Predator management to protect ground-nesting birds raises welfare questions about the predators being controlled. Welfare-conscious approaches minimize individual predator suffering while protecting prey populations.
Predator control welfare requires attention to both prey and predator wellbeing. Conservation arguments for protecting ground-nesting birds are legitimate, but the methods used determine welfare costs to controlled predators. Live-capture and humane dispatch, selective trapping, and non-lethal deterrence where feasible minimize welfare costs while achieving management objectives. Poorly designed or maintained traps cause prolonged suffering to both target and non-target species.