The mass destruction of diseased bison and repopulation of healthy bison in Wood Buffalo National Park is “technically feasible,” but it’s not likely to happen any time soon, says the head of Canada’s national parks.
Doug Stewart, superintendent of National Historic Sites of Canada, said it’s unlikely the government will act on a report of experts that said brucellosis and tuberculosis in the park bison herd could be eliminated over 20 years at a cost of $70 million.
“At this point in time I don’t think there’s a great deal of urgency,” Stewart said.
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The 78-page document was based on a two-day workshop held in Edmonton last October . It attempted to determine if the diseased population could be eliminated and repopulated with healthy bison.
The 32-member expert panel concluded that the only way bovine tuberculosis and brucellosis could be eliminated from the park herd was to destroy all animals over a 10 year period, allow for a bison-free period and then repopulate with healthy bison over the following years.
The report said the technical question of “can the diseases be eliminated” is distinctly different from the broader policy question of “should the diseases be eliminated through depopulation and repopulation?”
Wood Buffalo National Park, which straddles the Northwest Territories and Alberta border, is home to about 4,500 bison. The disease was likely introduced when more than 6,600 Plains bison from Wainwright Buffalo Park arrived at Wood Buffalo between 1925 and 1928.
Government departments have been trying ever since to manage the disease.
It’s believed to be one of the last remaining sources of tuberculosis and brucellosis in the country and has been an ongoing source of frustration. About half the herd has tuberculosis and about 30 percent are infected with brucellosis. Tuberculosis is considered a serious threat to humans, domestic livestock and the restoration of disease-free Wood bison.
A 1990 report recommended depopulating and repopulating the animals, but the plan was put on hold when the government decided that more research was needed.
Gerald Hauer, assistant provincial veterinarian with Alberta Agriculture, said he doesn’t think there has been a renewed push to solve the disease problem in the park, but it is more of an ongoing problem.
“It’s always been on the back burner,” he said.”The problem has never really gone away.”
A series of reports and recommendations have been made since 1990 and scientists have taken a closer look at the prevalence of the diseases, the movement of bison and the need for genetic preservation.
“Is there being a renewed push? No, but it’s always on the back of the mind that there is this risk with these wild bison up there with disease. In this day and age of increased awareness and international trading, there is this increased awareness of other diseases.”
Stewart said the federal government has a responsibility to manage the disease in the public park.
“The agriculture sector continues to say this reservoir is a concern for their industry. A responsible government has to continue to evaluate the situation and if warranted put in place some form of program to deal with it.”
Not only would a great deal of government determination be required to eradicate the diseases, Stewart said, but governments would also have to be willing to spend a “fairly fantastic” amount of money.
He said there is no evidence the bison are expanding their range or that they have infected domestic cattle and bison.
“I wouldn’t view it as an urgent matter, but it is a matter of public policy that I think eventually government is going to have to deal with.”
