Educators must upgrade training in environmental sciences so that an environmental awareness (conservation ethic) is instilled in young people. In this regard, an Alaskan bird study program proposed for Alaska schools by J. G. King, Jr., of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1962 deserves close scrutiny. This highly innovative and practical environmental education proposal apparently arrived before its time, for nothing was ever done to institute it. Possibly, now would be a good time to give it a closer look.
Conclusions
Success in more adequately recognizing and using social and economic indicators to strengthen and broaden seabird programs will depend on the ability of the resource management agencies to blend the old with the new. It is obvious to most that new alignments, programs, authorities, and sources of funds are needed, but by themselves, they will not be enough to overcome the continuing massive losses of wildlife habitat due to population growth and technological impacts resulting from various developmental programs.
No marine bird programs will be successful without a strong political base. If this is to be assured, resource agencies must be more responsive to the needs of both consumptive and nonconsumptive users and involve them in their programs from early in the planning process. Because marine birds and the natural environments they inhabit are jointly valued over time and are jointly owned, it is important to ask not only what is efficient from the point of view of the present generation but also what is equitable across generations.
References
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