Calls for the Alberta government to reinstate a regulated grizzly bear hunt are gaining support from the Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA). A policy resolution advocating for the implementation of a draw system for grizzly bear hunting was passed during a recent RMA meeting, initiated by Cardston County. This move is prompted by increased human-bear interactions, particularly in southern Alberta, where residents have reported bears encroaching on homes and livestock. The RMA’s president highlighted safety concerns for rural communities, especially near the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The resolution also requests the province to establish funding for bear research, conflict mitigation, and to end the Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan initiated in 2008, which aimed to protect the species designated as threatened in 2010.
Why It Matters
Grizzly bear hunting has been banned in Alberta since 2006, except for Indigenous subsistence hunting, and the species was classified as threatened four years later. The province has seen a rise in bear populations since the hunting moratorium, leading to increased encounters with humans, which have raised safety concerns. Alberta Parks issued a blanket bear warning for Kananaskis Country last year due to a surge in bear encounters, marking the first such advisory since 2016. The push for a regulated hunt reflects ongoing tensions between wildlife management and public safety, as rural communities seek solutions to mitigate the risks associated with growing bear populations.
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