Saskatchewan has taken a step designed to help livestock producers deal with predators.
Agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud was criticized earlier this year for placing a bounty on coyotes to reduce predation leading to livestock injuries and deaths.
But as that pilot program winds down at the end of March, he told delegates to the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities convention in Regina last week that producers would now be eligible for compensation for livestock killed or injured by predators including coyotes.
The federal and provincial governments will share the cost.
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“We will provide 100 percent compensation to producers for livestock killed by predators,” he said. “Producers will be compensated for up to 80 percent of the market value of a calf that’s not dead.”
The latter will help cover veterinary costs, Bjornerud said.
The coyote control program offered $20 per animal and resulted in about 23,000 applications for payment. In a typical year, between 35,000 and 37,000 animals are taken through hunting and trapping.
“Last year, we were down to 16,000,” he said.
Coyotes were starting to form packs and lose their fear of humans. Complaints about predation were up and Bjornerud said critics couldn’t see the damage being done.
“I’m hoping it puts a little fear or respect back into the coyotes,” he said.
The livestock compensation program will also cover death and injury caused by bears, cougars, lynx, foxes, eagles and wolves. It covers cattle, sheep, goats, bison, horses, domesticated hogs, elk, fallow deer, llamas, donkeys, ostriches, emus, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and other species.
Market prices will determine the compensation, but it will be a minimum of $400 for calves, $40 for sheep and $30 for goats.
The minister also announced enhancements to wildlife damage compensation to crops and feed used for winter feeding. Swath, bale and corn grazing are now all covered and producers will receive 100 percent compensation for crop damaged by wild boar. The $5,200-per-yard compensation limit for damage to stacked feed has been removed.
“Wildlife do not have a limit on the damage they can cause so I don’t think it’s fitting that we should have a limit on how much we pay you,” Bjornerud said.
These changes take effect April 1 and will cost about $2.5 million. The federal and provincial governments will cost share the first 80 percent on a 60–40 basis and the province will pick up the remaining 20 percent on its own.
Saskatchewan Crop Insurance administers the wildlife damage program but producers do not have to be enrolled in the program to obtain benefits. The corporation is also taking over the $400,000 livestock predation program.
Bjornerud said SARM will receive $50,000 from that program to administer the wild boar control program.
He also said SARM will receive $600,000 per year to take over administration of the rat eradication program from the Provincial Council of Agriculture Development and Diversification Boards.
“I wouldn’t like to use the word downloading onto you,” Bjornerud said. “I think we want to make you a full partner on some of these programs where I think you’re probably far more capable than we are.”
SARM president David Marit said delegates wanted the organization to be more involved.
“We think we can work with our members to deliver the program more efficiently and also work with the pest control officers,” he said.
At the convention, a committee was struck to look after the rat eradication program. Members include Ray Beck, Calvin Holowaty, Dan Mireau, Bill Owens, Carmen Sterling and Rod Wiens from each of SARM’s six divisions. Pest control officer Grant Peeling, SARM vice-president Ray Orb, Ray McVicar from the agriculture ministry and SARM policy analyst Curtis McManus also sit on the committee. The first meeting was planned for March 18.
