Manitoba agriculture minister Harry Enns has found himself on the horns of a dilemma because of would-be elk ranchers without permits.
Elk ranching became legal in the province Feb. 1, when regulations were published.
But part of those rules included what some have been calling an amnesty period for people who have been holding elk. The practice was against the law, but the law was not always enforced.
They had until Feb. 14 to notify the agriculture department how many elk they had, and could then pay $1,000 each to get their elk into the new, highly regulated industry.
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In contrast, it can cost up to $15,000 to buy a cow elk from a breeder.
The $1,000-loophole became daily news in the province, and was “widely and wildly misinterpreted” according to Enns.
While critics said he was being unfair by rewarding people who broke the law with bargain-price elk, Enns said he was being practical.
“We don’t start in a perfect world from square one, regrettably.”
Enns traces the problem back 15 years when a previous government experimented with but abandoned elk ranching. He said the NDP administration didn’t clean up after itself, a task that’s left to him.
Enns said rumors of more than 900 elk held illegally were over-blown. Deputy minister Don Zasada said fewer than 100 were declared by the deadline. The department will be inspecting and counting the elk this week.
Enns met with the Manitoba Elk Growers Association last week. Zasada said ranchers were concerned about the loophole, and the minister promised to look at their concerns.
Kelly Taylor, who farms near Oak Lake, Man., said the association met with the minister to help correct the “mistaken” regulation.
Taylor said the group is being patient, and believes the minister is on the verge of making changes to treat all elk ranchers fairly.
Zasada wouldn’t speculate whether changes would be made, but said decisions will be made shortly.
Animal welfare groups like the Winnipeg Humane Society were concerned some people would try to capture elk during the 14-day period so they could get them for $1,000 too. But Enns said natural resources officers stepped up patrols to prevent poaching.
Enns said part of the reason for the loophole was to get aboriginal communities involved in the program without creating a confrontation.
“When elk farming begins in Manitoba, I want there to be one set of rules for everybody that engages in it, not a separate set of rules, for instance, for our aboriginal communities.”
The province’s ombudsman is looking into the issue because of complaints from the public.
Agriculture critic Rosann Wowchuk said the government should get the RCMP and crown attorneys from outside the province to investigate the situation.
