Three Oxford Ethicists Expose The “Con” In Conservation In New Book, The Ethics Of Predator Control – A Scottish Case Study By Katie Javanaud, Clair Linzey And Andrew Linzey

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK”, in The Ethics of Predator Control: A Scottish Case Study, Oxford ethicists Katie Javanaud, Clair Linzey, and Andrew Linzey powerfully expose how the annual killing of over 260,000 animals on Scottish moors—often justified as conservation— urging a moral reevaluation and legal protections for sentient wildlife in this compelling critique of suffering masked as stewardship.

The Ethics Of Predator Control

In their recent publication, three prominent ethicists from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics—Dr. Katie Javanaud, Dr. Clair Linzey, and the Revd Professor Andrew Linzey—challenge the justifications behind widespread predator control practices on Scottish moorlands. The book argues that these measures primarily serve the interests of the grouse-shooting industry rather than genuine conservation goals, describing the invocation of conservation as a misleading cover for ongoing management practices that prioritize sport shooting.

The Scale and Impact of Predator Control

Each year, more than 260,000 animals are killed through predator control efforts on Scottish moors. Targeted species include foxes, weasels, stoats, rats, rabbits, crows, magpies, jackdaws, and jays. However, the methods employed—such as traps, poisons, and previously used snares—often result in unintended harm to non-target animals. These collateral victims include pine martens, hedgehogs, badgers, deer, hares, capercaillie, and various raptors. Such approaches cause significant suffering to sentient beings or expose them to prolonged risk of pain and distress.

Questioning the Conservation Claim

The Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has defended predator control by citing scientific studies that purportedly support its role in conservation. Yet a closer review of the same literature reveals that these practices more frequently achieve the aims of game managers—namely, increasing shooting yields—while only occasionally aligning with broader conservation objectives. This discrepancy undermines the claim that predator control is essential for protecting wildlife, suggesting instead that it functions mainly to sustain artificially high populations of game birds for recreational shooting.

Further evidence highlights the counterproductive nature of these methods. For instance, nearly 40% of animals captured in spring traps are non-target species, including endangered ones such as raptors and capercaillie—the very animals that predator control is sometimes said to protect.

Defending the Original Ethical Assessment

The book builds upon and defends an earlier report from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics, titled Killing to Kill: An Ethical Assessment of “Predator Control” on Scottish Moors, which was prepared for members of the Scottish Parliament. That report received endorsements from over 120 scholars worldwide. The new volume addresses and rebuts subsequent criticisms, particularly those from groups like the GWCT, reinforcing the original ethical critique.

A Moral Critique of Killing for Sport

The authors emphasize a profound ethical concern: humans kill predators that act out of natural necessity in order to enable the killing of other animals purely for sport. This reasoning, they contend, reveals a significant gap in moral consideration, where the suffering of sentient animals is overlooked or dismissed.

Structure and Recommendations of the Book

The publication is divided into two main parts. The first section reproduces the core report, which critically evaluates the morality of predator control in light of animal sentience, suffering, and human obligations toward nonhuman animals. It proposes the development of a new charter for free-living animals. Such legislation would formally recognize sentience and establish legal protections for the value and dignity of wild animals, ensuring their right to live without human interference or molestation.

The second part offers detailed responses to critiques of the initial report, strengthening the case against current practices.

Relevance in Contemporary Debates

Amid rising discussions on rewilding, biodiversity preservation, and the ethics of wildlife management and hunting, this work serves as a valuable resource. It appeals to scholars, policymakers, advocacy organizations, and students in fields such as ethics, conservation biology, philosophy, ecology, and animal law.

About the Authors and the Centre

Dr. Katie Javanaud is a fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics and has served as a visiting lecturer and researcher in religion at Princeton University, with affiliations to its University Center for Human Values.

Dr. Clair Linzey is a research fellow in animal ethics at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford, and deputy director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. She is the author of Developing Animal Theology (Routledge, 2021).

The Revd Professor Andrew Linzey is director of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics. He held the world’s first academic post in theology and animals at the University of Oxford and has been a member of its Faculty of Theology for nearly three decades. His publications include Why Animal Suffering Matters (Oxford University Press, 2009).

The Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics is an independent organization dedicated to advancing ethical perspectives on animals through academic research, teaching, and publication. It includes a fellowship of more than 100 scholars worldwide.

This book contributes meaningfully to ongoing conversations about balancing human activities with respect for wildlife, urging a reevaluation of practices that inflict widespread suffering under the guise of conservation.

Find more now:

Apple Book: https://apple.co/4boOh99

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3Ni5VSZ

Hardcover: https://amzn.to/4sWLGZX

Web: www.oxfordanimalethics.com/home 

Instagram: @oxfordanimalethics

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@oxfordanimalethics