Establishment of the Links among Cummunity-based Conservation, Indigenous Hunting and Wildlife Management

In recent years, the participatory-based strategy has been gradually recognized by the conservation bodies worldwide. A number of cases concerning local involvement in the natural resources management were also available in Taiwan. In his paper, we focused on the western Rukai, a branch of Rukai living in the mountainous area in Pingtung County, for a case study to build up the local institution framework of wildlife resources management based on the core principals of the community conserved area and community-based conservation, which were community participation, local knowledge and common property. Traditionally, Rukai was a hierarchical society in which the tribal people regarded hunting as one kind of livelihood, honor, and the process for a man to integrate into the tribe. Hunting activity was also a complex of local knowledge and belief, and the logo of indigenous culture and politics. Although the traditional Rukai society has been invaded and ruined by the modern State institutions, western religions, and capital market, they still preserve some traditions relevant to hunting in the tribes up to now, and many initiatives keen to re-activate them. We argue that the community could be the management unit and its core part was the hunter, who had local knowledge and ability to work in the mountains and forests. In addition, the lily cornet, a traditional symbol of recognition for outstanding hunters, which is still practiced and respected by the local Ruaki, can be adopted as the certificate system for hunters. We suggest that it is necessary to add modern inventory techniques and ecological interpretation ability into hunters? training courses in order to strengthen their capacity. On the other hand, the tribe can link with the Government by several new initiatives such as the tribe council (or meeting ) or grassroots associations. This kind of local institutional arrangements is expected to improve the natural guarding, culture inheritance and tourism industrial, as well as contribute to reshape the social system of common property in the tribe. This may achieve a win-win situation for wildlife management, land conservation and indigenous development in the mountainous Taiwan.