- Email: [email protected]
Tourism and the Consumption of Wildlife: Hunting, Shooting, and Sport Fishing
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Publications in review/Annals of Tourism Research 35 (2008) 833–846
REFERENCES Convention Industry Council 2005 (March 12, 2008). Sturken, C-A. 2005 In Case of Emergency (March 12, 2008).
Assigned 8 January 2008. Submitted 13 March 2008. Accepted 18 March 2008 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2008.03.006 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 842–843, 2008 Printed in Great Britain
Tourism and the Consumption of Wildlife: Hunting, Shooting, and Sport Fishing Edited by Brent Lovelock. Routledge 2008, xix + 290 pages (figures, tables) $170 Hb. ISBN 978-0-415-40381-8 R. Harvey Lemelin Lakehead University, Canada It is unfortunate that the title of this edited book, ‘‘Tourism and the Consumption of Wildlife: Hunting, Shooting and Sport Fishing’’, will most likely deter some individuals from reading it because the book is one of the best collection of empirical and theoretical works in tourism in recent years. From game theory, through Marxist geography, to actor-network theory, the contributors aptly demonstrate how consumptive forms of wildlife tourism are multi-dimensional practices ‘‘rather than a simple act of killing’’ (p. 4). The fact that consumptive wildlife tourism (CWT) is socially and culturally embedded in various contexts makes it quite diverse: as a sporting activity, a cultural experience, a leisure activity, a management strategy, and a tourism experience. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the deconstruction of the ‘‘non-consumptive tourism’’ myth by various authors. However, it is Adrian Franklin’s chapter entitled ‘‘The ‘Animal Question’ and The ‘Consumption’ of Wildlife’’ that most succinctly outlines how the hegemonic definitions of tourism by researchers and academics alike have created a bipolar hierarchy with some morally superior tourism activities such as eco-tourism ranked high while CWT is categorized as an inferior form of tourism. A rational provided for the ‘‘inferiority’’ of CWT is based on the impacts from colonial management approaches on indigenous peoples. Kevin Hannam’s chapter on British tiger hunters in colonial India provides an excellent overview of this approach. Yet, to label an activity as non-consumptive based solely on the desire not to harvest wildlife or the intent to harm is
Publications in review/Annals of Tourism Research 35 (2008) 833–846
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nonsensical. As John Akama explains, preservationist efforts and anti-hunting sentiments have also harmed indigenous communities dependent upon CWT as an economic activity. Franklin argues that it ‘‘is moot as to whether non-consumptive forms will always produce a sustainable politics of care that is more robust than one based on consumption’’ (p. 35). Whether hunting black bears in Canada or angling for fish in Namibia, CWT creates a profound sense of belonging to the land and water. This connectivity can also generate an awareness of one’s impact on these resources. Such awareness in turn fosters stewardship and the promotion of local, regional, and national conservation initiatives. Indeed, ‘‘international trade and conservation agreements can only contribute to sustainable outcomes when they take into consideration local stakeholder interests and environmental conditions’’ (p. 152). The sole criticism of the book concerns the uneven coverage of environmental ethics in some chapters. Some authors such as Philip Seddon and Frederic Launay who write about falconry, and Lee Foote and George Wenzel who write on conservation hunting in the Canadian Arctic discuss the importance of an environmental ethic in CWT. Other chapters provide only cursory mentions of this important aspect of CWT. This is somewhat surprising and disappointing considering that a number of hunting organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited) were at the forefront of the conservation movement in North America. The editor and authors should be commended for their pragmatic approach to CWT that highlights both positive and negative impacts. The courage to address the impacts of wildlife tourism is commendable and should be emulated by other researchers that continue to perpetuate the myth of ‘‘non-consumptive’’ activities. This book is highly recommended. Raynald Harvey Lemelin: School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism; Lakehead University; Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada. E-mail Assigned 8 January 2008. Submitted 14 April 2008. Accepted 17 April 2008 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2008.04.001 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 843–846, 2008 Printed in Great Britain
Culture on Tour: Ethnographies of Travel By Edward M. Bruner. University of Chicago Press 2005 x + 308 pp (photos, bibliography, index) $22.50 Pbk. ISBN 0-226-07763-5 Nelson Graburn University of California, Berkeley, USA Ed Bruner has been a major contributor to the study of tourism for two decades. Known in the 1950s for his work on American Indian kinship and, since the 1960s, for research on urbanization and identity in Indonesia, he became a major figure
Publications in review/Annals of Tourism Research 35 (2008) 833–846
REFERENCES Convention Industry Council 2005
Assigned 8 January 2008. Submitted 13 March 2008. Accepted 18 March 2008 doi:10.1016/j.annals.2008.03.006 Annals of Tourism Research, Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 842–843, 2008 Printed in Great Britain
Tourism and the Consumption of Wildlife: Hunting, Shooting, and Sport Fishing Edited by Brent Lovelock. Routledge
Publications in review/Annals of Tourism Research 35 (2008) 833–846
843
nonsensical. As John Akama explains, preservationist efforts and anti-hunting sentiments have also harmed indigenous communities dependent upon CWT as an economic activity. Franklin argues that it ‘‘is moot as to whether non-consumptive forms will always produce a sustainable politics of care that is more robust than one based on consumption’’ (p. 35). Whether hunting black bears in Canada or angling for fish in Namibia, CWT creates a profound sense of belonging to the land and water. This connectivity can also generate an awareness of one’s impact on these resources. Such awareness in turn fosters stewardship and the promotion of local, regional, and national conservation initiatives. Indeed, ‘‘international trade and conservation agreements can only contribute to sustainable outcomes when they take into consideration local stakeholder interests and environmental conditions’’ (p. 152). The sole criticism of the book concerns the uneven coverage of environmental ethics in some chapters. Some authors such as Philip Seddon and Frederic Launay who write about falconry, and Lee Foote and George Wenzel who write on conservation hunting in the Canadian Arctic discuss the importance of an environmental ethic in CWT. Other chapters provide only cursory mentions of this important aspect of CWT. This is somewhat surprising and disappointing considering that a number of hunting organizations (e.g., Ducks Unlimited) were at the forefront of the conservation movement in North America. The editor and authors should be commended for their pragmatic approach to CWT that highlights both positive and negative impacts. The courage to address the impacts of wildlife tourism is commendable and should be emulated by other researchers that continue to perpetuate the myth of ‘‘non-consumptive’’ activities. This book is highly recommended. Raynald Harvey Lemelin: School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks, and Tourism; Lakehead University; Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada. E-mail
Culture on Tour: Ethnographies of Travel By Edward M. Bruner. University of Chicago Press