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Misguided wolf bounty
ACTION ALERT !
Big Lakes Alberta Wolf Bounty Put an end to this misguided cruelty!!
Problem: Rural Municipality of Big Lakes Alberta began offering a $300
bounty on wolves in September 2010.
In just nine months 97 wolves killed and claimed!
Why?: Because not all of these wolves have killed livestock, and many likely never would have.
Because the executives of the Big Lakes rural municipality refuse to
respond to our concerns and recommendations, or even those of Fish
and Wildlife who presented to the council about alternative solutions.
This is $18,900 paid out in tax dollars which could have gone to
prevention through improved husbandry practices, education about how
to reduce conflicts between predators and livestock, or many other areas
in need of funding???
Will the bounty work? No! Because decades of research show that
bounties are not effective in the long term for reducing livestock losses to
predators, so wolves are being killed needlessly. Other wolves will move
in to fill vacant territories. Remember that not all wolves kill livestock.
Issues:What right does this municipality have to disrupt a top predator
that is a natural resource to You? The ecological role of wolves as top
predators and keystone species means they help maintain biodiversity
and healthy ecosystems.
· This unethical act in the name of livestock protection is NOT
being supported by Alberta Agriculture.
· Livestock producers need to take some responsibility and
promote responsible husbandry practices.
· Many of the wolves being claimed are not even by livestock
producers! This is a cash grab.
Action: Phone or e-mail the following people to let them know that you
do not support these unnecessary actions in the name of livestock loss
prevention. Wolf bounties are immoral and irresponsible. Urge them to
do what they can to see this stopped!
People to Contact:
Municipal council through the executive secretary of the Big Lakes
Municipality (Amanda) execsecretary@mdbiglakes.ca 780-523-5955
or toll free 1-866-523-5955
Association of Alberta Agriculture Fieldmen for Municipal District of Big Lakes agassist@mdbiglakes.ca 780-523-5955
agriculture@mdbiglakes.ca 780-523-5955
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Mel Knight 780-415-4815
Alberta Minister of Environment Rob Renner complaints: 1-800-222-6514 env.infocent@gov.ab.ca
Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach premier@gov.ab.ca ( 780) 427-2251
Alberta Fish and Wildlife program manager enforcement field services steven.cross@gov.ab.ca
See Canadian Wolf Coalition’s letter below asking the municipal
district to refrain from engaging in this outdated practice.
This letter has not been acknowledged nor answered.
Please cc: canadianwolfco@gmail.com on all emails.
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CanadianWolfCoalition
21-514 Anderson Rd.
Golden, BC V0A 1H1
Phone: 250-344-7998
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October 28, 2010
Hello. It has come to our attention that the Municipal District of Big Lakes, Alberta has initiated a $300 bounty on wolves for the purposes of reducing livestock predation as part of the regions’ population control efforts of natural predators. We have several concerns about this decision and would like to work with you to change this into a more effective, long-term and ethically acceptable plan. We hope that you will take the time to learn about our alternative solutions and the reasoning behind the necessary change. As well, we have several questions that we would like answered so that we may better understand the decision making processes involved thus far. We demand an explanation to the below questions and a response.
Regarding the Municipal District of Big Lakes, Alberta:
· Will you please provide information about the numbers of livestock being raised in the area, and any changes over the past 20 years.
· Will you please provide information on the number of confirmed livestock losses due to wolves for each year over the past 20 years. Please do the same for other natural predators as well as domestic dogs. Please do the same for other confirmed causes of mortality such as weather, disease, etc.
· Please summarize why the above data lead you to the decision of a wolf bounty instead of how Fish and Wildlife have been handling it for the past few years?
· Please provide the budget that the MD has spent on education for prevention of livestock losses for each year over the past 10 years? Also include the methods of education being used: workshops, pamphlets, websites, etc.
· Please explain why council decided that Fish and Wildlife were not doing an adequate job of handling the situation. Were other biologists/ecologists with experience in this field consulted before making the decision?
· Schedule A – (Policy AG-10) Contract of Participation for the “Wolf Hunting Incentive” states in the first line that the incentive is in place “In an effort for support population control efforts”. Please provide evidence as to why this is required, and what scientific data were used to determine that population control efforts were needed. Please reference the studies determining that removal of wolves in the Big Lakes and surrounding area would result in a decreased wolf population and/or decrease in rates of livestock predation.
· The Municipal District of Big Lakes Wolf Hunting Incentive Policy Statement reads “The Municipal District of Big Lakes recognizes a need to support wolf population control efforts to reduce livestock predation” . Please explain how this has been recognized, when local agricultural people we have spoken with, as well as Fish and Wildlife do not “recognize” this.
· Do the locals support the decision to spend their tax dollars this way?
Please provide me with a response from the decision-makers to these questions soon. Your reply will be shared among conservation groups within the Canadian Wolf Coalition and we will continue from there. I trust that other conservation organizations, as well as the majority of the public at large will be aghast at this unfortunate decision.
As an alternative solution, we encourage that the funds for the wolf hunting incentive instead be allocated to ranchers for incentives for preventative practices such as fladry, range-riders, guardian animals, carcass removal programs, and into ongoing education about prevention through workshops, websites, manuals, etc. We would be happy to provide you with contacts to arrange this or work alongside you to achieve it.
I do hope that we can work together to come up with a long-term solution that is more effective, acceptable and responsible. If the decision to pay a bounty for murdered wolves in and by the Municipal District of Big Lakes is not changed, we will begin to bring this issue into the public eye through media attention and public outreach. In this way, the council of the MD of Big Lakes would become aware of how many are against the killing of large predators. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely, Sadie Parr
Canadian Wolf Coalition
10/28/2010
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