Poaching (nonfiction)
Poaching has traditionally been defined as the illegal hunting, killing, or capturing of wild animals, usually associated with land use rights.
Description
Until the 20th century, most poaching was performed by impoverished peasants for subsistence purposes, supplementing meager diets.
By contrast, stealing domestic animals (as in cattle raiding, for example) classifies as theft, not as poaching.
Since the 1980s, the term "poaching" has also referred to the illegal harvesting of wild plant species.
In agricultural terms, the term 'poaching' is also applied to the loss of soils or grass sward by the damaging action of feet of livestock which can affect availability of productive land, water pollution through increased runoff and welfare issues for cattle.
Nonfiction cross-reference
Fiction cross-reference
External links
- Poaching @ Wikipedia