Resolving the Tragedy of the Commons by Creating Private Property Rights in Wildlife
Author(s)
Smith, Robert J.
Abstract
Only in recent centuries has man’s exploitation of wildlife begun to have a deleterious effect. This was the result of rapid population growth, more efficient means of capture and kill, and expansion into new continents, especially islands and tropical areas where many species of wildlife had evolved with small, localized populations and without contact with man or his camp followers, such as dogs, cats, and rats. Western exploration and colonization quickly created serious problems of overharvesting and overexploitation of wildlife and led to a slow development of human-caused extinctions. However, there is increasing evidence that primitive man also had a profound impact on many species. They drove herds over cliffs, into swamps, or into box canyons, often setting massive grassland fires to assist in the drive. The proper path toward resolving the vexing issues of wildlife conservation lies in removing wildlife from common property resource treatment and creating private property rights. If we are to resolve the tragedy of the commons and preserve our natural resources and wildlife, we must create a new paradigm for the environmental movement: private property rights in natural resources and wildlife.
