After two letters to the Minister of Environment, I am left with their explanation that the wolf in BC is a strong, viable species. They consider it the main predator of the Mountain Caribou, so it still needs to be "managed".
This is the same ministry who promoted and implemented the brutal Muskawa and Keichika wolf cull during the 1980's. This Bergerud and Elliott inspired illegal cull (the BC Supreme Court declared it illegal in 1988 because they were hunting from aircraft) was initiated to enhance ungulate herds presumably to appease the American hunting interests.
Due to the extreme negtive public response to this illegal killing, the Ministry of Environment knows it can not initiate another Muskawa & Keichika wolf cull, so they promote the hunting & trapping of wolves by allowing a 45 week hunting season, including during the birthing season.
It is so convenient to blame the wolf for the Mountain Caribou decline in numbers. For centuries, we have targeted canis lupus for the demise of all ungulates. Amazing that the ungulates have all survived while the wolf despite many attempts to annihilate it, has survived as well.
Why doesn't the Ministry of Environment become honest and transparent in placing the blame in the right area for the decline in Mountain Caribou. That clearly would be at the feet of man.
Michael Bloomington, the head of the Alberta provincial caribou management plan from 1978-1983 stated, "the wolf is being made to pay the price for what is really the consequence of human activity in the area." Mr. Bloomington was honest in correctly placing the blame on man for destroying the mountain caribou habitat.
However, the BC Ministry of Environment under the guise of the Mountain Caribou Recovery program, has once again (or continually) targeted the wolf and seeks to significantly reduce its population.
The First Nations people of BC have traditionally viewed the wolf in a much more reverential manner and we as citizens of BC need to adopt this attitude if we want to change government attitudes towards the wolf. This wildlife species belongs to all British Columbians, not just to the very small hunting contingent, so we need to demand that the Minisrty manage canis lupus in a more conservationist manner.
For an excellent brief on this subject, view the "BC Government's Wolf Slaughter program" on the Valhalla Wilderness Society website.
Gary R. Allan, JD
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Ian Hatter's letter
November 19, 2008
Mr. Gary Allan
Dear Mr. Allan:
Thank you for your response letter of October 31, 2008, addressed to the Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of the Environment, regarding wolf management in British Columbia and hunting and trapping regulations within parks, conservancies, and protected areas. Your letter has been forwarded to me for response.
Your perspectives with respect to the hunting of wolves and grizzly bears have been noted. Hunting is an imporant element in the livelihood and lifestyle of many citizens, particularly in the more rural areas of the province. Hunting opportunities, province-wide, are provided only where such activities are biologically sustainable. Under no circumstances does the government allow hunting that threatens the conservation of any species, nor does it condone unethical hunting practices.
Wolves are considered the main predator of endangered Mountain Caribou herds throughout the province. Cougar predation, however, is a significant mortality factor on caribou within the southern portion of Mountain Caribou range. Bears also prey on caribou calves, but do not appear capable of limiting caribou numbers. Other threats to Mountain Caribou such as habitat loss, human disturbance and poaching are recognized by Ministry staff, and steps have been taken, to minimize their impact on caribou herds. For more information regarding the Mountain Caribou Recovery program administered through the Species at Risk Coordination Office please visit: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sarco/mc/index.html.
The population estimate of 6000 wolves in 1979 was based on the Ministry report "Preliminary Wolf Management Plan for British Columbia." The current population estimate of 8000 to 9000 wolves is based on increasing numbers and distribution of their primary prey which includes deer, elk and moose. Additional supporting evidence for an increase in wolf numbers has come from anecdotal reports and observations supplied by Ministry biologists, conservation officers, ranchers, guide outfitters, resident hunters, and First Nations. Aerial wolf surveys by Ministry staff associated with Mountain Caribou recovery have also indicated healthy wolf populations throughout the southern and central interior of the province.
Information on permitted activities within BC Provincial Parks is available online through the BC Parks website at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/fac_search.html. You are correct in your supposition that many of the Parks where hunting is not permitted are closed for safety reasons or negligible hunting potential. As per Park Management Plans developed through Land and Resource Management Plans and considerable consultation with the public, many parks include hunting activities in order to meet park objectives. Parks with more restrictive hunting and trapping seasons apply to all wildlife species and are listed in the Appendix A to this letter.
The Ministry of Environment manages wolves on the basis of sound scientific principles. Wolves are extremely elusive, have a high reproductive rate, and receive light hunting pressure. Consequently, the harvest of wolves by hunters is considered to be of minor importance to the viability of the species in the province.
Thank you again for expressing your concerns and your interest in the wildlife resources of British Columbia.
Sincerely,
Ian Hatter
Manager, Wildlife Mangement Section
Fish and Wildlife Branch
Mr. Gary Allan
Dear Mr. Allan:
Thank you for your response letter of October 31, 2008, addressed to the Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of the Environment, regarding wolf management in British Columbia and hunting and trapping regulations within parks, conservancies, and protected areas. Your letter has been forwarded to me for response.
Your perspectives with respect to the hunting of wolves and grizzly bears have been noted. Hunting is an imporant element in the livelihood and lifestyle of many citizens, particularly in the more rural areas of the province. Hunting opportunities, province-wide, are provided only where such activities are biologically sustainable. Under no circumstances does the government allow hunting that threatens the conservation of any species, nor does it condone unethical hunting practices.
Wolves are considered the main predator of endangered Mountain Caribou herds throughout the province. Cougar predation, however, is a significant mortality factor on caribou within the southern portion of Mountain Caribou range. Bears also prey on caribou calves, but do not appear capable of limiting caribou numbers. Other threats to Mountain Caribou such as habitat loss, human disturbance and poaching are recognized by Ministry staff, and steps have been taken, to minimize their impact on caribou herds. For more information regarding the Mountain Caribou Recovery program administered through the Species at Risk Coordination Office please visit: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/sarco/mc/index.html.
The population estimate of 6000 wolves in 1979 was based on the Ministry report "Preliminary Wolf Management Plan for British Columbia." The current population estimate of 8000 to 9000 wolves is based on increasing numbers and distribution of their primary prey which includes deer, elk and moose. Additional supporting evidence for an increase in wolf numbers has come from anecdotal reports and observations supplied by Ministry biologists, conservation officers, ranchers, guide outfitters, resident hunters, and First Nations. Aerial wolf surveys by Ministry staff associated with Mountain Caribou recovery have also indicated healthy wolf populations throughout the southern and central interior of the province.
Information on permitted activities within BC Provincial Parks is available online through the BC Parks website at http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/fac_search.html. You are correct in your supposition that many of the Parks where hunting is not permitted are closed for safety reasons or negligible hunting potential. As per Park Management Plans developed through Land and Resource Management Plans and considerable consultation with the public, many parks include hunting activities in order to meet park objectives. Parks with more restrictive hunting and trapping seasons apply to all wildlife species and are listed in the Appendix A to this letter.
The Ministry of Environment manages wolves on the basis of sound scientific principles. Wolves are extremely elusive, have a high reproductive rate, and receive light hunting pressure. Consequently, the harvest of wolves by hunters is considered to be of minor importance to the viability of the species in the province.
Thank you again for expressing your concerns and your interest in the wildlife resources of British Columbia.
Sincerely,
Ian Hatter
Manager, Wildlife Mangement Section
Fish and Wildlife Branch
Monday, December 8, 2008
Response to the Minister's first letter
31 October 2008
Honorable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
Dear Mr. Penner:
Thank you for your long awaited letter of October 2, 2008. Having carefully reviewed your letter, I take issue with a number of your statements.
Targeting the Wolf as the main predator in Mountain Caribou Recovery
The Ministry has employed two state sponsored wolf culls in the Kootenay region and the Omineca region. You state the NBL or no closed season in a number of MU's is to target the wolf that are preying on the mountain caribou. There is no mention of other mountain caribou predators (i.e. bears and cougars) nor the more serious problem of disruption to mountain caribou by snow mobilers or habitat destruction by logging, mining, and oil & gas exploration causing harmful effects upon the recovery of the mountain caribou. No, we typically just target the wolf because your ministry thinks they are an easy target.
Policy of Ministry of a Sustainable Harvest
The policy of the ministry is to provide hunting & trapping opportunities for species in which a sustainable harvest can occur. For certain species such as the wolf and the grizzly bear, this is a very outdated policy. The vast majority of BC citizens are opposed to trophy hunting.
This policy is still appropriate for hunting animals which provides sustenance for families. However, to hunt animals which have no food value, such as the wolf and the grizzly bear, is in the view of most of the public, "neanderthal".
The wolf is a "culturally significant species" particularly with the First Nations people. Their history and legends are closely connected to this wonderful animal and in my discussions with the First Nations people, they support my conservation efforts.
Wolf Inventory
In your letter you state that wolf populations are managed by using the best available science, population information and conservation objectives. Your letter states that in 1979 there was an estimated 6000 wolves in BC. Can you please provide me with source of that estimate? Was it a population census done by the Ministry or a research group? Also you state there are between 8000-9000 wolves currently in BC. Again please reference the best available science or population information which confirms these population figures.
Park Hunting
Your letter does not refute my claim that all the large provincial parks and all northern BC provincial parks allow for hunting. We also know that many of BC wolves reside in these areas.
You mention that 250 parks are closed to hunting and trapping. Can you please provide me with a list of these parks or where I can find it on the website? My suspicion is that these 250 parks are insignificant to hunting & trapping because they are very small, near urban areas or widely used by campers & hikers, therefore little chance there is any significant numbers of wildlife in these parks.
Also which 65 parks have shorter open hunting seasons? Do these shorter hunting seasons apply to wolves? Can you please explain in more detail, with particular reference to wolves, your comment that hunting & trapping in BC parks are more conservative than outside the park?
You further mention that 11 national parks are closed to hunting & trapping. By the way, your ministry has no jurisdiction over these parks but your policies indirectly affect these national parks. I mention again the topic of Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park which is open to hunting & trapping. This park is sandwiched betwen Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park. Wildlife in these 2 national parks are safe but are not if they travel between the parks. This needs to be corrected by providing a safe buffer zone around this and other national parks in BC.
Anti-wolf bias in Your Ministry
I strongly believe there is an anti-wolf bias in your Ministry when it comes to developing policy around the wolf.
I submit three reasons for my conclusion:
Honorable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
Dear Mr. Penner:
Thank you for your long awaited letter of October 2, 2008. Having carefully reviewed your letter, I take issue with a number of your statements.
Targeting the Wolf as the main predator in Mountain Caribou Recovery
The Ministry has employed two state sponsored wolf culls in the Kootenay region and the Omineca region. You state the NBL or no closed season in a number of MU's is to target the wolf that are preying on the mountain caribou. There is no mention of other mountain caribou predators (i.e. bears and cougars) nor the more serious problem of disruption to mountain caribou by snow mobilers or habitat destruction by logging, mining, and oil & gas exploration causing harmful effects upon the recovery of the mountain caribou. No, we typically just target the wolf because your ministry thinks they are an easy target.
Policy of Ministry of a Sustainable Harvest
The policy of the ministry is to provide hunting & trapping opportunities for species in which a sustainable harvest can occur. For certain species such as the wolf and the grizzly bear, this is a very outdated policy. The vast majority of BC citizens are opposed to trophy hunting.
This policy is still appropriate for hunting animals which provides sustenance for families. However, to hunt animals which have no food value, such as the wolf and the grizzly bear, is in the view of most of the public, "neanderthal".
The wolf is a "culturally significant species" particularly with the First Nations people. Their history and legends are closely connected to this wonderful animal and in my discussions with the First Nations people, they support my conservation efforts.
Wolf Inventory
In your letter you state that wolf populations are managed by using the best available science, population information and conservation objectives. Your letter states that in 1979 there was an estimated 6000 wolves in BC. Can you please provide me with source of that estimate? Was it a population census done by the Ministry or a research group? Also you state there are between 8000-9000 wolves currently in BC. Again please reference the best available science or population information which confirms these population figures.
Park Hunting
Your letter does not refute my claim that all the large provincial parks and all northern BC provincial parks allow for hunting. We also know that many of BC wolves reside in these areas.
You mention that 250 parks are closed to hunting and trapping. Can you please provide me with a list of these parks or where I can find it on the website? My suspicion is that these 250 parks are insignificant to hunting & trapping because they are very small, near urban areas or widely used by campers & hikers, therefore little chance there is any significant numbers of wildlife in these parks.
Also which 65 parks have shorter open hunting seasons? Do these shorter hunting seasons apply to wolves? Can you please explain in more detail, with particular reference to wolves, your comment that hunting & trapping in BC parks are more conservative than outside the park?
You further mention that 11 national parks are closed to hunting & trapping. By the way, your ministry has no jurisdiction over these parks but your policies indirectly affect these national parks. I mention again the topic of Mt. Assiniboine Provincial Park which is open to hunting & trapping. This park is sandwiched betwen Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park. Wildlife in these 2 national parks are safe but are not if they travel between the parks. This needs to be corrected by providing a safe buffer zone around this and other national parks in BC.
Anti-wolf bias in Your Ministry
I strongly believe there is an anti-wolf bias in your Ministry when it comes to developing policy around the wolf.
I submit three reasons for my conclusion:
- The hunting season is the longest for the wolf than any other animal in the Hunting& Trapping regulations. Your Ministry has solely targeted the wolf as the main predator for the mountain caribou and has maintained NBL or closed season even where the mountain caribou no longer resides.
- Your Ministry allows hunting of the wolf from March 15- June 15 when the wolf pups are being raised. For the cougar, the regualtions state, "hunters may not hunt a cougar kitten or any cougar in its company." No such protection exists for the wolf!
- I also strongly believe that the BC Wildlife Federation and the Guide & Outfitters Association of BC (both of which are anti-wolf) strongly influence this anti-wolf bias in your ministry. Both these organizations support the killing of wolves to enhance ungulate populations for the pro-hunting crowd. This policy has been proven wrong thru many predation studies.
In my previous letter, I asked Mr. Penner what you & your ministry were going to do to protect the wolf? I did not receive a direct answer to that question. Wolf Awareness Week was October 12-18, 2008. What activities did your ministry do in recognition of the wolf during this week?
Can you please give me one solid piece of evidence that your Ministry does to protect the wolf in BC?
I look forward to you answering all my questions.
Sincerely,
Gary R. Allan, JD
Minister's response to my June 24, 2008 letter
October 2, 2008
Gary Allan
Dear Mr. Allan:
Thank you for your letters of April 28, 2008 addressed to Alec Dale, Manager, Wildlife Science Section and June 24, 2008 addressed to the Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of the Environment, expressing your concerns regarding the management of wolves in British Columbia (BC) and hunting and trapping regulations within parks, conservancies and protected areas. I apologize for the delay in responding.
You are correct in your statement that wolves are a largely misunderstood animal throughout Europe and North America. Ministry of Environment biologists are fully aware of the nature of wolves and the important cultural and ecological role they play in BC. Open hunting and trapping seasons on all species in BC are based on the best available science, population information and conservation objectives. Generally, wolf harvests are incidental to the hunting and trapping activities of other species and wolf-ungulate systems are managed to optimize population sustainability for both predator and prey populations. Areas of the province where there is no closed season and no bag limits are indicative of endangered mountain caribou herds whose viability is currently threatened by wolf predation.
The policy of the ministry is to provide hunting and trapping opportunities for species in which a sustainable harvest can occur. Although a structured inventory has not been completed on wolf populations, regional biologists consider wolf populations in BC to be either stable or increasing throughout the province. In 1979 there was an estimated 6000 wolves in BC; currently the population is estimated at between 8000 to 9000 animals. Current regulations (seasons, species licenses and bag limits) regarding wolf hunting in the province are considered by ministry biologists to be sustainable. Compulsory reporting of wolves is currently taking place in Region 1 (Vancouver Island), Region 2 (Lower Mainland) and Region 4 (Kootenays) to monitor the harvest of wolves in these areas and modify regulations if necessary. In locations where populations are considered sufficiently healthy and where monitoring activities is not necessary, compulsory reporting is not required.
Presence or absence of hunting and trapping activities within areas administered under the Park Act are the result of public consultation through Land Use Planning processes and subsequent Park Management Plans. Hunting and trapping in areas of BC administered under the Park Act are, by policy, more conservative than outside parks. Currently, there are approximately 250 parks which are closed to hunting and trapping. Additionally, there are approximately 150 ecological reserves and 11 national parks which are closed to hunting and trapping and approximately 65 provincial parks have shorter open hunting seasons than adjacent lands.
Thank you again for your letter. I appreciate you bringing your views on these important wildlife issues to my attention.
Sincerely,
Barry Penner
Minister
Gary Allan
Dear Mr. Allan:
Thank you for your letters of April 28, 2008 addressed to Alec Dale, Manager, Wildlife Science Section and June 24, 2008 addressed to the Honourable Barry Penner, Minister of the Environment, expressing your concerns regarding the management of wolves in British Columbia (BC) and hunting and trapping regulations within parks, conservancies and protected areas. I apologize for the delay in responding.
You are correct in your statement that wolves are a largely misunderstood animal throughout Europe and North America. Ministry of Environment biologists are fully aware of the nature of wolves and the important cultural and ecological role they play in BC. Open hunting and trapping seasons on all species in BC are based on the best available science, population information and conservation objectives. Generally, wolf harvests are incidental to the hunting and trapping activities of other species and wolf-ungulate systems are managed to optimize population sustainability for both predator and prey populations. Areas of the province where there is no closed season and no bag limits are indicative of endangered mountain caribou herds whose viability is currently threatened by wolf predation.
The policy of the ministry is to provide hunting and trapping opportunities for species in which a sustainable harvest can occur. Although a structured inventory has not been completed on wolf populations, regional biologists consider wolf populations in BC to be either stable or increasing throughout the province. In 1979 there was an estimated 6000 wolves in BC; currently the population is estimated at between 8000 to 9000 animals. Current regulations (seasons, species licenses and bag limits) regarding wolf hunting in the province are considered by ministry biologists to be sustainable. Compulsory reporting of wolves is currently taking place in Region 1 (Vancouver Island), Region 2 (Lower Mainland) and Region 4 (Kootenays) to monitor the harvest of wolves in these areas and modify regulations if necessary. In locations where populations are considered sufficiently healthy and where monitoring activities is not necessary, compulsory reporting is not required.
Presence or absence of hunting and trapping activities within areas administered under the Park Act are the result of public consultation through Land Use Planning processes and subsequent Park Management Plans. Hunting and trapping in areas of BC administered under the Park Act are, by policy, more conservative than outside parks. Currently, there are approximately 250 parks which are closed to hunting and trapping. Additionally, there are approximately 150 ecological reserves and 11 national parks which are closed to hunting and trapping and approximately 65 provincial parks have shorter open hunting seasons than adjacent lands.
Thank you again for your letter. I appreciate you bringing your views on these important wildlife issues to my attention.
Sincerely,
Barry Penner
Minister
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
24 June 2008
Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
PO Box 9047
Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2
Dear Mr. Penner:
Please find enclosed a story about our wolfdog, Tundra and the presentations I do about wolves for the local school children in the North Vancouver Island area. I discuss pup development, denning behavior, choice of food, respect for the wolf as a wild animal, along with other topics, with the children.
These presentations are a rare opportunity for these children, school staff and community members to interact with an animal that is mostly wolf, that exhibits wolf behavior, but is extremely friendly and safe for them to pet her. The children are extremely grateful for these visits and they respond by sending me their creative thank you cards.
As you can read in the article, I present a realistic view of the wolf as a wild animal that is misunderstood by many segments of the community including your ministry which I will detail later in the letter. I assure them that it is rare to see a wolf in the wild but should they be lucky to experience this encounter, do not approach the animal, feed it or in any way try to habituate the wolf. Just let it be a wild animal and leave it alone.
That should be the policy of our government, to extend protection to the wolf by leaving it alone, since it is a self-limiting animal in regards to reproduction. Many studies have shown the wolf does not breed when food supply is scarce, thereby limiting its population. There are other factors too, which help them to limit their population.
The children and adults attending my presentations, along with all the people I meet on my trips with Tundra, are dismayed as I am regarding all government’s attitudes towards the wolf. The BC Government is no exception to this misunderstood attitude.
According to your Hansard testimony on May 22,2008 at your estimates, you admit that your ministry does not have an accurate estimate of the wolf population in BC. Anecdotally, you state that there have been more sightings of wolves in BC and you feel the population is on the rise but you have no hard figures to support that conclusion.
With no accurate figures however, your ministry has decided in the BC Hunting & Trapping regulations that BC resident hunters can kill 3 wolves a year. According to the 2006 Wolf Hunter Harvest data (the most recent data) there were 597 wolves killed in BC. This data is likely inaccurate and under reported as only 3 regions have compulsory reporting and the harvest data is based on self-reporting which is always suspect.
I believe your ministry’s management of wolves is seriously flawed in a number of areas. Hunters do not need to purchase a tag to kill wolves as is required for other animals. Your ministry has no accurate records of the harvest of wolves, yet you continue to allow this unmonitored killing to persist. Conservation officers could not successfully prosecute a hunter for killing more than 3 wolves or out of season hunting because they would have to rely completely on the admission of the hunter which they would not get.
As accurate a picture I can get on the harvest of wolves in BC, about 600 wolves are killed out of a population between 7,000 – 9,000 wolves. This represents between 6.5-8.5% of the annual population but this is likely low due to the reasons I have mentioned. Given natural causes for death, along with the hunting & trapping, I question whether this is a sustainable harvest and your ministry officials can not assure me that it is sustainable because they do not know.
Another area of concern is the hunting of wolves and all wildlife in BC Parks, Recreation Areas, Conservancies, etc. British Columbians and its visitors want to visit these protected areas to enjoy the scenery and its wildlife. They are aghast at realizing that the small hunting contingent in this province can kill wildlife in these areas. All of Canada’s national parks are protected from any hunting or trapping within its boundaries. BC parks should be granted the same exemption.
In the hunting regulations and on the BC parks website it states that hunting and trapping is not allowed in many Provincial Parks, Conservancies, Recreation Areas, and Protected Areas. This is a completely inaccurate and misleading statement. It would be more accurate to state that few parks and other areas are free from hunting and trapping. To prove my point, here is a list of parks that allow hunting and trapping (list is not exhaustive), according to the BC parks website and hunting regulations: Strathcona, Brooks Peninsula, Carmanah Walbran, Tweedsmuir, Wells Gray, Denetiah, Manning, Finlay-Russell, Graham Laurier, Hakai Luxvhalis Conservancy, Homalthko River-Tatlayoko, Itcha Ilgachuz, Kakwa Park, Liard River Corridor, Muncho Lake, Atlin Park, Babine Mountains, Mount Assiniboine, Mount Blanchet, Mount Edziza, Naikoon, Northern Rocky Mountains, Omineca, Pine Le Moray, Purcell Wilderness, Redfern-Keilly, Rubyrock Lake, Skagit Valley, Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness, Stein Valley, Stikine River, Stone Mountain, Sustut, Tatlakui, Tatshenshini-Alsek, Ts’il?os, Valhalla, Cape Scott and Dune Zakeyih.
As you can see it encompasses most of the large parks and refutes emphatically your misleading statement that many parks are free from hunting and trapping. Is this policy to appease the BC Wildlife Federation?
The most disturbing policy your government has directed towards the wolf is the very protracted wolf killing season. In the Hunting Regulations, Regions 5,6,7a&7b (which encompasses more than half the land mass of BC & where most of the wolves reside) the hunting season for the wolf is from Aug. 1 – June 15th which ensures that hunting can occur during the pup birthing season (March 15-May15). No other animal can be legally targeted by hunters during their birthing season except the wolf! How more mean spirited can your Ministry and Government be towards the wolf?
Also, in these aforementioned regions, there are areas where there is no closed season or no bag limit on the wolf. No wonder there were 524 wolves killed in 2006 in these three regions. While most of the wolves reside in these regions, if your intent is to seriously erode the wolf population in BC, this policy will succeed.
Will the Minister commit to significantly providing much more protection for the wolf in BC? Specifically will the Minister:
Significantly reduce the hunting season on the wolf in all regions of BC?
Reduce the allowable harvest of wolves to one wolf per hunter & require hunters to purchase a tag to hunt wolves?
Eliminate all hunting & trapping in BC parks, conservancies, recreation areas, etc?
Implement mandatory reporting of wolf kills in all regions?
Commit to a comprehensive wolf inventory system so we know how many wolves reside in BC?
Your ministry has a long way to go to improve the plight of the wolf in this province, since it has endured many years of persecution. I am doing my part by taking Tundra to schools and community groups to raise the profile of the wolf and to educate them about Tundra’s wild cousins. Mr. Penner, what are you going to do to protect the wolf in BC?
I would appreciate acknowledgement of this letter with an estimation of the timespan for your response.
Sincerely,
Gary R. Allan, JD
PO Box 210
Sointula, BC
V0N 3E0
Honourable Barry Penner
Minister of the Environment
PO Box 9047
Stn. Prov. Govt.
Victoria, BC
V8W 9E2
Dear Mr. Penner:
Please find enclosed a story about our wolfdog, Tundra and the presentations I do about wolves for the local school children in the North Vancouver Island area. I discuss pup development, denning behavior, choice of food, respect for the wolf as a wild animal, along with other topics, with the children.
These presentations are a rare opportunity for these children, school staff and community members to interact with an animal that is mostly wolf, that exhibits wolf behavior, but is extremely friendly and safe for them to pet her. The children are extremely grateful for these visits and they respond by sending me their creative thank you cards.
As you can read in the article, I present a realistic view of the wolf as a wild animal that is misunderstood by many segments of the community including your ministry which I will detail later in the letter. I assure them that it is rare to see a wolf in the wild but should they be lucky to experience this encounter, do not approach the animal, feed it or in any way try to habituate the wolf. Just let it be a wild animal and leave it alone.
That should be the policy of our government, to extend protection to the wolf by leaving it alone, since it is a self-limiting animal in regards to reproduction. Many studies have shown the wolf does not breed when food supply is scarce, thereby limiting its population. There are other factors too, which help them to limit their population.
The children and adults attending my presentations, along with all the people I meet on my trips with Tundra, are dismayed as I am regarding all government’s attitudes towards the wolf. The BC Government is no exception to this misunderstood attitude.
According to your Hansard testimony on May 22,2008 at your estimates, you admit that your ministry does not have an accurate estimate of the wolf population in BC. Anecdotally, you state that there have been more sightings of wolves in BC and you feel the population is on the rise but you have no hard figures to support that conclusion.
With no accurate figures however, your ministry has decided in the BC Hunting & Trapping regulations that BC resident hunters can kill 3 wolves a year. According to the 2006 Wolf Hunter Harvest data (the most recent data) there were 597 wolves killed in BC. This data is likely inaccurate and under reported as only 3 regions have compulsory reporting and the harvest data is based on self-reporting which is always suspect.
I believe your ministry’s management of wolves is seriously flawed in a number of areas. Hunters do not need to purchase a tag to kill wolves as is required for other animals. Your ministry has no accurate records of the harvest of wolves, yet you continue to allow this unmonitored killing to persist. Conservation officers could not successfully prosecute a hunter for killing more than 3 wolves or out of season hunting because they would have to rely completely on the admission of the hunter which they would not get.
As accurate a picture I can get on the harvest of wolves in BC, about 600 wolves are killed out of a population between 7,000 – 9,000 wolves. This represents between 6.5-8.5% of the annual population but this is likely low due to the reasons I have mentioned. Given natural causes for death, along with the hunting & trapping, I question whether this is a sustainable harvest and your ministry officials can not assure me that it is sustainable because they do not know.
Another area of concern is the hunting of wolves and all wildlife in BC Parks, Recreation Areas, Conservancies, etc. British Columbians and its visitors want to visit these protected areas to enjoy the scenery and its wildlife. They are aghast at realizing that the small hunting contingent in this province can kill wildlife in these areas. All of Canada’s national parks are protected from any hunting or trapping within its boundaries. BC parks should be granted the same exemption.
In the hunting regulations and on the BC parks website it states that hunting and trapping is not allowed in many Provincial Parks, Conservancies, Recreation Areas, and Protected Areas. This is a completely inaccurate and misleading statement. It would be more accurate to state that few parks and other areas are free from hunting and trapping. To prove my point, here is a list of parks that allow hunting and trapping (list is not exhaustive), according to the BC parks website and hunting regulations: Strathcona, Brooks Peninsula, Carmanah Walbran, Tweedsmuir, Wells Gray, Denetiah, Manning, Finlay-Russell, Graham Laurier, Hakai Luxvhalis Conservancy, Homalthko River-Tatlayoko, Itcha Ilgachuz, Kakwa Park, Liard River Corridor, Muncho Lake, Atlin Park, Babine Mountains, Mount Assiniboine, Mount Blanchet, Mount Edziza, Naikoon, Northern Rocky Mountains, Omineca, Pine Le Moray, Purcell Wilderness, Redfern-Keilly, Rubyrock Lake, Skagit Valley, Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness, Stein Valley, Stikine River, Stone Mountain, Sustut, Tatlakui, Tatshenshini-Alsek, Ts’il?os, Valhalla, Cape Scott and Dune Zakeyih.
As you can see it encompasses most of the large parks and refutes emphatically your misleading statement that many parks are free from hunting and trapping. Is this policy to appease the BC Wildlife Federation?
The most disturbing policy your government has directed towards the wolf is the very protracted wolf killing season. In the Hunting Regulations, Regions 5,6,7a&7b (which encompasses more than half the land mass of BC & where most of the wolves reside) the hunting season for the wolf is from Aug. 1 – June 15th which ensures that hunting can occur during the pup birthing season (March 15-May15). No other animal can be legally targeted by hunters during their birthing season except the wolf! How more mean spirited can your Ministry and Government be towards the wolf?
Also, in these aforementioned regions, there are areas where there is no closed season or no bag limit on the wolf. No wonder there were 524 wolves killed in 2006 in these three regions. While most of the wolves reside in these regions, if your intent is to seriously erode the wolf population in BC, this policy will succeed.
Will the Minister commit to significantly providing much more protection for the wolf in BC? Specifically will the Minister:
Significantly reduce the hunting season on the wolf in all regions of BC?
Reduce the allowable harvest of wolves to one wolf per hunter & require hunters to purchase a tag to hunt wolves?
Eliminate all hunting & trapping in BC parks, conservancies, recreation areas, etc?
Implement mandatory reporting of wolf kills in all regions?
Commit to a comprehensive wolf inventory system so we know how many wolves reside in BC?
Your ministry has a long way to go to improve the plight of the wolf in this province, since it has endured many years of persecution. I am doing my part by taking Tundra to schools and community groups to raise the profile of the wolf and to educate them about Tundra’s wild cousins. Mr. Penner, what are you going to do to protect the wolf in BC?
I would appreciate acknowledgement of this letter with an estimation of the timespan for your response.
Sincerely,
Gary R. Allan, JD
PO Box 210
Sointula, BC
V0N 3E0
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