British Columbia: Forest Ethics makes wolf slaughter the best way to keep loggers logging
On October 16, 2007, the BC government dazzled the world with the
announcement of a “partnership” to save British Columbia’s endangered mountain caribou.
The partners — BC government, logging companies, snowmobile clubs, heli-ski businesses
and the Mountain Caribou Project (MCP) — had agreed to protect 2.2 million hectares of high
quality mountain caribou winter habitat. They had also agreed to kill predators. But in the
big media promotion, the habitat protection received all of the focus and predator control
(which had been the subject of massive protest) received little attention. The Mountain Caribou
Project press release stated: “‘Three years ago, the importance of habitat protection wasn’t fully appreciated,’ said John Bergenske of Wildsight. ‘
Predator control was touted as the silver bullet for saving
caribou. But today, habitat protection is recognized as the major
focus of caribou recovery, and any intended predator control will be subject to
stringent criteria to be developed by the Ministry of Environment. It’s a big win for the
wildlife and the people of British Columbia, and indeed for the global community …”
Certainly the talk and the press materials emphasized habitat but the
actions have been just the opposite. The government is relying upon
killing predators as its silver bullet to increase caribou numbers
without reducing the logging that is destroying habitat.
And the
predator control has been going on in secret for at least the last
couple of years. By resorting to trapping, the BC government has added
cruelty to ecological damage caused by eliminating top predators from
the ecosystem. When wild animals are caught in snares or traps, they
struggle violently to free themselves, often injuring themselves
seriously. It is well known that smaller non-target species of
wildlife can step into the traps, crushing their legs. Last year a
Creston couple lost their dog, Rosie, when she stepped into two wolf
traps set by the Ministry of Environment. The traps crushed both legs
and Rosie screamed in agony while being driven 23 kilometres to a vet.
There is no vet to mercifully end the suffering of wild animals that
fall into these traps.
ForestEthics is a US-based environmental
negotiation firm. The Mountain Caribou Project (MCP) is a coalition of
nine environmental groups funded by ForestEthics (FE). Its member
groups, besides FE, areWildsight, Sierra Club of BC, Quesnel River
Watershed Alliance, Conservation Northwest, Canadian Parks and
Wilderness Society, BC Nature (Federation of BC Naturalists), North
Columbia Environmental Society, and the Shuswap Environmental Action
Society. The Mountain Caribou Project was represented by ForestEthics
and Wildsight in the negotiations on the caribou plan.
This paper will
compare media statements with reality. It will show how massive
habitat protection could actually mean little or no reduction in the
rate of habitat destruction. It will show a backroom deal negotiated
by confidentiality agreement, that still keeps the public in the dark
15 months later, being promoted as “transparency.” It will show the
environmental groups that
signed the confidentiality agreement and kept the terms of the
agreement secret from the public
http://www.inlandtemperaterainforest.org
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Thank goodness that at last, people realise that killing the predators unbalances nature and is the wrong way to go.
James Stevenson-Hamilton, the first warden of the Kruger National Park from 1902 – 1946, wrote as early as 1912 his revulsion at the killing of Lion, Hyena and birds of prey – those were not popular ideas at the time, when the idea of the park was to create one large hunting paradise, free of predators of all kinds.
He believed that nature has an inbuilt capacity for maintaining its equilibrium and that human interference should be minimal.
“Nature, left entirely alone” he wrote, “manages her own affairs. Predatory creatures, great and small, and whether of the earth, air or water, have their full place in nature, just as much as the animals on which they are accustomed to prey, and are entitled to equal respect. Understand this and nature will transform you, ignore it and she will return armed with a pitchfork.”
I truly believe that but for him, there would be no huge game reserves in Southern Africa that teem with wild animals of all kinds.
Today, as nature conservation rises to the challenges of changing political and economic circumstances, the ongoing fight against poaching and our opposition to those who would eliminate the predators in favour of the hunters, lessons can be gained from the wisdom that he wrote all those years ago.
As for leg hold traps, or Gin traps as we know them, they are unacceptable management tools in the management of human-wildlife conflict or in the hunting of any wildlife or any animal, and it has proven to be ineffective over the last 200 years! They are indiscriminate killers, they are barbaric, they fracture limbs, cause limb blood supply cut off and gangrene, they tear ligaments and tissues, and cause dehydration and agonising deaths. The animals still chew off their limbs trying to free themselves from these devices.
There should be public outrage against the continued use of them,and if this attempt goes ahead to trap and kill the wolves, I believe it will go down as one of the greatest tragedies in History.
So you will kill another Animal – a peaceful Predator that only kills what it eats and needs to survive thinking you will save another species? I guess you have not realized yet that the world always in Nature even things out – the Wolf culls the sick and disabled of the herd – so they can grow stronger and also don’t overpopulate – to hold Wolf responsible for you guys not employing proper strategies in your Wildlife Regulations should not be put in the Wolves and what they do because you are just plain wrong.
It has been proven that Wolf keeps herd of Caribbour or other hoofed Animals in check yet leaving plenty to not kill them all of like men usually do.
Is this a debate with the Hunters in B.C.? They are the ones that complain the loudes and make less sense than anyone else.
I hate to see Wolves killed for something that can be controlled by Nature letting it take in it’s own way like it has always been – and why do you think you have to interfere?
I think it’s cruel and unjust to blame Wolf for what he can not accomplish all by himself of what you accuse him off –
Reply: This isn’t an issue of hunters pushing their agenda. This is an issue of environmentalists forgetting they even have an agenda; of environmentalists becoming so shallow & ineffective that it’s as if the timber industry Governments solution is the only one that exists! –Editor, Forest Policy Research
Why should the horses and wolves be killed to support unsustainable logging practices ? Why does the B.C. Government feel the need to be secretive about what is really going on ? Who came up with these Bonehead ideas that you can save the woodland caribou by killing wild horses to entrap and kill wolves ? This is the ultimate in stupidity, greed, or both.
wow this is somethin.Why would people hunt wolves theri cute? I mean if the population skyrockets thats nessisary I guss but really killing them like this is not good! They do what they can to survive its a crule world thats what it is!!!! And you know what screw loging practices!! Who really cares about loging practices?!(Besides you loggers.) I sure don’t care I mean really who do you think you are!!!!!!!!!! I know you want to preserve the caribou but, killing wolves isn’t the answer! Who came up with these dumb ideas?! YOU GUYS ARE STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think you dudes need to think who created this earth? God did! He did not want this crap to happen and yet you do it anyway! :( I think you need to learn that killing is not the answer! THERE IS NO NEED FOR VOILENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get that in YOUR THICK SKULLS!!!! USE YOUR BRAIN! I HOPE THIS DOSENT CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE!
I hate what you do to wolves its just not fair to them! The time will come when the world will come to an end and by golly I hope you repent your sin’s. If not good luck down there.
So now your dragging horses into this what’s up with you jerks?! SCREW GOVERMENT SOLUTIONS SAVE THE HORSES AND WOLVES!!! I think this isn’t nessisary to hurt other animals let alone KILL!!!!! IF YOU CONTINUE WITH THIS CRAP I SWEAR I WILL PUNCH A WALL! SO stop this crap!!! **(