About Wolves & More Understanding the complexity of stakeholder perspectives on the return of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) The south-west Veluwe, The Netherlands Milos van Leest December, 2019 MSc Thesis SDC-80430 About Wolves & More Understanding the complexity of stakeholder perspectives on the return of the wolf The south-west Veluwe, The Netherlands Written by: Milos van Leest MSc student Development and Rural Innovation Wageningen University & Research Registration number: 860216507020 December, 2019 Contact: [email protected] Supervised by: Robert Fletcher – Sociology of Development and Change (SDC) Wageningen University, The Netherlands Abstract (English) Whether people’s responses are positive, negative or both, reintroducing wolves (Canis lupus) into countries like the Netherlands ostensibly goes hand-in-hand with great controversy. In times of dividing public opinions and perspectives about the return of the wolf, local stakeholders seem to be the actors expected to adapt most to this new, somehow complex reality. This thesis aims to contribute to the understanding of how returning wolves are viewed by local stakeholders and explores what reasons might explain these perspectives. A case study amongst fauna and nature managers, shepherds and other key informants was conducted at the south-west Veluwe, a semi-natural region in central Netherlands during a two-month period. Based on theoretical consideration that include the study of human-wildlife relations and conflict, wildlife value orientations and political animal subjects, this thesis focussed on the wider context of human-wolf relationships. The findings show that the stakeholders maintained pluralistic views that symbolise a divide between more rural and urban lifestyles, livelihoods and connected norms, values and beliefs. With the absence of a concrete negative human-wolf relation as such, disagreement about nature conservation management, political disputes, and the strong connection to the region emphasises that disputes are not about wolves per se. Therefore, the findings suggest that the term human-wolf conflict is out of place and that this should instead be considered a disagreement between stakeholders about how to fit the wolf in the larger context of their lives and work. The wolf seemingly is merely a political subject that reveals a human versus human relation that encompasses socioeconomic, sociocultural and socio-political reasoning. These insights highlight the importance to study human-wolf relations or conflict in the context of wider societal challenges that local stakeholders have to deal with. Consequently, this thesis pinpoints the integration of local doubts, worries and management visions about the wolf in the development of adequate policies in the Netherlands and Europe. Key words: human-wildlife relations, wildlife value orientations, political animal subject, human- wildlife conflict Abstract (Nederlands) Of de reacties van mensen nu positief, negatief of allebei zijn, de terugkeer van wolven (Canis lupus) in landen zoals Nederland gaat hand in hand met heftige controverse. In tijden van verdeelde publieke opinies en zienswijzen over de terugkeer van de wolf, lijken de plaatselijke belanghebbenden en directe betrokkenen degenen te zijn die zich het meest moeten aanpassen aan deze, hoe je het ook bekijkt, complexe realiteit. Deze scriptie hoopt bij te dragen aan het begrijpen van hoe de directbetrokkenen de terugkeer van de wolf bekijken en onderzoekt welke redenen ten grondslag liggen aan hun kijk op de zaak. Gedurende twee maanden is er een casusonderzoek uitgevoerd onder fauna en natuurbeheerders, herders en andere belangrijke betrokkenen in de Zuidwestelijke Veluwe; een semi-natuurlijke regio in midden Nederland. Gebaseerd op de theoretische overweging waarin is meegenomen de studie van de relatie en conflicten tussen mens en natuur, de beoordeling van de waarde van fauna en de rol van de politiek als het om dieren gaat, richt deze scriptie zich primair op de bredere context van de relatie tussen mens en wolf. De uitkomsten van dit onderzoek laten zien dat de betrokkenen verschillende zienswijzen hebben, dat als symbool geldt voor de uiteenlopende levensstijlen van het platteland enerzijds en die in de steden anderzijds, levensonderhoud en de daaraan verbonden normen, waarden en meningen. Het ontbreken van werkelijke concrete voorbeelden van een negatieve mens-wolf relatie, onenigheid over natuurbehoud, politieke discussies en de sterke verbondenheid met de regio, doen vermoeden dat de discussies niet per definitie over de wolf gaan. Daarom suggereren de bevindingen dat de term “mens- wolf conflict” niet op z'n plaats is en dit meer gezien moet worden als een meningsverschil tussen belanghebbenden over hoe de wolf geïntegreerd kan worden binnen de context van hun bestaan en werk. Het lijkt er meer op dat de wolf een politiek onderwerp is geworden dat de tegenstellingen tussen mensen aan het licht brengt, waarin sociaaleconomische, sociaal culturele en sociaal politieke overwegingen meespelen. Deze inzichten benadrukken het belang van onderzoek naar de relatie en conflicten tussen mens en wolf in het bredere kader van sociale uitdagingen waarvoor plaatselijke betrokkenen zich voor zien geplaatst. Als gevolg hiervan duidt deze scriptie de integratie van plaatselijke twijfels, angsten en visies hoe om te gaan met de wolf bij het ontwikkelen van adequaat beleid in Nederland en Europa. Acknowledgments Finally, the lengthy and often challenging process of writing this thesis has come to an end. This thesis would not have been accomplished with the help and involvement of others. Therefore, I want to bring my gratitude and sincere appreciation to the stakeholders and key informants for their participation and contribution to this study project. Their willingness and openness to provide insight in their perspectives towards the return of the wolf, their profession and lives have been fundamental for this thesis. Not only seen from the perspective of delivering a thesis as such, moreover they contributed to the development of my personal, more nuanced viewpoint about the complex situation of returning wolves in relation to wider societal challenges. I sincerely hope this thesis contributes to a better understanding of each other’s viewpoints and lifeworld’s. Furthermore, I want to sincerely thank my thesis supervisor Robert Fletcher for his long-term support and patience during this project. Even though I shifted between thesis topics over the past 1.5 year, yet every time you supported me in the decision I made. Moreover, I want to bring special thanks and gratitude to Herman Peppelenbos for his support, council and analytical input he provided in the development of this thesis. Without his support, this thesis would have been more of a challenge to deliver. He made me believe I could manage this, sometimes dreadfully challenging thesis project. Additionally, I want to show my utmost gratitude and respect to my mother that supported me with her unconditional patience, love and care (both mentally and practically) during the last months of this thesis. Additionally, I want to sincerely thank my father for helping me with finalizing this thesis project. His contribution to the translation of the abstract and conclusion from English to Dutch is of great value to me. In memory of Co van Kampen, my beloved uncle who passed away during the proposal phase of this study. Even in his final moments he believed in my capabilities and knowledge to finish this project. He was always more positive about me than I was about myself. He encouraged me to push through and not to give up. His deep love for the living environment has always inspired me to stay curious and to respect life. It is a real pity that he is not able to experience the fact I finished this very challenging project; I know he would have been proud. Hence, his positive and helpful engagement and encouragement in his last days helped me to be persistent to reach the end of this thesis project. Table of contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 The Return of the wolf in western Europe and the Netherlands 1 1.2 A controversial comeback 1 1.3 Problem description 2 1.4 Research aim and research questions 2 1.5 Relevance of the study 3 1.6 Background 3 1.6.1 The complexity of human-wolf relations 3 1.6.2 Existing perspectives in the Netherlands 3 1.7 The case study 4 1.8 Outline of the thesis 6 Chapter 2: Theoretical framework. 7 2.1 Understanding the relation between humans and wolves 7 2.1.1 An introduction to the study of Human-wildlife relations (HWR). 7 2.2.2 Wildlife Value Orientations (WVO) 8 2.3 The factors that shape viewpoints and how viewpoints reflect wildlife values 10 2.4 Political Ecology and the wolf: Understanding Human-Wildlife Conflict 12 2.5 Political Ecology and the wolf: Coexistence and Cohabitation 14 2.6 Summary of theories and concepts 15 Chapter 3: Methodology 16 3.1 Research design and methodology 16 3.2 Study sample, interviews and data analysis 16 3.3 Ethics and personality as researcher 17 Chapter 4: Findings 18 4.1 Stakeholder perspectives 18 4.1.1 Wolven in Nederland 18 4.1.2 The sheep herder of Platform Nowolves Benelux 19 4.1.3 National Park de Hoge Veluwe. 22 4.1.4 The municipal councillor 25 4.1.5 The Municipal Forest Council 26 4.1.6 The fauna managers 29 4.1.7 The shepherds 32 4.2 Analysis of stakeholder perspectives 33 4.2.1 Top down policies and interference 33 4.2.2 Risk and worries 34 4.2.3 Wolf and nature management 34 4.3 Summary 35 Chapter