ECONOMIC-ANALYSES OF CRIPPLING LOSSES OF NORTH-AMERICAN WATERFOWL ANDTHEIR POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

Hunter 'crippling losses', or unretrieved kill, probably range from 20 % to 40% of all ducks hit by gunfire. However, this major mortality fa ctor in duck populations has been largely ignored by waterfowl policym akers and managers. An economic analysis of 'crippling losses' for pra irie Canada and the USA was conducted, based on 1992 harvest statistic s. The analysis is based on current levels of spending on habitat prog rammes designed to bolster declining North American duck populations, with reference to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. In 199 2, continental 'crippling losses' were 1.6-4.4 million ducks, a figure which contrasts sharply with the 750,000 ducks which the North Americ an Waterfowl Management Plan proposed to add to the continental breedi ng populations in the same period. The implicit value of continental ' crippling losses' was 20 to 560 million US dollars. For Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) alone, between 57,000 and 152,000 ha of wetland breedin g habitat would have been required to compensate for Canadian prairie Mallard 'crippling losses' in 1992. These analyses suggest that the sc ope of waterfowl management should be broadened to include policies an d regulations inducing improvements in hunter behaviour and hunting co mpetency. Lowering the 'crippling loss' rate would complement waterfow l habitat improvement initiatives, and would enable continental waterf owl population goals to be realized sooner.