Predator control good policy
I find it interesting to read Lorne Fitch’s opinions on wildlife conflict on page 11 of the Aug. 1 issue.
A few years ago in British Columbia, we had a situation where government biologists told us the caribou herds were being depleted. They blamed the resource industries for causing the problem.
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A few years previous, the government cancelled the spring bear hunt and restricted wolf hunting. They were told by hunters and other affected parties that there were too many predators.
Bears sleep all winter; they wake up hungry. Caribou calves are born in spring; they are easy to catch. Wolves are hungry year round. The biologists’ answer was to study the problem. After two years and a few million dollars they came up with the conclusion there were too many wolves and some needed to be culled.
The situation now has become much worse by all the forest fires destroying the habitat of the predators as well as the prey, causing more conflict with humans.
I don’t see any sensible solution other than the actions that the Alberta government is taking.
Roger Brandl,
Fort St. John, B.C.
