A new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Sustainability finds that mammal species subject to regulated sport hunting are more likely to have stable or increasing populations and are less likely to be classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List. The paper, Sport hunting associated with favourable conservation status of mammals, is authored by Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner, and CIC Applied Science Expert Member Jerrold L. Belant, and analyses global data from more than 1,600 terrestrial mammal species.
Using population trends and use-and-trade classifications from the IUCN Red List, the authors found that species hunted for sport were significantly less likely to be threatened and less likely to show declining population trends than species not subject to sport hunting. In contrast, species hunted for food were not more likely to be threatened or declining than species not used for food, highlighting important differences in management context and governance rather than use alone.
“Sport hunted species were more likely to have stable or increasing populations and less likely to be listed as threatened compared with non-sport hunted species.”
The study underlines that these outcomes are closely linked to regulation, monitoring, and incentive structures. Sport hunting is typically conducted under quota systems and legal frameworks, with revenues often reinvested into wildlife management, habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, and benefits for local communities.
“Revenue generation from sport hunting is contingent on healthy populations of harvested species, which can promote effective wildlife management.”
The authors also point to the role of land management, noting that large tracts of habitat are maintained specifically for sport hunting, in some regions exceeding the area covered by national parks, thereby helping to prevent habitat loss, the primary global driver of mammal population declines.
At the same time, the paper makes clear that positive outcomes are not automatic. Poorly designed quota systems or exclusion of local and Indigenous communities can undermine conservation goals.
“Sport hunting has been detrimental in instances where harvest quotas were not based on reliable population estimates and local communities were excluded.”
Overall, the authors conclude that when grounded in science, effective governance, and equitable benefit-sharing, regulated sport hunting can form part of sustainable wildlife management and contribute to biodiversity conservation outcomes at the species level.
The full article is available in Nature Sustainability: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-025-01714-6
Sport hunting associated with favourable conservation status of mammals
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