Recreational, conservation and traditional hunting: the ethical dimensions

Abstract

A consideration of 'ethics' involves the question: 'what ought I to do?' It is a question we ask ourselves when we make decisions about how to live our life generally or how to deal with a specific situation. Ethics is not only about what we ought to do, but also why we ought to do it. It helps us justify what we do or don't do, to ourselves and to others. This presentation focuses on three forms of hunting practised in Australia: recreational, conservation and traditional. All three forms are controversial and are frequently attacked on moral grounds. This presentation will examine the main arguments given by hunters to justify their activities and will consider how hunting in its various forms conforms to ethical standards articulated by the general community, as well as environmental and feminist ethics. It will conclude with a few remarks about the place of ethics in the relevant law.