The persecution of animal immigrants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31261/ZOOPHILOLOGICA.2023.12.02Keywords:
species cleansing, bioxenophobia, biopolitics, environmental ethics, non-native species, neobiota, American mink Neogale vison, Asian raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoidesAbstract
The present doctrine that discriminates against non-native species and drives the indiscriminate cleansing of sentient animals from „invasive“ species is deeply unscientific and unethical. The doctrine originated as a combination of Aldo Leopold’s homegrown ecocentric ethics and C.S. Elton’s theory of invasion by animals and plants. Despite repeated criticisms the doctrine is widely espoused by conservationists and the majority of biologists with little or no ethical reflection, leading to a blatant bias in research and interpretation of its results as testified by consistent ignoring any positive, while demonizing the negative, impact of non-native animals with the purpose of instigating their persecution. Species cleansing instigated by conservationists represents biopolitics disguised as science, and as such constitutes an abuse of public thrust and financial resources dedicated to science. Here I expose the bioxenophobic bias in numerous publications on the American minks and Raccoon dogs. The unbiased reading of the current research results shows that the Raccoon dogs found their trophic niche and the minks are in the process (disturbed by repeated escapes from fur farms) of carving out one of their own while controlling the populations of other American immigrants, muskrats and red swamp crayfish (both of which are considered invasive). American minks may possibly contribute to the disappearance of the relic populations of European minks but this is far from proven as the latter are on decline since XVII century. If a population of a neobiotic predator really needs to be reduced then the first rational and responsible move would be to stop the influx of new individuals (by removing their source) and the ongoing killing of its native competitors rather then inciting the populace to persecute wild animals. The striking irrationalism and zeal of conservationists to vilify and persecute non-native animals calls for an explanation. It seems to result from bioxenophobia which arises as a combination of biophilia and nativism, and turns conservationists’ anger over the devastation of biosphere into instrumental aggression against non-native („alien“) species.
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