Deconstructing Dingo Management on Fraser Island: The Significance of Social Constructionism for Effective Wildlife Management.

Abstract

Wildlife management is based on a range of assumptions about wildlife and expectations about nature. As such, it can be seen as the result of the process of social construction. To ensure the validity and effectiveness of wildlife management, it is necessary to consider the constructions underlying wildlife management and perpetuated through management discourses. This article deconstructs dingo management on Fraser Island, south-east Queensland. It argues that the process of construction in defining environmental problems and possible solutions needs to be recognised, and the nature of the constructions underpinning environmental management acknowledged. Management practices need to be consistent with discourses, reflecting priorities, addressing the problem, and facilitating the fulfilment of expectations. Ultimately, entrenched constructions need to be challenged to create new possibilities for action.