Towards harmonizing the collection of game statistics in Europe: a case study

Abstract

Abstract Wildlife population monitoring requires that collected information be comparable among data collection frameworks and useful in decision making. Hunting statistics may suppose a reliable alternative for monitoring population trends of game species, however, there is not a common and homogeneous framework in Europe, even, within countries. As a case of study, we aimed to i) describe the variability in the big game statistics collection frameworks across mainland regions in Spain, and ii) to propose a minimum common denominator for a harmonized approach at country level. The main constraints identified are that different information is collected among regions, and the variation in resolution and methodologies used. It is essential to incorporate hunting effort-related variables and improve temporal resolution (event level detail) to achieve complete harmonization. The use of applications to collect information from the field in a harmonized way is recommended, and this implies engaging stakeholders as part of the monitoring process. Applications should be designed on purpose only once objectives and monitoring program are defined. The open availability of hunting data collected will benefit the collaboration and information transfer to scientific and professional sectors. Our recommendations can be adapted to European countries, which would enlarge the usefulness of hunting data for population monitoring and wildlife policy-making at large-spatial scales. Initiatives such as the 'European Wildlife Observatory' initiative (www.wildlifeobservatory.org), a network of wildlife observation and monitoring points in Europe, may help to exchange data and implement harmonized protocols for the knowledge of European wildlife populations through the use of hunting statistics.