Half-century of hunting prohibition in Brazil: consequences of an inadequate wildlife management policy

Abstract

Hunting has been prohibited in Brazil since 1967 by the legislation that became known as “Wildlife Protection Bill”. Since then, no effective wildlife management policy has been established in the country. The consequences are serious as hunting has never been efficiently controlled, and it is still very common in all regions of Brazil. Additionally, the country has failed in educating its population to understand wildlife as a relevant and valuable resource, as well as promoting its sustainable
use. The Brazilian universities never established an academic curriculum on wildlife manager, as this type of
professional was never considered as a relevant need under the hunting prohibition. The result of such reality
is an endangered species list that increases the number of species at each reviewed version, and the poaching
is one of the main causes of this pattern. The largest tropical country in the world lacks the implementation
of a comprehensive, modern and science-based wildlife management policy instead of the “all prohibited”
logic that is ruling nowadays. The objective of this opinion article is to stimulate a reflection on the wildlife
management in Brazil, pointing out the need of a more effective wildlife management system.