Conservation organizations are questioning recent demands from the Alberta government to reintroduce the grizzly bear hunting season, which has been closed for over 20 years, citing a lack of scientific justification.
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) recently passed a resolution urging the province to establish a regulated grizzly bear hunt through a draw system. However, conservation groups are emphasizing the importance of a science-based approach to grizzly bear management due to the absence of recent population studies.
The Alberta Wildlife Federation expressed conditional support for a controlled harvest of grizzly bears if it aligns with a comprehensive management strategy based on scientific evidence. They emphasized the necessity of maintaining grizzly bear populations while addressing human safety concerns and property protection.
The push for a grizzly bear hunt by the RMA follows a spike in human-bear interactions in southwestern Alberta, including an incident where a fisherman was injured by a grizzly bear with cubs near Cardston. The majority of RMA members, representing over 60 rural Alberta regions, endorsed the resolution.
Furthermore, despite calls for a grizzly bear hunt, conservation specialist Ruiping Luo from the Alberta Wilderness Association highlighted the lack of transparency and updated data on the grizzly bear population. The last provincial study on grizzly numbers was conducted in 2018, with the most recent information indicating a high concentration of grizzly bears in southwestern Alberta.
The Alberta government classified grizzly bears as a threatened species in 2010 due to the believed presence of fewer than 1,000 mature adults in the province. Although the population has reportedly increased to over 1,150 bears in recent years, concerns remain about the impact of hunting on the species.
The Exposed Wildlife Conservancy emphasized the need for wildlife management decisions to be rooted in current scientific research, particularly when dealing with threatened species like grizzly bears. They stressed the importance of data-driven decision-making to address conflicts and protect these vulnerable animals.
Experts and advocates are urging the Alberta government to allocate resources for updated grizzly bear population studies to inform effective management strategies. Initiatives like DNA research using grizzly bear hair are suggested as cost-effective approaches to gather essential data for informed decision-making and conservation efforts.