The Endangered Species Act Didn't Save the Alligator, Commerce (and the States) Did
Sometimes you have to hunt species to save them.
HD DownloadThe Internet went on an outrage bender after a well-to-do American dentist shot and killed Zimbabwean icon Cecil the Lion. The dentist returned to work months later and found angry protesters camped outside his office, awaiting the opportunity to call him a cold-blooded killer to his face.
In America, killing big, beautiful animals is a cultural taboo. But what if it's one that does more harm than good? What if the truth was that when governments legalize hunting and trading valuable animals and move it out of the black market, it actually helps sustain their populations?
As it turns out, that's exactly what happened with one iconic North American predator: The American alligator. While federal agencies and certain conservation groups like to credit the 1973 Endangered Species Act for the gator's recovery, state-level regulators who actually oversaw the population's recovery have a different story to tell. It's a story of hunting, harvesting, trade, and conservation working together for the greater good. And it's a story of the politicization of wildlife management.
"The idea that the Endangered Species Act was responsible for the alligator's recovery is a myth," says Tommy Hines, who oversaw Florida's alligator management program in the 1960s and '70s. "There's no question about that."
Watch the Reason TV video above to learn more about the true story of the alligator's comeback and what it says about the role of commerce in conservation.
For an in-depth policy analysis of the alligator's recovery, check out this report from Reason Foundation's Brian Seasholes.
Approximately 7 minutes. Produced by Zach Weissmueller. Music by Tortue Super Sonic and Chris Zabriskie.
Scroll down for downloadable versions, and subscribe to Reason TV's YouTube channel for daily content like this.
Hide Comments (0)
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post commentsMute this user?
Ban this user?
Un-ban this user?
Nuke this user?
Un-nuke this user?
Flag this comment?
Un-flag this comment?