| In March of 2006, the government of Alberta | | | | the incredible callousness of pollsters and |
| imposed a ban on the hunting of grizzly bears | | | | environmental groups alike when it came to |
| for sport. The move showed a considerable | | | | publishing the truth in order to truly |
| lack of reaction when compared to a similar | | | | measure public opinion. When commissioned by |
| ban by British Columbia in 2001, and indeed a | | | | the International Fund for Animal Welfare to |
| comparison of the actions in the two | | | | poll people's reaction to the ban, COMPASS |
| provinces sheds a lot of light on the | | | | directors acted shocked when the numbers |
| ridiculousness of the whole scenario | | | | reflected a staggering majority favored the |
| surrounding the decision in British Columbia. | | | | ban. While they did disclose that only 800 |
| | | | people from around the province (which has a |
| The moratorium on grizzly bears in Alberta | | | | population of over 4 million) were polled, |
| was not spearheaded by a coalition of | | | | they forgot to add how many from each area |
| environmental groups who believe in | | | | were included. They did disclose that five |
| preservation at all costs. On the contrary, | | | | "areas" of British Columbia were included in |
| it seems as if some of the more famous, if | | | | the survey, but left out the fact that three |
| less reputable, groups such as the World | | | | of the five were major metropolitan areas |
| Wildlife Fund were totally in the dark about | | | | whose population are made up mostly of |
| the decision. As late as October of 2006, the | | | | people who had probably never seen a grizzly |
| WWF was sponsoring update shows on many | | | | bear, much less ventured into the wilderness |
| stations wherein Kelsey Grammar called the | | | | areas they occupied. Comments by survey |
| policy regarding the grizzly bear hunt in | | | | director Conrad Winn further clarified his |
| Alberta into question. It looks like the WWF | | | | institution's approach to the study, as he |
| missed the bulletin about the new policy. | | | | suggested that the group only surveyed people |
| | | | who had recently moved to B.C from the east. |
| The hunt in British Columbia was a different | | | | |
| matter entirely. The ban came about on the | | | | Wilderness hunting outfitters in Canada and |
| eve of an election that was to see the | | | | outdoor enthusiasts breathed a sigh of relief |
| annihilation of the highly unpopular New | | | | when the Liberals came into power and |
| Democrat Party. In a last ditch attempt to | | | | immediately lifted the ban. The province |
| gain some votes, Premier Ujal Dosanjh | | | | currently sees 400 grizzlies a year |
| suddenly announced a moratorium on the | | | | harvested, with 60% being taken by resident |
| grizzly bear hunt, a program that brought in | | | | hunters and the other 40% taken by foreign |
| huge amounts of money from foreign hunters | | | | big game hunters, who make a major |
| and which was needed to keep the grizzly | | | | contribution to the province's economy. Bear |
| population in check. The move was quickly | | | | experts suggest grizzlies continue to thrive |
| overturned when the Liberal party swept into | | | | in the province, with suggestions that in |
| power, and has been kept in place ever since. | | | | order to even keep the bear numbers even, the |
| | | | hunt would need to be doubled. With the |
| Among the issues that stand out when reaction | | | | current harvest, many believe that grizzly |
| to the two provinces' policies from | | | | numbers will continue to grow, with the |
| environmental groups is considered is how | | | | potential of more bear/human conflicts, |
| very little input and reaction there was on | | | | livestock predation, and lower numbers of |
| the Alberta front. Environmental groups | | | | wild ungulates as some of the results. As |
| suggested at the time of the B.C. ban that | | | | grizzly bears are highly aggressive to their |
| grizzly populations in the entire province | | | | own species, more numbers of mature male |
| were as low as 4,000 bears (this was in | | | | bears might mean that less sows and cubs are |
| contrast to the government numbers of 10,000, | | | | left alive at the end of each season due to |
| which in turn were low compared to biologist | | | | male kill rates (one study showed that in |
| counts which put the number of grizzlies at | | | | three weeks, one Alpha male was responsible |
| 12,000 or higher). Best estimates from all | | | | for killing and eating nine other grizzlies |
| sides puts the number of grizzlies in Alberta | | | | in his range; three sows and their cubs of |
| at only 700, a figure that is staggeringly | | | | the year). |
| low when one considers that it includes the | | | | |
| healthy grizzly populations of Banff and | | | | It is the responsibility of every outdoor |
| Jasper National Parks. One can only assume | | | | enthusiast to protect the nature and the |
| that environmental groups missed their | | | | animals that remind of why we love the |
| research on the desperate situation of the | | | | outdoors. As the ludicrous situation in B.C. |
| grizzlies in Alberta, where about ten | | | | demonstrated, however, all people truly |
| grizzlies were taken each year previous to | | | | interested in keeping the wild, 'wild' must |
| the ban. | | | | approach controversial matters in an informed |
| | | | manner, with a willingness to learn from the |
| Another stand-out issue in the B.C. ban was | | | | facts. |