Recognizing the added value hunting and fishing bring to the local food system is important...
ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland (PRWEB) March 02, 2021
Conservation Visions is announcing a new partnership with Wyoming Game and Fish Department in support of the Wild Harvest Initiative®, the first science-based program to assess the full benefits of sustainable wild animal harvests in ways that are most meaningful to people, whether or not they hunt or fish. The Initiative will examine the value of wildlife and fish harvests in terms of food, livelihoods, human health, wildlife conservation, and the environment. Its research will extend beyond meat and fish to explore other sustainable wild harvests of natural living resources, including berries and fruits, mushrooms, wild honey, medicinal plants, and more. The program will also explore synergies with sustainable agricultural and ranching practices on public and private lands.
“The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is excited about this program with the Wild Harvest Initiative® to learn even more about the value of hunting and angling in Wyoming,” said Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik. “Recognizing the added value hunting and fishing bring to the local food system is important not just to hunters and anglers and their families, but to people who do not hunt or fish themselves. We hope that through this project, more people will understand the diverse benefits of Wyoming's wild protein sources. We're glad this effort will consider overlap with our state's robust agriculture industry as well as complement our state's efforts to combat food insecurity with wild game.”
Shane Mahoney, President of Conservation Visions and founder of the Wild Harvest Initiative®, is very pleased to welcome Wyoming Game and Fish Department to the Wild Harvest Initiative® Partnership Alliance, a growing coalition of thirty-eight members, now representing state agencies, NGOs, outdoor industry leaders, and private philanthropists. “We know that the percentage of Wyomingites who hunt and/or fish is higher than the national average and it goes without saying that the majority of the state’s residents likely support sustainable natural resource use and wild harvest activities, especially in terms of food procurement,” he says. "So, we especially welcome the state’s long-range vision and willingness to join the Wild Harvest Initiative’s alliance of partners. Additionally, the state is famous for its high-quality ranching and farming culture. We know that working with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, will strengthen and broaden the relevance of the Wild Harvest Initiative® and deliver results that will help protect Wyoming’s outdoor heritage for generations to come.”