Ribeye in the Sky

This year’s hunting season in Alabama marks the second year that hunters will have a new game to pursue. In 2019 Alabama became the third state east of the Mississippi River to allow for hunting of the Sandhill Crane. Once on the verge of extinction, hunting of Sandhill Cranes was banned in Alabama in 1916. Since then, the population of Sandhill Cranes east of the Mississippi has grown from an estimated 50 in 1925 to over 97,000 today. The success of the conservation effort over the last century has led authorities to be comfortable in allowing the bird to be hunted again, although still under strict regulations.

Dubbed the “Ribeye of the Sky,” the 4-foot tall bird is highly prized for its meat, which is reported to taste like pork. Therefore, to ensure they are not again hunted to extinction, hunting will be limited to a strict geographical area and only allowed during a split season running from Dec. 3 to Jan. 5 and Jan. 16 to Jan. 31. Additionally, only 400 hunting permits will be made available through a random lottery, with each license allowing a hunter to harvest up to three Cranes.

Such restrictions are not uncommon for hunting and fishing. Federal, state, and local wildlife agencies have a web of rules and regulations governing when, how, and how much people are allowed to hunt and fish. In some cases, quantitative limits can make seasons extremely short. In 2019, the annual limit for catching Lake Sturgeon was reached in just 78 minutes!

Discussion/Questions:

1. In addition to regulations governing hunting/fishing seasons, what other mechanisms are available to ensure animal populations are not hunted or fished into extinction?
2. Community and government can play an important role in preventing the “Tragedy of the Commons.” However, in many cases property rights are not clearly defined (e.g. fish in international water), or easily enforced (e.g. in many low-income countries). What are some possible solutions to address these issues?
3. It has been argued that trophy hunting can serve as a way to preserve big game animals from extinction. What conditions need to be in place for such an argument to be valid? 

Sources: Montgomery Advertiser- ‘Ribeye of the sky’: After 103 years, Alabama reopens hunting season on sandhill cranes. AL Reporter- Gun season begins tomorrow in two new deer zones. AL.com- Alabama sandhill crane hunting: Why now? How does it taste? Detroit Free Press- Michigan’s entire sturgeon fishing season lasted 78 minutes. The New York Times- Hunt Elephants to Save Them? Some Countries See No Other Choice. Photo by Edwin Hooper on Unsplash.