All hands were on deck this Spring as we finalized the organization of the 1st Workshop on Wildlife Fertility Control, held at the University of York, UK, on June 17th & 18th, 2024. Although the event was focused on Europe, the 86 participants came from five continents. I’d say this shows that mitigating human-wildlife conflicts via non-lethal methods has a worldwide appeal, independent of the species involved or of the area where these conflicts occur.
On Day 1 we had 15 talks , complemented by 17 posters, focused on the varied aspects of wildlife fertility control. These included different species and contexts such as native and non-native species in rural and urban areas, fertility control and diseases, rewilding, legal and registration aspects, and human dimension of wildlife management. The day ended with our guest of honor, Lord Kinnoull who spoke about the public interest for wildlife fertility control and answered many questions ranging from science to policy.
Day 2 was mainly dedicated to group discussions. Our amazing workshop facilitator, Pamela Abbott, managed to keep the discussions focused and the conversation flowing. The feedback was very positive, as participants from very different backgrounds had the opportunity to listen to and interact with others.
The overall feedback for the whole workshop was unanimously good. Many attendees praised the quality and delivery of presentations and the breath and depth of topics surrounding fertility control. Several emails after the workshop used the word “inspired” to describe the way they felt at the end, which put a big smile on our faces.
Suggestions on how we could do better in future events included improving the weather (sorry guys, after all this was England!) but also interspersing talks with discussion groups. Point taken: if we run another event we will mix presentations and moments for reflection. In the final survey, most attendees said they would be interested to attend a second workshop in 1-2 years. Once again this suggests the interest for this area is alive and growing.
A NEWSWORTHY EVENT
There were many other positive aspects. The main one for me personally was interacting with journalists. Paul Drury-Bradey, Media and Communications Officer at the University of York, introduced us to the Science Media Center (SMC). This is an organization dedicated to giving the public access to the best scientific evidence and expertise through the news media when science hits the headlines. The SMC organized a press briefing which resulted in interviews and in the workshop mentioned in all the main UK newspapers. News of this event travelled overseas, and we learned that the workshop had been reported by Italian and German media. It was certainly fun having some exchanges to “learn to think as a journalist” and the media coverage was fantastic, so many thanks Paul and SMC! Click here to read the media coverage of the workshop.
More meetings and recognition
The workshop was not the only thing that happened in the last months. I was invited by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority to attend a meeting as expert in wild boar fertility control in the context of African Swine Fever. In particular, I was asked to comment on the current status of research on oral contraceptives for wild boar and on strategies that could be used to increase the “specificity” of oral contraceptives.
In a similar vein, I was also called to attend a workshop, organized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), on the management of invasive alien squirrels and chipmunks. Fertility control to manage established populations of squirrels and chipmunks was mentioned in several parts of the resulting document.
In June I had a nice surprise: the Italian Anti-vivisection League (LAV) had nominated me for a prize to recognize researchers whose work contributed to animal welfare. As a runner up, I received a lovely box of toiletries and a certificate.
Taken together, the fact that more national and international organizations are now incorporating the idea of wildlife fertility control in their “coexistence toolbox” makes me think we are on the right track. The whole raison d’être of the BIWFC is to raise awareness, foster collaboration and encourage communications in this area. Interest from all these institutions suggest a not-too-distant future when fertility control applications for several wildlife species might become routine. Stay tuned to celebrate that moment with us and have a joyful Summer!
Giovanna
Dr. Giovanna Massei
Summer 2024
