Bullets are cheaper than bear-proof fences.
So Manitoba’s general farm organization wants the provincial government to pay for fences if it wants farmers to avoid using bullets when dealing with honey-hungry bruins.
“There seem to be an awful lot of bears,” said former Keystone Agricultural Producers president Ian Wishart at the organization’s annual meeting.
The organization passed a resolution calling for the Manitoba government to “reinstate subsidized bear-proof fencing for bee yards under a best management practice incentive program.”
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Representatives of tree and brush-covered areas said more bears have been appearing and have caused destruction to beehives used for either honey production or pollination.
The problem is especially pronounced in the Interlake region.
Shooting bears is effective and inexpensive, some KAP members noted, but many urbanites and government officials are unhappy with it.
That makes governments responsible to support farmers, Wishart said. Existing programs could be adapted to provide the support.
KAP member Butch Harder said farmers can ask for money for programs or compensation, but should be willing to identify the funding source or consider higher taxes.
“We want things from government, but what we don’t want is that they raise taxes,” said Harder.
“We can pass this resolution, but sooner or later we have to say where this money will come from.”
KAP vice-president Rob Brunel said the request for support for bear-proofing is reasonable if the government doesn’t want farmers to take the cheaper, projectile-based solution.
“They’re not our bears, and they don’t like it when we shoot them,” said Brunel.
