wilding at heart. But
the Naturepark UK concept differs because it
is not about re-wilding but more about
changing ways. Re-wilding is good but needs
legal protection and also benefits from
state ownership of the land. The
disadvantage is that re-wilded areas only
have a narrow band width of income
generation, hence the extend of land to be
re-wilded is limited by economical factors.
The Naturepark UK concept allows for far
larger areas to be targeted since profits
and economical viability are the driving
force and biodiversity is part of the
regulatory framework.
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