| 作者：傑奇艾倫•朱利安諾 博士
如果我們自稱
我們是世界的中心
鼴鼠和翡翠鳥
鰻魚和小狼是處於上帝恩寵的邊緣
如此，我們運轉不息有如黯淡的月亮繞行冰冷的太陽
-- Joseph Bruchac
每年，都有十幾萬的生物被捕捉、診察、標記，有些甚至被手術植入追蹤器來追蹤他們的活動。這些舉動被美其名為科學研究，但捕捉動物的技術通常是殘忍的，且會帶給動物極大的壓力，並且經常會招致死亡。
對於這些壓力會如何影響動物的繁殖模式或是個體之生存機會，我們還一無所知。而直到最近，才有科學家開始研究這些活動對野生動物族群的影響。
繫放裝有環誌的鳥兒（照片提供：U.S. Geological Survey Patuxtent Wildlife Research Center）
任何人都能申請研究經費補助，研究經費的來源有很多，而且他們的要求非常多變化。相對來說，去定義學術計劃、研究計劃及其經費預算，是非常容易的。有許多提供研究經費的來源，而且如果你碰巧是主流大學中的科學家或教授的話，你的研究計劃就有很好機會被核准通過。
不過經費提供者對這些研究案的本質所求並不多。研究的內容不需要是獨特的，而且甚至不必要有明確的研究成果。多數的贊助者會要求報告計劃的過程及完成，但很少會要求研究者要得到有用及有意義的結果，有些甚或不要求完成期限。
全國上下許多研究計劃通常是例行性地重複著，因為他們資金的來源並不會對研究過程要求任何實質進度。
在美國，公園和保留區被認為是人類及動物們、逃避城市生活壓力及危難的場所。然而這些地方通常被研究者用來作為研究計劃中捕捉、測量、標記野生動物的地點。
在西雅圖最大的公立公園「發現公園」中，烏鴉和其他的鳴禽多年來飽受當地的研究者及研究生的侵擾。烏鴉的幼鳥被研究者從巢中移出，測量、秤重及上環誌，這些舉動給它們相當的壓力。業餘及專業研究者好意地捕捉鳴禽，幫它們秤重及上環誌。當我還是公園管理者時，我堅持要研究烏鴉的計劃主持者解釋他們的研究目的及他們想達成的目標，但我所接到的回信都不具說服力，他們的研究目的都十分含糊且被錯誤定義。
套上頸環的鵝。難道這樣對動物沒有影響嗎？（照片來源 Pro-Touch Engraving）
為追蹤鳥類在全球的遷徙行為及存活率而為鳥上標記環，是個普遍的技術。
第一個繫上鳥腳的金屬環誌要溯回1595年。自從那時開始，有數千萬的鳥類及其他野生動物曾被捕捉及標記。
為鳥類上環誌及標記野生動物的最典型理由，可以用美國內政部所主持的北美鳥類繫放計劃網站中所提出的聲明為例。在一項有關於鳥類繫放之重要性的討論當中，該網站聲稱，「如果沒有個別標記的話，我們就無從得知，站在我們窗外的紅雀是否是去年看到的那隻。而有環誌的話，今天我如果抓到一隻紅雀且標誌它，如果以後再抓到這隻鳥、我才能認得出來。」
雖然瞭解紅雀行為真的是個好理由，但是，確知站在外面的那隻鳥、正是去年我們所看到的同一隻，難道真的是審慎明智的想法嗎？為什麼我們不能在看到鳥後，不需捕捉、標記他們，而只是單純地讚嘆它的出現就夠了？
有許多好理由來了解動物的遷移路徑、疾病研究、族群及生命週期。但是這些研究的基本缺失並不在於資料的本質，而是缺乏對資料的明確運用。
上環誌的鳥會被再度發現的數量非常少。舉例來說，在1995年，超過一百萬隻鳥被捕捉並上環標誌，然而當年只有58342隻重獲的案例被提報給鳥類環誌實驗室。自此，每年的數量均差不多如此。
這表示只有0.5﹪的鳥兒能被用作為實驗數據，而牠們處於被捕捉的恐慌、暴露在感受壓力以及與人類接觸的危險之中。這些數據的收集，難道值得讓野生動物受到如此的衝擊？
捕捉動物、為他們做記號、上標誌將帶來許多可能的後果。加拿大環境土地公園部1998年的一篇報告「英屬哥倫比亞省野生哺乳類、鳥類、兩棲類、爬蟲類活捉及管理守則」，其中建立了一套溫和的準則，得以監控在研究過程中對於野生動物的利用方式。
帶著頸圈的灰熊 （照片提供：美國地質調查）
這篇報告中指出，「動物在經過研究者的捕捉與標誌動作後所表現出的行為、生理及生態反應，通常比起那些沒有因為被捕捉而受到精神創傷的動物來得不正常。再者，因為對於被捕獵及後續性創傷的敏感度增高，牠們也很難存活。」
直到最近幾年才有科學家開始體認到，如果動物因被捕捉及標記、而產生了尚未被瞭解的壓力，進而改變牠們的行為的話，那麼，他們的觀察結果有可能是無用的。
這篇加拿大的報告繼續闡述，為動物標誌時必須小心。「標記的技術可能會造成多種效應，從動物的短期不適、到長期對繁殖及生存的影響等。在選擇適當的標誌技術時，研究者必須要考慮，像這樣的束縛的特質與時間必需適用於該研究，動物組織遭移除或破壞的數量，瞬間或長期疼痛的程度，以及遭受傳染病的潛在風險。」
另外一個要考慮的因素是研究的適當性。在提出研究計畫草案時，必須再更仔細地研討考慮，以及致力於避免研究的過度重複性。不可再視野生動物為取之不竭的資源，而讓無聊的研究計劃無止盡地持續下去。
如果計畫草案能被更仔細的監測，如此一來，研究社群將會有所驚覺，而且這個社群早就該有些重新改組的動作了。
資料來源
1. 參觀鳥類環誌實驗室的網站http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/
2.看看加拿大在研究中處理野生動物的準則 http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ric
/Pubs/Tebiodiv/capt/index.htm
3. 被環誌的鳥類統計http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/
bbl/homepage/howmany.htm
4. 參觀人道對待動物的網站 http://www.peta-online.org/
g4/mc/facts/index.html 有更多野生動物被為難的例子。
5. 找到你的國會代表，寄電子郵件給他，要求他們強制研究經費的審查更嚴格些，尤其是在計劃中有涉及野生動物的捕捉者。如果你知道你的郵遞區號，你可以查詢
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
ziptoit.html 或者你可以按州搜尋
http://www.webslingerz.com/
jhoffman/congress-email.html 你也可以由此找到你的國會代表http://congress.nw.dc.us/innovate/
index.html
Jackie Alan Giuliano 博士，是西雅圖的作家及教師，你可以看到他向窗外望去觀察他家周圍的鳥兒，忖度在美國到底有多少鳥兒，會因著4,000個環誌而受苦。請將你的想法、意見及觀點告訴他：
jackie@healingourworld.com
參觀他的網頁：http://www.healingourworld.com
全文及圖示詳見： http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/
aug2000/2000L-08-11g.html
版權歸屬 Grist Magazine 環境信託基金會 (楊璧如譯， 施淑芬 蔡麗伶 審校)
中英對照全文詳見：http://news.ngo.org.tw/issue/animal/2001/issue-animal01031401.htm |
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By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.
If we pretend
that we are at the center
that moles and kingfishers,
eels and coyotes are at the edge of grace,
then we circle,
dead moons about a cold sun.
-- Joseph Bruchac
Each year, hundreds of thousands of animals are captured, examined, tagged and some are even surgically implanted with transmitters to follow their movements. This is done in the name of science, yet often the techniques for the capture of these animals are crude, resulting in tremendous stress on the animal and often death.
We have no idea of how this stress effects breeding patterns or the chances of survival of the individual. Only recently have scientists been studying the effects that such activities are having on wildlife populations.
Banded bird being released (Photo courtesy U.S. Geological Survey Patuxtent Wildlife Research Center)
Anyone can apply for a research grant. There are many sources and the requirements vary widely. It is relatively simple to define a program of study, a research plan, and a budget for that research. Funds are awarded from a variety of sources, and if you happen to be a scientist or professor at a major university, chances are excellent that your research will be approved.
But there are few requirements on the nature of the research. It doesn't have to be unique and does not even have to produce tangible results. Most grants require reporting of progress and of completion, but few require the researcher to produce results that will be useful and meaningful and some do not even require an end date.
Many research projects throughout the country are routinely renewed by their funding sources without any requirement that any substantial progress ever be made.
Parks and reserves all over the nation that are considered as havens for people and animals from the stresses and hazards of urban life, are often used by researchers to capture, examine, and tag wildlife as part of a research program.
At Discovery Park, Seattle𠏋 largest public park, crows and songbirds have been harassed for years by local researchers and graduate students. Fledgling crows are removed from nests, measured, weighed and banded, stressing them considerably. Well meaning amateur and professional researchers capture songbirds, weighing and banding them. While I was manager of that park, I insisted that the lead crow researcher explain the purpose of the research and what they hoped to accomplish. The letter I received from them was unconvincing. Their research goals were vague and ill defined.
Goose with neck band. Can this have no effect on the animal? (Photo courtesy Pro-Touch Engraving)
Bird banding is a common technique for tracking the movement, behavior and survival rate of birds across the globe.
The first record of a metal band being attached to a birds leg goes back to 1595 and since then, tens of millions of birds and other wild animals have been captured and tagged.
The typical mantra of bird banders and wildlife taggers is exemplified in the following statement from the website of the North American Bird Banding Program, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. In a discussion of the importance of bird banding, the site states that "without an individual marker, there would be no way to determine if the cardinal that is outside my window is the same bird that I saw last year or not. With a bird band, if I catch that cardinal today and band it, I will know if that one bird is caught again in the future."
While there may be a justification to learning about the behavior of cardinals, is it prudent or wise to suggest that we must know if the bird we see outside is the same one we saw last year? Why is it not enough to see the bird and marvel at its existence without needing to capture it and tag it?
There are a lot of good reasons to learn about animal migration routes, disease research, populations and life spans. But the fundamental flaw in research such as this is not the quality of the information, but the lack of focused uses for the information.
The numbers of birds recovered that have been banded are not very impressive. In 1995, for example, over 1.1 million birds were captured and banded. Only 58,342 recoveries were reported to the Bird Banding Laboratory that year. The yearly numbers since then are similar.
This means that only one-half of one percent of the birds that are captured and put into jeopardy through stress and human contact supply research data. Is the data collected worth the impact on the wildlife?
There are many possible consequences to capturing, marking and tagging wildlife. In a report written by the Canadian Ministry of Environment, Lands and Parks in 1998 titled "Live Animal Capture and Handling Guidelines for Wild Mammals, Birds, Amphibians and Reptiles in British Columbia," a compassionate set of principles was established to govern the use of wildlife in research.
Grizzly bear wearing a tracking collar (Photo courtesy U.S. Geological Survey)
The report states that "animals that are traumatized from the actions of researchers are less likely to exhibit normal behavioural, physiological and ecological responses than untraumatized animals. In addition, they are less likely to survive due to an increased susceptibility to predation and subsequent injury."
Only in the last few years have researchers begun to realize that their results can be rendered useless if the behavior of the animal subject has been altered because of the little understood traumas induced by capture and tagging.
The Canadian report goes on to describe the care that must take place when marking an animal. "Marking techniques can have a wide variety of effects ranging from short term discomfort, to long term influences on breeding and survival ... In choosing an acceptable marking technique, the investigator must consider the nature and duration of the restraint that is required for its application, the amount of tissue that is removed or damaged, the amount of momentary or prolonged pain that is involved and the potential risk for infection."
Another factor that must be considered is the validity of the research. More scrutiny must be given to research proposals and efforts must be made to avoid excess duplication of studies. No longer can wild animals be considered an infinite source of data to keep an endless treadmill of questionable research projects going.
If proposals were more carefully monitored, this alone would send shock waves through the research community. And that community is long overdue for some shaking up.
RESOURCES
1. Visit the website of the Bird Banding Laboratory at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/
2. See the Canadian guidelines for handling wildlife in research at http://www.for.gov.bc.ca/ric/
Pubs/Tebiodiv/capt/index.htm
3. Statistics for how many birds are banded can be found at http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/
bbl/homepage/howmany.htm
4. Visit the website for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals at
http://www.peta-online.org/
g4/mc/facts/index.html for more examples of how wildlife are challenged.
5. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them. Demand that they force agencies that fund research to scrutinize the proposals, especially if they involve capturing wildlife. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
ziptoit.html or you can search by state at
http://www.webslingerz.com/
jhoffman/congress-email.html. You can also find your representatives at
http://congress.nw.dc.us/innovate/
index.html
Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D. is a writer and teacher in Seattle. He can be found looking out his window at the many birds around his house, wondering how many were traumatized by the 4,000 bird banders out there in the U.S. alone. Please send your thoughts, comments, and visions to him at
jackie@healingourworld.com and visit his web site at
http://www.healingourworld.com
http://www.ens.lycos.com/ens/
aug2000/2000L-08-11g.html
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