Executive summary: Using a simplified ecosystem model, the author suggests that fishing may increase animal harm while agriculture might decrease it, though these conclusions are highly tentative due to significant uncertainties about wild animal welfare.
Key points:
The “harm cascade” model shows how interventions in ecosystems can have complex, indirect effects on animal populations and suffering.
Fishing tends to increase total fish populations but also increases average death rates for predatory fish.
Agriculture may decrease predator death rates and potentially reduce overall harm to wild animals.
High reproduction rates (especially in r-selected species) are a root cause of the “harm cascade” of animal suffering.
Wildlife fertility control could be crucial for mitigating animal harm, but the net effects remain highly uncertain.
The analysis is based on a simplified model and cannot definitively determine the welfare impacts of human activities on animals.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, andcontact us if you have feedback.
Executive summary: Using a simplified ecosystem model, the author suggests that fishing may increase animal harm while agriculture might decrease it, though these conclusions are highly tentative due to significant uncertainties about wild animal welfare.
Key points:
The “harm cascade” model shows how interventions in ecosystems can have complex, indirect effects on animal populations and suffering.
Fishing tends to increase total fish populations but also increases average death rates for predatory fish.
Agriculture may decrease predator death rates and potentially reduce overall harm to wild animals.
High reproduction rates (especially in r-selected species) are a root cause of the “harm cascade” of animal suffering.
Wildlife fertility control could be crucial for mitigating animal harm, but the net effects remain highly uncertain.
The analysis is based on a simplified model and cannot definitively determine the welfare impacts of human activities on animals.
This comment was auto-generated by the EA Forum Team. Feel free to point out issues with this summary by replying to the comment, and contact us if you have feedback.